Study Desk

"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, '^(F1)Designate ^(C1)the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you ^(F2)through Moses,

so that one who commits manslaughter by ^(F1)killing a person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood.

'Then he shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the ^(C1)gate of the city, and state his case in the ^(F1)presence of the elders of that city; and they shall ^(F2)receive him into the city to them and give him a place, so that he may remain among them.

'Now ^(C1)if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they are not to hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, since he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him previously.

'And he shall remain in that city ^(C1)until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then ^(F1)he shall ^(F2)return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"