Study Desk

When Yahweh thy God, shall cut off the nations whose land Yahweh thy God is giving thee, - and thou shalt dispossess them, and dwell in their cities and in their houses,

three cities, shalt thou set apart for thee, - in the midst of thy land which Yahweh thy God is giving thee to possess.

Thou shalt prepare for thee a way, and shalt divide into three parts the boundary of thy land which Yahweh thy God shall cause thee to inherit, - and it shall be that every manslayer shall flee thither.

And, this, is the case of the manslayer, who shall flee thither and live, - Whoso shall smite his neighbour unwittingly, he, not having hated him aforetime;

as when one entereth with his neighbour into a forest, to fell trees, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe, to cut down the tree, and the head flieth off from the handle, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die, he, shall flee into one of these cities, and live;

lest the blood redeemer pursue the manslayer because his heart is hot, and overtake him because the way is long, and he smite him so as to take away his life, - he not being worthy of death, seeing that he had not been hating him aforetime.

For this cause, am I commanding thee saying, - Three cities, shalt thou set apart for thee.

But, if Yahweh thy God should enlarge thy heralds, as he aware unto thy fathers, - and should give thee all the land, which he spake of giving unto thy fathers;

because thou dost observe all this commandment to do it which I am commanding thee to-day, to love Yahweh thy God and to walk in his paths all the days, then shalt thou add unto thee yet three cities, unto these three;

that innocent blood may not be sired in the midst of thy land, which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee as an inheritance, - and so shed-blood be upon thee.