Study Desk

'But if at any time the one guilty of manslaughter comes outside the border of his city of refuge to which he fled,

because the offender should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the high priest's death the offender shall return to the land of his possession.

'If anyone kills a person [intentionally], the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of [two or more] witnesses; but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of [only] one witness.

'Moreover, you shall not accept a ransom [in exchange] for the life of a murderer guilty and sentenced to death; but he shall certainly be put to death.

"But if the daughters marry any of the men from any of the other tribes of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken away from that of our fathers (tribal ancestors) and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; so it will be taken away from our allotted inheritance.

"So no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another, but each of the tribes of the Israelites shall hold to its own inheritance."

"Yet you were not willing to go up [to take possession of it], but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.

'But as for you, turn around and set out for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds).'

"But the LORD said to me, 'Say to them, "Do not go up and do not fight, for I am not among you [because of your rebellion]; otherwise you will be [badly] defeated by your enemies."'

"So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. Instead you rebelled against the command of the LORD, and acted presumptuously and went up into the hill country.

"And you returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not listen to your voice nor pay attention to you.

These also are regarded as Rephaim [an ancient people], as are the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

The Horites also used to live in Seir, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them. They destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land which the LORD gave them as their possession.)

(It is also regarded as the land of the Rephaim [of giant stature], for Rephaim used to live there, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummin,

a great, numerous people, and tall as the Anakim, but the LORD destroyed them before the sons of Ammon. And they dispossessed them and settled in their place,

"But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to travel through his land; for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to hand him over to you, as he is today.

"But we took all the cattle and the spoil of the cities as plunder for ourselves.

'But your wives and your children and your cattle—I know that you have much livestock—shall remain in your cities which I have given you,

"But the LORD was angry with me because of you [and your rebellion at Meribah], and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to me, 'Enough! Speak to Me no longer about this matter.

'But command Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go across and lead this people, and he will give them the land which you see as an inheritance.'