Numbers 35:6-15

New International Version

Cities of Refuge^(A)

⁶ “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.^(B) In addition, give them forty-two other towns. ⁷ In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. ⁸ The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”^(C)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{(D) 11} select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^(E) accidentally^(F) may flee. ¹² They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^(G) so that anyone accused of murder^(H) may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^{(I) 13} These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.^{(J) 14} Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. ¹⁵ These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.