The Cities Assigned to the Levites
1 In the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites that from the property they receive they must give the Levites some cities to live in and pasture land around the cities. 3 These cities will belong to the Levites, and they will live there. The pasture land will be for their cattle and all their other animals. 4 The pasture land is to extend outward from the city walls five hundred yards in each direction, 5 so that there is a square area measuring one thousand yards on each side, with the city in the middle. 6 You are to give the Levites six cities of refuge to which any of you can escape if you kill someone accidentally. In addition, give them forty-two other cities 7 with their pasture land, making a total of forty-eight. 8 The number of Levite cities in each tribe is to be determined according to the size of its territory.”
The Cities of Refuge
(Deuteronomy 19.1-13Joshua 20.1-9)9 The Lord told Moses 10 to say to the people of Israel: “When you cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Canaan, 11 you are to choose cities of refuge to which any of you can escape if you kill someone accidentally. 12 There you will be safe from the dead person's relative who seeks revenge. No one accused of manslaughter is to be put to death without a public trial. 13 Choose six cities, 14 three east of the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan. 15 These will serve as cities of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners who are temporary or permanent residents. Anyone who kills someone accidentally can escape to one of them.
16-18 “If, however, any of you use a weapon of iron or stone or wood to kill someone, you are guilty of murder and are to be put to death. 19 The dead person's nearest relative has the responsibility for putting the murderer to death. When he finds you, he is to kill you.
20 “If you hate someone and kill him by pushing him down or by throwing something at him 21 or by striking him with your fist, you are guilty of murder and are to be put to death. The dead person's nearest relative has the responsibility for putting the murderer to death. When he finds you, he is to kill you.
22 “But suppose you accidentally kill someone you do not hate, whether by pushing him down or by throwing something at him. 23 Or suppose that, without looking, you throw a stone that kills someone whom you did not intend to hurt and who was not your enemy. 24 In such cases the community shall judge in your favor and not in favor of the dead person's relative who is seeking revenge. 25 You are guilty only of manslaughter, and the community is to rescue you from the dead person's relative, and they are to return you to the city of refuge to which you had escaped. You must live there until the death of the man who is then High Priest. 26 If you leave the city of refuge to which you have escaped 27 and if the dead person's relative finds you and kills you, this act of revenge is not murder. 28 Any of you guilty of manslaughter must remain in the city of refuge until the death of the High Priest, but after that you may return home. 29 These rules apply to you and your descendants wherever you may live.
30 “Those accused of murder may be found guilty and put to death only on the evidence of two or more witnesses; the evidence of one witness is not sufficient to support an accusation of murder. 31 Murderers must be put to death. They cannot escape this penalty by the payment of money. 32 If they have fled to a city of refuge, do not allow them to make a payment in order to return home before the death of the High Priest. 33 If you did this, you would defile the land where you are living. Murder defiles the land, and except by the death of the murderer there is no way to perform the ritual of purification for the land where someone has been murdered. 34 Do not defile the land where you are living, because I am the Lord and I live among the people of Israel.”
Ovihuro mbya yandjewa kOvalevi
1 Nu Muhona wa hungira ku Moses motutjandja twa Moab, munda mbwina na Jordan, omuhunga wa Jeriko, na tja: 2 “Raera kOvaisrael ve yandje ovihuro okuza motjirumatwa tjawo kOvalevi, wina indi ehi romaryo nda kondoroka ovihuro vyawo. 3 Ovihuro mbi ngavi rire vyomaturiro wawo; indi ehi romaryo ngari rire orovinamuinyo vyawo avihe. 4 Indi ehi romaryo mari tandavara okuza kotumbo twovihuro oure wozometa mangara omasere yetano kominda avihe. 5 Kominda avihe vine vyotjihuro ngave nane mo omuruko woure wozometa mangara eyovi rimwe; nu ihi otjihuro otjini ngatji kare mokati. Indi ngari rire ehi romaryo movihuro. 6 Movihuro mbi mbi mamu yandja kOvalevi, ngamu kare ovihuro hamboumwe vyomaundiro ku maku taurire ngamwa auhe ngwa zeperere omundu; nu ku imbyo wezeye ko ovihuro omirongo vine na vivari. 7 Ovihuro avihe kumwe mbi mamu yandja kOvalevi ngavi rire omirongo vine na hambondatu puna omaryo wavyo. 8 Ihi otjivaro tjovihuro, mbi mavi yandjewa kOvalevi momuhoko auhe, ngatji zikamisiwe otja kounene wehi romuhoko auhe.”
Ovihuro vyomaundiro
(Deu 19:1-13Jos 20:1-9)9 Norukwao Muhona wa hungira ku Moses a tja: 10 “Raera kOvaisrael nu itja nai ku wo: ‘Tji mwa kakonda Jordan namu kahita mehi ra Kanaan, 11 keritoororereye ovihuro, mbi mavi rire ovihuro vyomaundiro, nu ku maku taurire ngamwa auhe ngwa zeperere omundu. 12 Ovyo mavi rire ovihuro ku mamu taurire ku ingwi omusutise wombinḓu, kokutja ngamwa auhe ngwa zeperere omundu a ha ṱu, ngunda e hiya kurama komurungu wombanguriro yombongo. 13 Novihuro mbi, mbi mamu yandja kOvalevi nga rire ovihuro hamboumwe vyomaundiro. 14 Yandjeye ovihuro vitatu komukuma wokomuhuka wa Jordan, na vitatu ovikwao mehi ra Kanaan. 15 Ovihuro mbi hamboumwe ngavi rire ovyomaundiro kOvaisrael na kovozonganda, na ku ingwi ngwa tura mokati kawo kutja auhe ngwa zeperere omundu a taurire ko.
16 “ ‘Omundu tja tono omukwao notjitenda nga tja koka, okutja eye omuzepe; nomuzepe ngwi, tjiri, nga ṱe. 17 Nu tje mu tono newe nga tja koka, okutja eye omuzepe; nomuzepe ngwi, tjiri, nga ṱe. 18 Nu tje mu tono notjiti nga tja koka, okutja eye omuzepe; nomuzepe ngwi, tjiri, nga ṱe. 19 Nu ingwi omuzamumwe wopopezu ngu ri omusutise wombinḓu nga zepe ingwi omuzepe tje mu munu.
20 “ ‘Nomundu worive tja humisa omukwao, ne mu vanda pehi poo e mu vete notjiṋa, 21 poo e mu tono nongomi nga tja koka, ingwi omutone, tjiri, nga ṱe; eye omuzepe. Nomusutise wombinḓu tje mu munu nge mu zepe.
22 “ ‘Nungwari ngatu tje, omundu worive wa zeperere omukwao ngwe ha humisire, kutja we mu vanda pehi poo we mu vete notjiṋa. 23 Poo ngatu tje, eye wa yumbu ewe nokuhinakutara, noro ari vete omukwao ngunda ave ha ri novita kumwe, na koka. 24 Oviṋa otja imbi ombongo aihe ngai pangure pokati kaingwi omuzepe na ingwi omusutise wombinḓu. 25 Ombongo ngai yame ingwi omuzepe komake womusutise wombinḓu, noyo ngai mu ese a yaruke kotjihuro tjawo tjomaundiro kataurira; neye nga kakare mu tjo, nga ingwi Omupristeri Otjiuru tja koka. 26 Nu ingwi omuzepe tja zu motjihuro tjawo tjomaundiro kataurira, 27 nomusutise wombinḓu e mu munu ne mu zepa, ingwi omusutise wombinḓu ke nokutura ondjo yokutirahi ombinḓu. 28 Omuzepe nga kare motjihuro tjawo tjomaundiro nga ingwi Omupristeri Otjiuru tja koka; nungwari kombunda yanao eye ma yenene okuyaruka konganda ye. 29 Owo ngaye rire omazikamisiro womatwako ku eṋe na kozondekurona zeṋu momaturiro weṋu aehe.
30 “ ‘Omundu worive tja zepa omukwao, ingwi omuzepe nga ṱe otja komahongonona wovandu vevari poo vetatu; nungwari omahongonona womundu umwe uriri kaye nokuyenena okumuzepaisa. 31 Eṋe amu kambura ko otjimariva momuinyo waingwi omuzepe ngu nondjo yokuṱa; eye tjiri nga ṱe. 32 Amu yandjere ko omundu ngwa taurira kotjihuro tjomaundiro a sute otjimariva kutja a yaruke konganda ye, Omupristeri Otjiuru ngunda e hiya koka. 33 Tji mwa tjiti nai, mamu yamburura ehi ndi mu mwa tura. Omazepero ye yamburura ehi, nu kape nomuhingo wokutjita ombunguhiro yomakohororero kehi mu mwa ṱira omundu posi yainga omatirahiro wombinḓu yomuzepe porwe. 34 Amu yamburura ehi mu mwa tura, orondu ami owami Muhona, ngu mbi tura mu ro mokati kOvaisrael.’ ”
