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.”
Mizi yakapiwa Balevi
1 Yahwe bakalebeleka na Mushe mu lubala gwe Moabu pa gwizi gwe Jorodani kulingisana Jerikho beti, 2 “Idwa bathu be Iziraela ba pebo Balevi shango ye bugalo kube mizi ne ye mafulo e zwithuwo zwabo kupoteleka mizi mikulu. 3 Mizi mikulu iyeyi inowobe magalo abo. Shango ye mafulo inowobe ye ng'ombe dzabo ne zwithuwo zwabo zose. 4 Shango ye mafulo yamunopa Balevi italabudziwe kudwa pa luswingo gwe nzi nkulu we bupabi gwe mithara dzili mazana manna ana makumi mashanu (450), mbizho dzose. 5 Ku bhezhuba kwe nzi nkulu kube bupabi gwe mithara dzili mazana ali zhanalume (900), ku burwa kube bupabi gwe mithara dzili zhanalume (900), ku golombedzo kube bupabi gwe mithara dzili zhanalume (900), ku bunandzwa kube bupabi gwe mithara dzili zhanalume (900), ndiyo inowobe ili shango yabo ye mafulo, nzi nkulu uli pakati. 6 Mupe Balevi mizi mikulu ili mitathatu ye matizhilo e nthu unowobe abulaya nthu kusi ne mazwimisilo awe. Mube mubapaphila mimwe ili makumi manna ne mibili (42). 7 Mizi mikulu yose ina shango ye mafulo yamunowopa Balevi, ibe makumi manna ana ili zhanakadzi (48). 8 Ngekwe mizi yamunowoshalula mu shango ye Baiziraela, mutole mu zwitjaba zwikulu mizi minjinji, ngono mu zwitjaba zwitukununu mutole mizi mishomanana, ngobe tjimwe ne tjimwe itjaba tjakafanila pa Balevi mizi sekwa takabudzwa.”
Mizi mikulu ye matizhilo
(Mbalo 19:1-13Joshuwa 20:1-9)9 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 10 “Lebeleka ne bathu be Iziraela ubadwe uti, ‘Muti mutjuluka gwizi gwe Jorodani mungina mu shango ye Kanana, 11 muzwishalulile mizi mikulu inowobe matizhilo enyu. Ali matizhilo anowotizhigwa nge nthu unowobe abulaya nthu kusi nge mazwimisilo. 12 Mizi iyeyo inowobe matizhilo enyu muna unowobe eshaka bgwilizila, kuti ndizo wabulaya nthu asibulawe kudzina eyisiwa mbeli kwe gubungano enosumikilisiwa. 13 Ngono muduse mizi mikulu ili mitathatu kube mizi mikulu ye matizhilo enyu. 14 Muduse mizi mikulu ili mitatu seli kwe Jorodani ne ili mitatu mu shango ye Kanana, kube matizhilo. 15 Mizi mikulu ili mitathatu inowobe ili matizhilo e nthu mmwe ne mmwe unowobe abulaya nthu kusi nge mazwimisilo awe. Matizhilo iyawa anowobe e Baiziraela ne bataya ne balubili banowobe bali gele nabo.
16 “ ‘Koga aangawomba nthu nge tjimwe tje tshipi ebe efa, uwoyo nthu mbulayi, unowobulawabo. 17 Kene anganloba nge bgwe laakabhata lingabulaya nthu ebe efa, mbulayi, mbulayi unowobulawabo. 18 Kene angaloba nthu nge lukuni gwaakabhata nge luboko ebe efa, mbulayi, mbulayi unowobulawabo. 19 Gamu le wabulawa, ha lishangana ne mbulayi limbulayebo.
20 “ ‘Ngono ha entshindika ngoti embenga, kene amposa akanlalila kafa, 21 kene anloba nge luboko ngoti embenga ebe efa, iwoyo wamilidzila nthu luboko abulawe, mbulayi, gamu le wakabulawa libulaye mbulayi, ha lingashangana naye.
22 “ ‘Koga ha etshindika nthu asingambone, kuzhe kwe lubengo kene angati eposa akanloba asaka nlalila, 23 ebe enloba nge bgwe, asingambone nthu ebe efa, kuli kuti wabe asakazwimisila kun'hwisa zogwadza ngobe akambenga, 24 gubungano lowosumikilisa pakati kwe wabulaya nthu ne wabe eshoko bgwilizila ngotebula malopa, kuyenda nge nlayo. 25 Gubungano lowoangulanya mbulayi we nthu mu luboko gwe gamu le wakabulawa, ipapo gubungano lobgwiliza ntizhi ku nzi nkulu we matizhilo kwaakabe atizhilako. Ngono agale muuli kudzina ntungamili we bapirisiti wakazhodziwa efa. 26 Koga ha mbulayi we nthu angabhudila kuzhe kwe nzi nkulu we dizhilo waakatizhila muuli, kanopinda paakabigigwa kuti asitongopatjuluka, 27 ngono ha gamu le wakabulawa lingan'wana kuzhe kwe nzi nkulu atjuluka paakabigigwa kuti asitongo patjuluka libe limbulaya, alitowobong'wa nlandu. 28 Ngoti nthu iwoyu akafanila gala koga mukati kwe nzi nkulu we matizhilo kudzina ntungamili we bapirisiti efa. Koga shule kwe lufu gwe ntungamili we bapirisiti, mbulayi we nthu ungabgwilila zwe kanyi kwabo. 29 Nlayo uwoyu ne ndaulo iyeyi, muzwilondolodze kuyenda nge zwizekugwana zwenyu mu magalo enyu wose.
30 “ ‘Ha nthu angabulaya nthu, mbulayi wakafanila bulawabo apa kuna butendeki gwe batendeki babili kene kupinda. Kusibe ne nthu unobulawa apa kuna ntendeki nng'ompela. 31 Nenguba kwakatini, musitongoduma dzutunulo ye nthu wabulaya nthu. Koga nthu wasumikilisiwa kabong'wa nlandu we kubulaya mmwe nthu na iye ngaabulawe. 32 Kakale musitongoduma dzutunulo ye nthu wakatizhila ku nzi nkulu we matizhilo, kuti abgwilile kanyi kwabo ntungamili we bapirisiti esathu kafa. 33 Musitongo temapadza shango ya mugele muili, ngo tebula lopa, kotemapadza shango, ngono akuna tjingadzutunula kubulawa kwe nthu, kuzhe kwe kuti iye wabulaya nthu, abulawebo. 34 Usitongo temapadza shango ya ugele muili namibo yandigele muili, ngoti imi Yahwe ndogala pakati kwe bathu be Iziraela.’ ”