Verse 13

But if he did not intend to kill, and it was allowed by God to happen, then I will provide a place where he can flee.

Other Translations

Referenced Verses

  • Josh 20:2-9 : 2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: Appoint for yourselves the cities of refuge that I spoke about to you through Moses. 3 These cities are to be a place where someone who unintentionally kills another person without malice can flee. They will serve as a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 The one who flees to one of these cities must stand at the entrance of the city gate and explain their case to the elders of that city. They should take the person into the city, provide a place for them to stay, and allow them to live among them. 5 If the avenger of blood pursues them, the city must not hand over the one who committed the killing, because they killed their neighbor unintentionally and without prior hostility. 6 The person must stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may return to their own city and home, from which they fled. 7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 Across the Jordan east of Jericho, they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the appointed cities for all the Israelites and for the foreigners living among them, so that anyone who unintentionally killed another person could flee there and not die at the hand of the avenger of blood until they stood trial before the assembly.
  • 1 Sam 24:4 : 4 He came to the sheepfolds along the way, and there was a cave. Saul went in to relieve himself, while David and his men were sitting in the innermost part of the cave.
  • 1 Sam 24:10 : 10 David said to Saul, 'Why do you listen to the words of men who say, "David seeks your harm"?'
  • 1 Sam 24:18 : 18 He said to David, 'You are more righteous than I, for you have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.'
  • Deut 4:41-43 : 41 Then Moses set apart three cities east of the Jordan. 42 These were for anyone who accidentally killed a neighbor without prior hostility, so that they could flee to one of these cities and live. 43 The cities were Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.
  • Deut 19:1-9 : 1 When the LORD your God eliminates the nations whose land He is giving you, and you take possession of them and settle in their cities and houses, 2 you are to set apart three cities in the midst of the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. 3 Prepare roads for yourself and divide your land into three regions, the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that anyone who kills someone may flee there. 4 Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: whoever strikes his neighbor unintentionally, without prior malice, 5 for instance, when a man goes with his neighbor into the forest to cut wood and his hand swings the axe to cut the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his neighbor, and he dies—that man may flee to one of these cities and live. 6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in anger, overtake him because the way is long, and strike him fatally, even though the manslayer does not deserve death, since he had no prior hatred towards his neighbor. 7 This is why I am commanding you: Set apart three cities for yourselves. 8 And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your ancestors, and gives you the entire land He promised to give them, 9 and you carefully keep this entire commandment I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to walk in His ways all your days, then you shall add three more cities to these three. 10 This is to prevent the shedding of innocent blood within the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed. 11 But if someone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, attacks him, and strikes him fatally so that he dies, and then flees to one of these cities, 12 the elders of his city shall send for him, take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to be put to death. 13 Do not pity him, but purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may go well with you.
  • Num 35:10-34 : 10 Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 you shall designate cities to serve as cities of refuge where someone who unintentionally kills another may flee. 12 These cities shall serve as a refuge from the avenger of blood, so that the one who killed someone unintentionally may not be put to death until they stand trial before the congregation. 13 The cities you are to give will serve as six cities of refuge. 14 Three of these cities you shall give on the east side of the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities will be a refuge for the Israelites, for the foreigner, and for the sojourner living among them, so that anyone who unintentionally kills another can flee there. 16 But if someone strikes another with an iron object and the person dies, they are a murderer, and the murderer shall be put to death. 17 If someone strikes another with a stone that is large enough to cause death and the person dies, they are a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 18 Or if someone strikes another with a wooden tool that could cause death, and the person dies, they are a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when they encounter the murderer, the avenger is to put them to death. 20 If someone pushes another out of hatred or throws something at them with intent and the person dies, 21 or if in hostility someone strikes another with their hand and the person dies, the one who struck them must be put to death. They are a murderer. The avenger of blood is to execute the sentence when they meet the murderer. 22 But if suddenly, without hostility, someone pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally, 23 or if, without seeing them, they drop a stone on someone that could cause death, and the person dies, but there was no enmity or intentional harm between them, 24 then the assembly must judge between the one who caused the death and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. 25 The assembly shall protect the one who caused the death from the avenger of blood and send them back to the city of refuge they fled to. They must remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the one who caused the death goes outside the boundaries of the city of refuge to which they fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds the offender outside the city and kills them, the avenger shall not be guilty of bloodshed. 28 The one who caused the death must remain in the city of refuge until the high priest dies; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property. 29 These are to be legal requirements for you throughout your generations in all your settlements. 30 Anyone who kills another person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses; but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 31 You must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; they must surely be put to death. 32 Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge, allowing them to return to live in the land before the death of the high priest. 33 Do not pollute the land where you are, for bloodshed defiles the land; and no atonement can be made for the land that has been defiled by bloodshed except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.
  • 2 Sam 16:10 : 10 But the king replied, "What does this have to do with you, sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord told him to curse David, who can ask, 'Why did you do this?'"
  • Isa 10:7 : 7 But this is not what he intends, nor does he plan it in his heart. Instead, his purpose is to destroy and to cut off many nations.
  • Mic 7:2 : 2 The godly have perished from the land, and there is no upright person among humanity. All of them lie in wait for blood; they hunt each other with nets.