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.”
'Bakicii se Aka'dabe Lewe'bai ri
1 OPI atate Musa ri vo rriro Moaba roya Golo Yaradene tasi ni Yeriko lomvosi ekye: 2 “Mita lidri Yisaraele ro 'bakicii ozone Lewe'bai ri ni drimbi ànyaro yasi, orizana Lewe'bai ri kigye, ago kpa miri gyini lowo ro gbikyi 'bakicii lomvosi iyi ozone ànyari. 3 'Bakicii iyi ka'do robe ànyaro orizana ànyari kigyesi, ago gyini lowo ro ka'do robe tii ànyaro ri ndi äṛi koronyai 'ba ro cini ànyaro be ri. 4 Gyini lowo ro 'bakici lomvosi se nyàbe ozona Lewe'bai ri 'do ozona ri a'done ni tiṛi 'bakici ro lomvosi fogo tesi ro, ocana ri a'done mba'damba'da na kama nji (500) ago gbikyi lamadri cini yasi. 5 Ago miri kundu tesisi 'bakici ro ojone, etoni 'buzelesi ocana ri a'done mba'damba'da na kutu alo (1,000), ago kogobe ŋgäṛiŋwadrisi mba'damba'da na ri a'done kutu alo (1,000) ago kogobe aŋgoyasi mba'damba'da na ri a'done kutu alo (1,000), ago kogobe mä'dudrisi mba'damba'da na ri a'done kutu alo (1,000), 'bakicii ri a'done kitori. Gyini se ono ri a'done lowo ro 'bakicii ànyaro lomvosi. 6 Ondro nyàte 'bakicii ozo Lewe'bai ri oko, nyòzo 'bakicii njidrialo ànyari a'done 'bakicii ruoparo ro, ko'ba 'diufu'ba kumu robe kigye, ago ämiri 'bakicii 'butesu foritu azaka ozone ànyari kinjana ro. 7 'Bakicii se ozone Lewe'bai ri ndi gyini lowo ro ànyaro be, otina cini ri a'done 'butesu fonjidriena, 8 'Bakicii se nyàbe ozona ni drimbi lidri Yisaraele ro ro yasi, ämiri urune amba ni 'bakala se 'desi para yasi ago fereŋwa ni 'bakala se tipari yasi; 'bakala alo alo ri 'bakicii ozone Lewe'bai ri a'do drimbi ànyaro ro se ozobe voro.”
'Bakicii Ruoparo
(Otadele 19:1-13Yosua 20:1-9)9 OPI atate Musa ri ekye; 10 nyata lidri Yisaraele ro ri mikye: “Ondro mìzadri Golo Yaradene rote 'bädri Kanana roya ono, 11 ämiri 'bakicii azaka onjine a'done vo ruoparo ro ämiri, 'diufu'ba se drina kalapa te 'di aza ufune 'do kumu robe kigye. 12 'Bakicii se kwoi a'done vo ruoparo ro ämiri ta tavologo rota ukyi äfu 'diufu'ba 'da teinye vure ndaro oyeako lowa kandra. 13 Ago 'bakicii se nyàbe onjina vo ruoparo ro 'do, otina ri a'done njidrialo. 14 Ämiri onjine nätu 'buzele Golo Yaradene ro yasi, ago nätu 'bädri Kanana roya, a'done 'bakicii ruoparo ro. 15 'Bakicii se njidrialo kwoi a'done vo ruoparo ro lidri Yisaraele ro ri, ago 'diatraro kode 'dise kabe ori ànya lako tikoro ri, tana 'dise aza drina kalapate 'degwo azi ufune kumu robe lau.
16 “Ondro 'diaza koga 'diaza gwo ŋgase edebe ni logo yasi 'do si, ndi 'dina 'do kodra gwo, 'dooko 'do nda orivoya 'diufu'ba yi, beṛo 'diufu'ba nado ufune. 17 Ago ondro 'dina 'do koga 'diaza gwo kuni se drì ndaro ya, ndi 'dina 'do kodra gwo, nda orivoya 'diufu'ba yi, beṛo 'diufu'ba na 'do ufune. 18 Kode ondro 'diaza koga 'diaza gwo ŋgase ce ro drì ndaro ya 'do si, ago 'dina 'do kodra gwo, nda orivoya 'diufu'ba yi, beṛo 'diufu'ba na do ufune. 19 'Didiri mano se äfube 'do ro ṛo 'diufu'ba na 'do ufune, ondro ka'do nda kota 'dina 'do te ndäri ṛo 'dina 'do ufune.
20 “Kpa inye ondro ka'do 'diaza ku'di 'diaza te u'di yaoso si kode kovo te ŋgaaza si, 'dooko ri ṛote nda okwaokwaro ndi 'dina 'do kodra gwo, 21 kode yaoso si ko'ba nda gwo 'di 'do ogane ṛi drì si, 'dooko ndi 'diufu'ba 'do, ufune tana nda orivoya 'diufu'ba yi; 'didiri mano se äfube 'do ro ṛo 'diufu'ba 'do ufune, ondro ka'do nda kota 'dina 'do te ndäri ṛo nda ufune.
22 “Oko ondro 'diaza 'do ku'di 'diaza gwo wayiro ko kyila'baazi ro, kode kovote ŋgaaza si teinye ta aza o'ba ako nda be ago ri kote nda okwane okwa, 23 kode ondro kovo nda kote kuni si nda ufuza, oko vo nda te teinye wayiro nda ondreako, oko ondro ka'do nda kodrate, nda ka'do ca ko kyila'baazi ndaro, ago kuṛivo ndaro ca ko nda oyene koziro; 24 ndi lowa ri vure ndaro oyene lakole ndaro ndi 'didiri mano se äfube 'do robe ya, tase arabe kwoi voro. 25 Lowa ri 'diufu'ba na 'do opane ni drì 'didiri mano se äfube 'do ro yasi; ago ànyari nda ugune 'bakici ruoparo ya se nda kumube kigye ana, be ndäri orine lau madale Kohani Fopara se äṛube ido alokado si 'do odrana lutu. 26 Oko ondro ka'do 'diufu'ba tu azaka si oko koyi gwo ndra le kishwe 'bakici se ruoparo se nda kumube kigye ana ro kundusi, 27 ago 'didiri mano se äfube ana ro kota nda gwo le kishwe kundusi ago kufu nda gwo, 'dooko 'didiri 'do unina ko a'done taenji'ba ro ta nda ufu rota. 28 Tana beṛo 'diufu'ba ri orine 'bakici ruoparo ya madale Kohani Fopara odrana lutu; ago odra Kohani Fopara ro vosi 'diufu'ba ri ogone vose ozobe ndäri drimbi ro 'do ya. 29 Ta se kwoi a'dona ota ro ämiri inye 'duro le kovole'bai amiro ya tuse cini nyàbe ugu orina si.
30 “Ondro ka'do 'diaza alo kufu 'diaza te, beṛo 'diufu'ba na 'do o'bane ufune tazevoedre 'di ritu kode amba rosi, oko ko 'diaza o'bane ufune toto tazevoedre 'di alo rosi. 31 Ko ämiri ŋga driutwero urune ni 'diufu'ba se usube taenji be ta 'diufu rota 'do rigyesi; oko beṛo nda ufune. 32 Ko ämiri ŋga driutwero urune ni mano se kumube 'bakici ruoparo ya 'do rigyesi, egozana ndäri vo ndaro ya teinye Kohani fopara ri odra ako 'do. 33 Ko ämiri 'bädri amiro se nyabe ori kigye o'bane a'done undiro, tana 'diufu ka 'bädri o'ba a'done undiro ago änina ko ŋga driutwero ozone ta 'bädri rota, ta kari se korobe kigye 'do rota, e'be gialo kari mano se kufu 'di be 'do ro ayani. 34 Ko ämiri 'bädri se nyàbe ori kigye ago ma kpa ori kigye ono o'bane a'done undiro, tana ma ni OPI owo ma ori lidri Yisaraele ro lako.”