Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe.

The XXXV. Chapter.

ANd the LORDE spake vnto Moses in [ A] the felde of the Moabites by Iorda∣ne ouer agaynst Iericho, & sayde: Com¦maunde the childrē of Israel,* 1.1 that they geue vnto y^e Leuites of the inheritaūce of their possession, cities to dwell in. The suburbes al¦so aboute the cities shal ye geue vnto the Le¦uites, that they maye dwell in the cities, and in the suburbes to haue their catell, and sub∣staunce, and all their beestes.

The suburbes which ye geue vnto y^e Le∣uites, shal reache frō the wall of y^e cite out∣warde, a M. cubites rounde aboute. Thus ye shal measure without the cite on y^e East syde, two thousande cubites: & on y^e South syde, two thousande cubites: & on y^e West sy¦de, two thousande cubites: & on y^e North sy¦de, two thousande cubites, so y^t the cite be in the myddes. This shal be their suburbes.

* 1.2And amōge the cities which ye shal ge∣ue [ B] vnto the Leuites, ye shall geue thē sixe fre cities, that he which cōmitteth a slaughter, maie flye thither. Besydes the same ye shal geue thē yet two & fourtie cities: so y^t all y^e ci¦ties which ye geue vnto y^e Leuites, be eight & fourtye w^t their suburbes. And of y^e same ye shal geue the more, from thē y^t haue moch in possession amonge the children of Israel: & the lesse from them, that haue litle in pos∣session. Euery one (acordinge to his enheri∣taunce that is deuyded vnto him) shall geue of his cities vnto the Leuites.

And the LORDE talked w^t Moses & saide: Speake to the childrē of Israel, & saye vnto thē:* 1.3 Whan ye come ouer Iordane in to y^e lon¦de of Canaan, ye shall chose out cities to be fre cities, y^t who so cōmytteth slaughter vn∣awarres, maye flye thither. And soch fre ci∣ties shalbe amonge you because of the auen¦ger of bloude, that he which hath commyt¦ted slaughter, dye not, tyll he stonde in iudg¦ment before the congregacion. And of these cities which ye shall geue, there shalbe sixe fre cities. Thre shal ye geue on this side Ior¦dane, and thre in the londe of Canaan.

These are the sixe fre cities, both for y^e chil¦drē [ C] of Israel & for the straungers, & for soch

as dwell amōge you, y^t who so euer hath slai¦ne eny soule vnawarres, maye flye thither.

* 1.4He y^t smyteth eny man w^t an yron weapō, y^t he dye, the same is a murthurer, & shal dye the death. Yf he cast at him w^t a stone (wher¦with eny man maye be slayne) y^t he dye ther¦of, then is he a murthurer, and shal dye the death. Yf he smyte him w^t an handweapon of wodd (wherwith eny man maie be slayne) that he dye, then is he a murthurer, and shal dye the death. The auenger of bloude shal bringe y^e murthurer to death. Whan he fyn¦deth him, he shal slaye him. Yf he thrust at him of hate, or cast ought at him with laien¦ge of wayte, or smyte him of envye w^t his hande, that he dye, then shal he that hath slayne him, dye the death: for he is a murthu¦rer. The auenger of bloude shal brynge him to death, as soone as he fyndeth him.

[ D] But yf he thrust him by chaunce, & not of envye,* 1.5 or hurle ought at him without eny layenge of wayte, or cast at him with a sto∣ne (wherof a man maye dye, & sawe it not) so y^t he dye, & is not his enemie, nether thought him eny euell, thē shal the cōgregacion iud∣ge betwene him y^t hath cōmytted y^e slaugh¦ter, and the auenger of bloude, in soch cases. And the cōgregacion shal delyuer the deed slayer from the hande of y^e auenger of blou¦de, & shal let him come agayne to the fre ci∣te, whither he was fled: & there shall he aby∣de vnto y^e death of the hye prest, which was anoynted with y^e holy oyle. But yf the deed sleyer go out of the borders of his fre cite, that he was fled vnto, and the auenger of bloude fynde him without y^e borders of his fre cite, and kyll him, he shal not be gyltye of bloude. For he shulde haue bydden in his fre cite vntyll y^e death of the hye prest, & after y^e hye prestes death to come agayne vnto the londe of his enheritaunce. This shalbe a sta¦tute of the lawe vnto you amōge youre pos∣terities in all youre dwellinges.

[ E] The deed slayer shal be slayne at y^e mouth of witnesses. * 1.6 One witnesse shal not answe¦re ouer a soule to death. And ye shal receaue none attonement ouer the soule of the deed∣slayer (for he is giltye of death) but he shal dye the death. And ye shal receaue none atto¦nement of him, which is fled to the fre cite, y^t he shulde come agayne to dwell in the lon¦de, tyll the hye prest dye. And defyle not ye y^e londe wherin ye dwell. For who so is giltye of bloude, defyleth the londe: and the londe can not be reconcyled from the bloude that is shed therin, but onely thorow the bloude of him that shed it. Defyle not ye the londe that ye dwell in, wherin I dwell also. For I am the LORDE, which dwell amōge y^e chil¦dren of Israel.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iosu. ••1. a
• * 1.2

  Iosu. 20. a
• * 1.3

  Exo. 21. b Deut. 19. a
• * 1.4

  Exo. 21. b
• * 1.5

  Deu. 19. a
• * 1.6

  Deu. 17. b and 19. c