VERSE STUDY • KJV

Numbers 35:19-30

¹⁹ The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. ²⁰ But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; ²¹ Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote [him] shall surely be put to death; [for] he [is] a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. ²² But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, ²³ Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing [him] not, and cast [it] upon him, that he die, and [was] not his enemy, neither sought his harm: ²⁴ Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: ²⁵ And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. ²⁶ But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; ²⁷ And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: ²⁸ Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. ²⁹ So these [things] shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³⁰ Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person [to cause him] to die.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

¹⁹ The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. ²⁰ But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; ²¹ Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote [him] shall surely be put to death; [for] he [is] a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. ²² But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, ²³ Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing [him] not, and cast [it] upon him, that he die, and [was] not his enemy, neither sought his harm: ²⁴ Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: ²⁵ And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. ²⁶ But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; ²⁷ And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: ²⁸ Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. ²⁹ So these [things] shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³⁰ Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person [to cause him] to die.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹⁹ The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him. ²⁰ Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him, ²¹ or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him. ²² But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally, ²³ or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him, ²⁴ then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. ²⁵ The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. ²⁶ But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled ²⁷ and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed, ²⁸ because the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns. ²⁹ This will be a statutory ordinance for you for the generations to come, wherever you live. ³⁰ If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.

WEB World English Bible

¹⁹ The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meets him, he shall put him to death. ²⁰ If he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died, ²¹ or in enmity struck him with his hand, so that he died; he who struck him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meets him. ²² “‘But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait, ²³ or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm; ²⁴ then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances; ²⁵ and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. ²⁶ “‘But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, where he flees, ²⁷ and the avenger of blood find him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kill the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood, ²⁸ because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return into the land of his possession. ²⁹ “‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³⁰ “‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die.

ASV American Standard Version

¹⁹ The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death. ²⁰ And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died, ²¹ or in enmity smote him with his hand, so that he died; he that smote him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meeteth him. ²² But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him anything without lying in wait, ²³ or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm; ²⁴ then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances; ²⁵ and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. ²⁶ But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth, ²⁷ and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood, ²⁸ because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return into the land of his possession. ²⁹ And these things shall be for a statute and ordinance unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³⁰ Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹⁹ ‘The redeemer of blood himself doth put the murderer to death; in his coming against him he doth put him to death. ²⁰ And if in hatred he thrust him through, or hath cast anything at him by lying in wait, and he dieth; ²¹ or in enmity he hath smitten him with his hand, and he dieth; the smiter is certainly put to death; he is a murderer; the redeemer of blood doth put the murderer to death in his coming against him. ²² ‘And if, in an instant, without enmity, he hath thrust him through, or hath cast at him any instrument, without lying in wait; ²³ or with any stone wherewith he dieth, without seeing, and causeth it to fall upon him, and he dieth, and he is not his enemy, nor seeking his evil; ²⁴ then have the company judged between the smiter and the redeemer of blood, by these judgments. ²⁵ ‘And the company have delivered the man-slayer out of the hand of the redeemer of blood, and the company have caused him to turn back unto the city of his refuge, whither he hath fled, and he hath dwelt in it till the death of the chief priest, who hath been anointed with the holy oil. ²⁶ And if the man-slayer at all go out from the border of the city of his refuge whither he fleeth, ²⁷ and the redeemer of blood hath found him at the outside of the border of the city of his refuge, and the redeemer of blood hath slain the man-slayer, blood is not for him; ²⁸ for in the city of his refuge he doth dwell till the death of the chief priest; and after the death of the chief priest doth the man-slayer turn back unto the city of his possession. ²⁹ ‘And these things have been to you for a statute of judgment to your generations, in all your dwellings: ³⁰ whoso smiteth a person, by the mouth of witnesses doth one slay the murderer; and one witness doth not testify against a person—to die.

Surrounding context — Numbers 35

16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 Or [if] he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote [him] shall surely be put to death; [for] he [is] a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing [him] not, and cast [it] upon him, that he die, and [was] not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

29 So these [things] shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person [to cause him] to die.

31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which [is] guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye [are]: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

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