² “Tell the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] to ·choose [designate] the special cities of ·safety [refuge], as I had Moses command you to do [Num. 35:1–8]. ³ If a person kills someone accidentally and without meaning to kill him, that person may go to a city of ·safety [refuge] to hide. There the killer will be safe from the ·relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer [near-relative; ^Lavenger of blood].

⁴ “When the killer ·runs [flees] to one of those cities, he must stop at the entrance ·gate [^Lof the city gate], stand there, and tell the ·leaders of the people [^Lelders of that city] what happened [^Cthe council of leaders met at the city gate and held trials there; Deut. 21:19; Ruth 4:1]. Then that person will be allowed to enter the city and will be given a place to live among them.