1When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,
2then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
3You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.
4Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:
5If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.
6Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.
7This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.
8And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,
9and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.
10Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
11If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
12the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.
13You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.