Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



I will require your lifeblood as an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. I will demand an accounting from each man for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man will have his blood shed by man. For man was made in the image of God.

The relative who can avenge the death must make sure a murderer is put to death. When he catches up with the murderer, he must kill him. If any of you kills someone you hate by shoving him or by deliberately throwing something at him, or if you beat your enemy to death with your bare hands, you must be put to death. You are a murderer. The relative who can avenge the death must kill you when he catches up with you, because you are a murderer. read more.
Should you accidentally kill someone who was not your enemy. Maybe you shoved him or threw something at him but did not mean to kill him. Or if you drop a big stone, and someone is killed. However, you did not know the person was there, he was not your enemy, and you were not trying to harm him. Then the community must use these rules in order to decide if you are innocent or if the dead person's relative can avenge the death. If you are innocent, the community must protect you from that relative. They must take you back to the city of refuge you fled to. You must live there until the death of the chief priest who was anointed with the holy oil. But do not go outside the city of refuge you fled to. If the relative who can avenge the death finds you outside the city of refuge and kills you, the relative is not guilty of murder. Accused murderers must stay in their city of refuge until the death of the chief priest. They may go back to their own property only after his death. These rules apply to you and your descendants wherever you may live.

A person who unintentionally kills someone he never hated in the past may run to one of these cities to save his life. For example: when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies. He may flee to one of these cities and live. Otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger. He may overtake him and because the way is long he may take his life. Even though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. read more.
Hear my command: 'You must set aside three cities for yourself.' If Jehovah your God enlarges your territory, just as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land he promised to give your fathers. And if you carefully observe all this commandment I command you today, to love Jehovah your God, and to walk in his ways always you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. Innocent blood will not be shed in your land that Jehovah your God gives you as an inheritance. Blood guiltiness will not be on you. But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and murders him. If he flees to one of these cities, the elders of his city will send for him. They will take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood that he may die. Do not pity him. Purge the blood of the innocent from Israel that it may go well with you.


If you did not intend to kill someone and I, Jehovah, let it happen anyway, you may run for safety to a place that I have set aside.

Moses set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan. Those who unintentionally killed someone whom they had never hated could flee to one of these cities and save their lives. The cities were Bezer on the desert plateau for the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh.

If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. If an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him. read more.
Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule. If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

select certain cities to be places of refuge. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may run to them. These cities will be places of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death. So anyone accused of murder will not have to die until he has had a trial in front of the community. There will be six cities you select as places of refuge. read more.
Three will be on the east side of the Jordan River and three in Canaan. These six cities will be places of refuge for Israelites, foreigners, and strangers among you. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may flee to these cities.

Should you accidentally kill someone who was not your enemy. Maybe you shoved him or threw something at him but did not mean to kill him. Or if you drop a big stone, and someone is killed. However, you did not know the person was there, he was not your enemy, and you were not trying to harm him. Then the community must use these rules in order to decide if you are innocent or if the dead person's relative can avenge the death. read more.
If you are innocent, the community must protect you from that relative. They must take you back to the city of refuge you fled to. You must live there until the death of the chief priest who was anointed with the holy oil. But do not go outside the city of refuge you fled to. If the relative who can avenge the death finds you outside the city of refuge and kills you, the relative is not guilty of murder. Accused murderers must stay in their city of refuge until the death of the chief priest. They may go back to their own property only after his death.

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.

When all this is done, set aside three cities in the land that Jehovah your God gives you. Provide a route to each of these cities and divide the land that Jehovah your God gives you into three regions. When a person kills someone he may run to one of these cities. A person who unintentionally kills someone he never hated in the past may run to one of these cities to save his life. read more.
For example: when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies. He may flee to one of these cities and live. Otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger. He may overtake him and because the way is long he may take his life. Even though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. Hear my command: 'You must set aside three cities for yourself.' If Jehovah your God enlarges your territory, just as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land he promised to give your fathers. And if you carefully observe all this commandment I command you today, to love Jehovah your God, and to walk in his ways always you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. Innocent blood will not be shed in your land that Jehovah your God gives you as an inheritance. Blood guiltiness will not be on you.


Moses set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan. Those who unintentionally killed someone whom they had never hated could flee to one of these cities and save their lives. The cities were Bezer on the desert plateau for the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh.

Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying: Speak to the children of Israel and say: Designate cities of refuge just as Moses directed. Anyone who kills someone accidentally and unintentionally may go there for a refuge from the avenger of blood. read more.
When you flee to one of these cities you must go to the place of judgment at the entrance to the city, and explain to the leaders what happened. Then they will let you into the city and give you a place to live in, so that you can stay there. If the one looking for revenge follows you there, the people of the city must not hand you over to that one. They must protect you because you killed the person accidentally and not out of anger. You may stay in the city until you have received a public trial and until the death of the man who is then the High Priest. Then you may go back home to your own town, from which you had run away.

If you did not intend to kill someone and I, Jehovah, let it happen anyway, you may run for safety to a place that I have set aside. If a man schemes and kills a man deliberately remove him from my altar and put him to death.

select certain cities to be places of refuge. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may run to them. These cities will be places of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death. So anyone accused of murder will not have to die until he has had a trial in front of the community. There will be six cities you select as places of refuge. read more.
Three will be on the east side of the Jordan River and three in Canaan. These six cities will be places of refuge for Israelites, foreigners, and strangers among you. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may flee to these cities. If any of you uses an iron weapon to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death. If any of you picks up a stone as a weapon and uses it to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death. And if any of you picks up a piece of wood as a weapon and uses it to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death. The relative who can avenge the death must make sure a murderer is put to death. When he catches up with the murderer, he must kill him. If any of you kills someone you hate by shoving him or by deliberately throwing something at him, or if you beat your enemy to death with your bare hands, you must be put to death. You are a murderer. The relative who can avenge the death must kill you when he catches up with you, because you are a murderer. Should you accidentally kill someone who was not your enemy. Maybe you shoved him or threw something at him but did not mean to kill him. Or if you drop a big stone, and someone is killed. However, you did not know the person was there, he was not your enemy, and you were not trying to harm him. Then the community must use these rules in order to decide if you are innocent or if the dead person's relative can avenge the death. If you are innocent, the community must protect you from that relative. They must take you back to the city of refuge you fled to. You must live there until the death of the chief priest who was anointed with the holy oil. But do not go outside the city of refuge you fled to. If the relative who can avenge the death finds you outside the city of refuge and kills you, the relative is not guilty of murder. Accused murderers must stay in their city of refuge until the death of the chief priest. They may go back to their own property only after his death. These rules apply to you and your descendants wherever you may live. 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. Murderers must be put to death. They cannot escape this penalty by the payment of money. 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.

When all this is done, set aside three cities in the land that Jehovah your God gives you. Provide a route to each of these cities and divide the land that Jehovah your God gives you into three regions. When a person kills someone he may run to one of these cities. A person who unintentionally kills someone he never hated in the past may run to one of these cities to save his life. read more.
For example: when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies. He may flee to one of these cities and live. Otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger. He may overtake him and because the way is long he may take his life. Even though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. Hear my command: 'You must set aside three cities for yourself.' If Jehovah your God enlarges your territory, just as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land he promised to give your fathers. And if you carefully observe all this commandment I command you today, to love Jehovah your God, and to walk in his ways always you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. Innocent blood will not be shed in your land that Jehovah your God gives you as an inheritance. Blood guiltiness will not be on you. But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and murders him. If he flees to one of these cities, the elders of his city will send for him. They will take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood that he may die. Do not pity him. Purge the blood of the innocent from Israel that it may go well with you.