13 Bible Verses about Asylum

Six of the cities you give the Levites will be cities of refuge. You must allow murderers to escape to these cities. In addition, you must also give the Levites forty-two other cities.

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.

When Jehovah your God destroys all the nations that are living in the land that he gives you. you will force them out and live in their cities and houses. 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.read more.
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. 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. Do not move your neighbor's boundary mark. The ancestors have set this in your inheritance. You will inherit this in the land Jehovah your God gives you to possess.

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. So, on the west side of the Jordan River they set aside Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim and Hebron, in the hill country of Judah. East of the Jordan, on the desert plateau east of Jericho, they chose Bezer in the territory of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the territory of Manasseh. These were the cities of refuge chosen for all the people of Israel and for any foreigner living among them. Any who killed a person accidentally could find protection there from the one looking for revenge. They could not be killed unless they had first received a public trial.

In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge), and Gezer,

The men said to her: We will be free from this oath you made us swear. When we come into the land, tie this scarlet cord in the window from which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers and sisters and your father's entire household into your home. Whoever goes out of your house into the street will be responsible for his own life. We will be guiltless: and whoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is laid on him.read more.
If you tell what we are doing we will be released from the oath you made us swear. She said: Let it be according to your words. They departed and she tied the scarlet line in the window.

David thought to himself: One of these days Saul will kill me. The best thing for me to do is escape to Philistia. Saul will give up looking for me in Israel. Then I will be safe. David and his six hundred men went over at once to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. David and his men and their families lived with Achish at Gath. David brought his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.read more.
Word soon reached Saul that David fled to Gath. So he stopped hunting for him. David said to Achish: If it is all right with you, let me live in one of the outlying towns. Why should I live in the royal city with you? Achish immediately gave him Ziklag. This is why Ziklag still belongs to the kings of Judah today. David lived in Philistine territory for one year and four months. David and his men raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. Their territory extends from Telaim to Shur and Egypt. David attacked the territory and left no man or woman alive. He also took sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and returned to Achish. Achish would ask: Whom did you raid today? David would answer: The south country (Negev) in Judah, or the south country of the Jerahmeelites, or the south country of the Kenites. He did not bring a single man or woman back to Gath alive. He thought, they could tell Achish what I really did. This was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. Achish trusted David and thought: David's people must be furious with him. From now on he will have to take orders from me.

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.

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.

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.

So, on the west side of the Jordan River they set aside Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim and Hebron, in the hill country of Judah. East of the Jordan, on the desert plateau east of Jericho, they chose Bezer in the territory of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the territory of Manasseh. These were the cities of refuge chosen for all the people of Israel and for any foreigner living among them. Any who killed a person accidentally could find protection there from the one looking for revenge. They could not be killed unless they had first received a public trial.

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.