The Towns for the Levites
1 While the people of Israel were still camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, the Lord told Moses 2 to say to them:
When you receive your tribal lands, you must give towns and pastures to the Levi tribe. 3 That way, the Levites will have towns to live in and pastures for their animals. 4-5 The pasture around each of these towns must be in the shape of a square, with the town itself in the center. The pasture is to measure 900 meters on each side, with 450 meters of land outside each of the town walls. This will be the Levites' pastureland.
6 Six of the towns you give them will be Safe Towns where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection. But you will also give the Levites 42 other towns, 7 so they will have a total of 48 towns with their surrounding pastures.
8 Since the towns for the Levites must come from Israel's own tribal lands, the larger tribes will give more towns than the smaller ones.
The Safe Towns
(Deuteronomy 19.1-13Joshua 20.1-9)9 The Lord then told Moses 10 to tell the people of Israel:
After you have crossed the Jordan River and are settled in Canaan, 11 choose Safe Towns, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection. 12 If the victim's relatives think it was murder, they might try to take revenge. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of these Safe Towns for protection and not be killed before a trial is held.
13 There are to be six of these Safe Towns, 14 three on each side of the Jordan River. 15 They will be places of protection for anyone who lives in Israel and accidentally kills someone.
Laws about Murder and Accidental Killing
The Lord said:
16-18 Suppose you hit someone with a piece of iron or a large stone or a dangerous wooden tool. If that person dies, then you are a murderer and must be put to death 19 by one of the victim's relatives. He will take revenge for his relative's death as soon as he finds you.
20-21 Or suppose you get angry and kill someone by pushing or hitting or by throwing something. You are a murderer and must be put to death by one of the victim's relatives.
22-24 But if you are not angry and accidentally kill someone in any of these ways, the townspeople must hold a trial and decide if you are guilty. 25 If they decide that you are innocent, you will be protected from the victim's relative and sent to stay in one of the Safe Towns until the high priest dies. 26 But if you ever leave the Safe Town 27 and are killed by the victim's relative, he cannot be punished for killing you. 28 You must stay inside the town until the high priest dies; only then can you go back home.
29 The community of Israel must always obey these laws.
30 Death is the penalty for murder. But no one accused of murder can be put to death unless there are at least two witnesses to the crime. 31 You cannot give someone money to escape the death penalty; you must pay with your own life! 32 And if you have been proven innocent of murder and are living in a Safe Town, you cannot pay to go back home; you must stay there until the high priest dies.
33-34 I, the Lord, live among you people of Israel, so your land must be kept pure. But when a murder takes place, blood pollutes the land, and it becomes unclean. If that happens, the murderer must be put to death, so the land will be clean again. Keep murder out of Israel!
Lewi lasiloo moolu la saatewolu
1 Yaawe* diyaamuta Musa ye, Mowabi kene fanuŋo to, Yoridani Boloŋo daala, Yeriko be a ye a kankuŋ doo la:
2 Banisirayilankoolu yaamari ì ye saatewolu dii, ka bo ì la keetaafeŋo to meŋ be ì bulu, ka ì dii Lewi lasiloo moolu la ka sabati ì kono. Ali si beeyaŋ daañini dulaalu fanaa dii ì la, ñiŋ saatewolu dandaŋolu la. 3 I si a je ì si saatewolu soto ì be sabati la daameŋ, aniŋ daañini dulaalu ì la ninsoolu ye, baalu, saajiyolu aniŋ beeyaŋ koteŋolu.
4 Ali ye beeyaŋ daañini dulaalu mennu dii Lewi lasiloo moolu la saatewolu daala, ì be fanundi la le fo simfaañaa wuli kiliŋ keme luulu, ka bo saatee sansaŋo karoo bee la. 5 Saatewo banta la, ali simfaañaa wuli saba sumaŋ tilibo kara maafaŋo la, ali ye simfaañaa wuli saba sumaŋ tilijii kara maafaŋo la, ali ye simfaañaa wuli saba sumaŋ bulubaa kara maafaŋo la, ali ye simfaañaa wuli saba sumaŋ maraa kara maafaŋo la, saatewo ye tara teema. Ñiŋ kenoo si ke saatewolu ye beeyaŋ daañini dulaa ti.
6 Ali ye saatee wooro mennu dii Lewi lasiloo moolu la, wolu le be ke la tankañini dulaa saatewolu ti moo ye, meŋ ye moo faa lañinoo kono, a si bori noo, a ye taa jee. Ali saatee taŋ naani niŋ fula fanaa lafaa ì ye ñiŋ saatewolu kaŋ. 7 A bee kafoo ñoo ma, ali ñanta saatee taŋ naani niŋ seyi le dii la Lewi lasiloo moolu la, ì niŋ ì beeyaŋ daañini dulaalu. 8 Ali be saatewolu mennu dii la Lewi lasiloo moolu la ka bo Banisirayilankoolu niyo to, ali si jamaa bondi lasili baalu taa to, ali ye domandiŋo bondi lasilindiŋolu taa to. Ko ì kiliŋ-wo-kiliŋ na sotoo be keetaafeŋolu to ñaameŋ, ali ñanta ì la saatewolu dii la Lewi lasiloo moolu la wo le ñaama.
Tankañini dulaa saatewolu
(5 Musa 19:1-13Yosuwa 20:1-9)9 Bituŋ Yaawe diyaamuta Musa ye, 10 ka a fo Banisirayilankoolu ye ko:
Niŋ ali teyita Yoridani Boloŋo la ka duŋ Kanaani bankoo kaŋ, 11 ali saatewo doolu tomboŋ, wolu ye ke tankañini dulaa saatewolu ti moo ye, meŋ ye moo faa lañinoo kono, a si bori ka taa jee. 12 Saatewolu ñinnu si ke tankañini dulaa ti, ka tanka julujoolaa ma, i si a je meŋ ye faaroo ke, a te faa la fo niŋ kiitiyo keta jamaa moolu bee ñaatiliŋo la. 13 Ali be ñiŋ saatee wooroo meŋ dii la teŋ, wolu le be ke la ali ye tankañini dulaa ti. 14 Ali saatee saba dii ka bo Yoridani Boloŋo ñiŋ kankuŋo la, ali ye saba dii ka bo Kanaani, ka ke tankañini dulaa ti. 15 Ñiŋ saatee wooroo be ke la tankañini dulaa saatewolu le ti alitolu Banisirayilankoolu ye, ali niŋ luntaŋolu, aniŋ tumarankewolu mennu be sabatiriŋ ali fee. I si a je niŋ moo ye moo faa lañinoo kono, a si bori ka taa jee.
16 Niŋ moo meŋ ye a ñoŋ moo lipa newo la, a faata, a maarii mu moofaalaa le ti, a ñanta le ka faa. 17 Niŋ beroo tarata moo bulu meŋ si moo faa noo, a ye moo lipa a la, a faata, a mu moofaalaa le ti, a ñanta le ka faa. 18 Niŋ dokoo tarata moo bulu meŋ si moo faa noo, a ye moo lipa a la, a faata, a mu moofaalaa le ti, a ñanta le ka faa. 19 Furewo ñiŋ baadiŋ sutuŋo meŋ be a la juloo joo la, ñanta faarilaa ñiŋ faa la le. Niŋ a niŋ a benta, a ñanta a faa la le. 20 Niŋ meŋ fanaa ye a ñoŋ moo ñori konnanteeyaa kono, waraŋ a tawuta a ye moo buŋ feŋ na, wo naata wo maarii faa, a fanaa mu moofaalaa le ti. 21 Niŋ moo ye moo junku, jawuyaa kamma fo a faata a bulu, a fanaa ñanta le ka faa, moofaalaa le mu. Furewo la julujoolaa ñanta ñiŋ faarilaa fanaa faa la le, niŋ a niŋ a benta.
22 A si ke noo moo ye moo ñori, a maŋ ke jawuyaa kaŋ ti, waraŋ a ye feŋ fayi a kaŋ lañinoo kono, 23 waraŋ beroo ye tara moo bulu meŋ si moo faa noo, a ye joloŋ a bulu, a maŋ ke tawoo kaŋ ti, a ye moo faa, bari a ye a tara a maŋ a je, aduŋ jawuyaa kuu fanaa te ì teema. 24 Niŋ wo keta, jamaa moolu si kiitiyo teyi faarilaa ñiŋ niŋ julujoolaa teema, ko ñiŋ luwaa be laariŋ ñaameŋ. 25 Jamaa moolu le ñanta ñiŋ faarilaa kanandi la julujoolaa ma. Bituŋ ì ye a murundi tankañini dulaa saatewo to, a kanata ka taa daameŋ. Moofaalaa ñiŋ si tara jee fo niŋ piriisi* kuntiyo faata, ì ye meŋ toloo niŋ tulu* senuŋo la.
26 Moofaalaa ñiŋ, a maŋ ñaŋ na finti la saatewo ye banta la, a borita daameŋ ka tankoo ñini. 27 Niŋ julujoolaa ye a tara saatewo banta la, a ye a faa, kiitii te a kunna moofaa la kuwo to. 28 Kaatu moofaalaa ñiŋ ñanta sabati la tankañini dulaa saatewo ñiŋ kono le fo niŋ piriisi kuntiyo faata. Niŋ piriisi kuntiyo ñiŋ faata, a si muru noo a yaa le.
29 Ñiŋ be ke la luwaa looriŋo le ti ali ye, jamaani naalaalu bee la, ali be sabatiriŋ daa-wo-daa to.
30 Niŋ moo-wo-moo ye moo faa, a maarii ñanta faa la le ko moofaalaa, niŋ seedoolu sotota a la. Bari faarilaa ñiŋ te faa noo la seede kiliŋo la seedeyaaroo kaŋ.
31 Ali kana kumakaari kodoo muta, ka moofaalaa niyo tankandi meŋ ñanta ka faa. Ñiŋ maarii ñanta faa la le.
32 Ali kana kumakaari kodoo muta, moo la kuwo to meŋ borita ka taa tankoo ñini tankañini dulaa saatewo to, ka a bula a ye muru ka tara sabatiriŋ a yaa janniŋ piriisi kuntiyo be faa la.
33 Ali kana bankoo kosondi, ali be sabatiriŋ meŋ kaŋ. Moofaa ka a kosondi le. Feŋ te wo junuboo kafari noo la bankoo kaŋ fo faarilaa fanaa yeloo ye boŋ. Wo dammaa le be bankoo seneyandi la. 34 Ali kana bankoo nondi ali be sabatiriŋ meŋ kaŋ, nte faŋo la sabatidulaa. Nte Yaawe faŋo le be sabatiriŋ alitolu Banisirayilankoolu fee.
