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you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.
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You shall prepare you the way, and divide the borders of your land, which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there.
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This is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee there and live: whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and didn`t hate him in time past;
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as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle, and lights on his neighbor, so that he dies; he shall flee to one of these cities and live:
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lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he didn`t hate him in time past.
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Therefore I command you, saying, You shall set apart three cities for you.
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If Yahweh your God enlarge your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and give you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;
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if you shall keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love Yahweh your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shall you add three cities more for you, besides these three:
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that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, and so blood be on you.
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But if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and strike him mortally so that he dies, and he flee into one of these cities;
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then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
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Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.