(A)Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he [a]kills his friend [b]unintentionally, [c]not hating him previously— as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand [d]swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the [e]handle and [f]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 [g]in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and [h]take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 19:4 Lit smites
  2. Deuteronomy 19:4 Lit without knowledge
  3. Deuteronomy 19:4 Lit and he was not hating him previously
  4. Deuteronomy 19:5 Lit is thrust with
  5. Deuteronomy 19:5 Lit wood
  6. Deuteronomy 19:5 Lit finds
  7. Deuteronomy 19:6 Lit while his heart is hot
  8. Deuteronomy 19:6 Lit smite him in the soul

This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. Otherwise, the avenger of blood(A) might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought.

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