32 And you shall not accept a ransom for one who has fled to his city of refuge, so that he may return to live in the land [a]before the death of the priest. 33 (A)So you shall not defile the land in which you live; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except (B)by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 So you shall not (C)defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which (D)I dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 35:32 Or until

32 “‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

33 “‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land,(A) and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 Do not defile the land(B) where you live and where I dwell,(C) for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”

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