« | Numbers 35 | » |
1 The Lord spoke to Moses. This was in the Jordan Valley in Moab, near the Jordan River, across from Jericho. He said,
2 "Tell the Israelites that they should give some of the cities in their part of the land to the Levites. The Israelites should give these cities and the pastures around them to the Levites.
3 The Levites will be able to live in them. And all the cattle and other animals that belong to the Levites will be able to eat from the pastures around these cities.
4 {How much of your land should you give to the Levites?} From the walls of the cities, go out 1500 feet — all of that land will belong to the Levites.
5 Measure off an area around the city for the Levites. Start at the northeast corner and measure 3000 feet to the south. Then from this corner, measure 3000 feet to the west. From there measure 3000 feet to the north and from that corner, 3000 feet to the east. The city will be in the center of this area.
6 Six of those cities will be cities of safety. If a person accidentally kills someone, that person can run to those towns for safety. In addition to those six cities, you will also give 42 more cities to the Levites.
7 So you will give a total of 48 cities to the Levites. You will also give them the land around those cities.
8 The large tribes of Israel will get large pieces of land. The small tribes of Israel will get small pieces of land. So the large tribes will give more cities and the small tribes will give fewer cities to the Levites."
9 Then the Lord said to Moses,
10 "Tell the people this: You will cross the Jordan River and go into the land of Canaan.
11 You must choose towns to be cities of safety. If someone accidentally kills another person, that person can run to one of those towns for safety.
12 That person will be safe from anyone from the dead man's family who wants to punish the killer until that person is judged in court.
13 There will be six cities of safety.
14 Three of them will be east of the Jordan River and three of them will be in the land of Canaan, west of the Jordan River.
15 These cities will be places of safety for citizens of Israel, and for foreigners and travelers. Any of these people will be able to run to one of these cities if they accidentally kill someone.
16 "If you use an iron weapon to kill someone, you are a murderer, and you must die.
17 If you use a rock large enough to kill someone and you kill another person, you are a murderer, and you must die.
18 If you use a piece of wood large enough to kill someone and you kill another person, you are a murderer, and you must die.
19 A member of the dead person's family can chase you and kill you.
20 "You might hit someone with your hand or push someone or throw something at them and kill them. If you did that from hate, you are a murderer, and you must be killed. A member of the dead person's family can chase you and kill you.
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22 "You might accidentally kill someone, maybe by pushing or by accidentally hitting them with a tool or weapon.
23 Perhaps you threw a rock that was large enough to kill, but it hit someone you didn't see and killed them. You didn't plan to kill anyone. You didn't hate the person you killed—it was only an accident.
24 If that happens, the community must decide what to do. The court must decide if a member of the dead person's family can kill you.
25 If the community decides to protect you from the dead person's family, the community must take you back to your city of safety. You must stay there until the official high priest dies.
26 "You must never go outside the limits of your city of safety. If you do and if a member of the dead person's family catches you and kills you, that family member will not be guilty of murder.
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28 Whoever accidentally killed someone must stay in their city of safety until the high priest dies. After the high priest dies, that person can go back to their own land.
29 These rules will be the law forever in all of the towns of your people.
30 "A killer should be put to death as a murderer only if there are witnesses. No one can be put to death if there is only one witness.
31 "A murderer must be put to death. Don't take money to change the punishment. That murderer must be killed.
32 "If a person killed someone and then ran to one of the cities of safety, don't take money to let that person go home. That person must stay in that city until the high priest dies.
33 "Don't let your land be polluted with innocent blood. If a person murders someone, the only payment for that crime is that the murderer must be killed! There is no other payment that will free the land from that crime.
34 I am the Lord. I will be living in your country with the Israelites, so don't make it unclean with the blood of innocent people."
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) is a Bible translation specifically designed to be accessible and comprehensible for people with limited reading skills or those for whom English is a second language. Originally published in 1987 by the World Bible Translation Center, the ERV was initially developed to serve the deaf community, using a simplified vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. The goal of the ERV is to make the scriptures understandable to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can grasp the essential messages of the Bible without being hindered by complex language or archaic terms.
One of the defining characteristics of the ERV is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators employed a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original texts in plain, everyday English. This approach ensures that readers can easily comprehend the Bible’s teachings and narratives, making it a valuable resource for children, new Christians, and those with limited literacy skills. The ERV avoids technical theological terms and instead uses language that is commonly spoken, making it accessible for personal study and public reading alike.
The ERV also pays careful attention to the cultural and contextual nuances of the original manuscripts. The translators sought to present the Bible’s messages in a way that is relevant and meaningful to contemporary readers while maintaining faithfulness to the original texts. This cultural sensitivity helps bridge the gap between ancient scriptures and modern readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the biblical stories and teachings. Additionally, the ERV includes helpful footnotes and cross-references that provide further explanation and context, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the ERV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the simplified language and thought-for-thought approach can sometimes result in a loss of depth and richness found in the original texts. Some theologians believe that the ERV’s emphasis on accessibility may lead to oversimplification of complex theological concepts. Nonetheless, the Easy-To-Read Version remains a highly valuable translation for its target audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps people of all backgrounds engage with and understand the scriptures.