A moment in scripture
Deuteronomy 19:4
And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;
The surrounding passage
- Deuteronomy 19:2
Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
- Deuteronomy 19:3
Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.
- Deuteronomy 19:5
As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
- Deuteronomy 19:6
Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
Scripture: King James Version (KJV), English, 66-book canon. The quotation retains the wording and numbering of our source corpus.