« | Numbers 35 | » |
1 While the people of Israel were still camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, the LORD told Moses
2 to say to them: When you receive your tribal lands, you must give towns and pastures to the Levi tribe.
3 That way, the Levites will have towns to live in and pastures for their animals.
4 The pasture around each of these towns must be in the shape of a square, with the town itself in the center. The pasture is to measure three thousand feet on each side, with fifteen hundred feet of land outside each of the town walls. This will be the Levites' pastureland.
5 (SEE 35:4)
6 Six of the towns you give them will be Safe Towns where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection. But you will also give the Levites forty-two other towns,
7 so they will have a total of forty-eight towns with their surrounding pastures.
8 Since the towns for the Levites must come from Israel's own tribal lands, the larger tribes will give more towns than the smaller ones.
9 The LORD then told Moses
10 to tell the people of Israel: After you have crossed the Jordan River and are settled in Canaan,
11 choose Safe Towns, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection.
12 If the victim's relatives think it was murder, they might try to take revenge. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of these Safe Towns for protection and not be killed before a trial is held.
13 There are to be six of these Safe Towns,
14 three on each side of the Jordan River.
15 They will be places of protection for anyone who lives in Israel and accidentally kills someone.
16 Suppose you hit someone with a piece of iron or a large stone or a dangerous wooden tool. If that person dies, then you are a murderer and must be put to death
17 (SEE 35:16)
18 (SEE 35:16)
19 by one of the victim's relatives. He will take revenge for his relative's death as soon as he finds you.
20 Or suppose you get angry and kill someone by pushing or hitting or by throwing something. You are a murderer and must be put to death by one of the victim's relatives.
21 (SEE 35:20)
22 But if you are not angry and accidentally kill someone in any of these ways, the townspeople must hold a trial and decide if you are guilty.
23 (SEE 35:22)
24 (SEE 35:22)
25 If they decide that you are innocent, you will be protected from the victim's relative and sent to stay in one of the Safe Towns until the high priest dies.
26 But if you ever leave the Safe Town
27 and are killed by the victim's relative, he cannot be punished for killing you.
28 You must stay inside the town until the high priest dies; only then can you go back home.
29 The community of Israel must always obey these laws.
30 Death is the penalty for murder. But no one accused of murder can be put to death unless there are at least two witnesses to the crime.
31 You cannot give someone money to escape the death penalty; you must pay with your own life!
32 And if you have been proven innocent of murder and are living in a Safe Town, you cannot pay to go back home; you must stay there until the high priest dies.
33 I, the LORD, live among you people of Israel, so your land must be kept pure. But when a murder takes place, blood pollutes the land, and it becomes unclean. If that happens, the murderer must be put to death, so the land will be clean again. Keep murder out of Israel!
34 (SEE 35:33)
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The Contemporary English Version (CEV) is a modern Bible translation that aims to make the scriptures accessible and understandable to a broad audience, including children and those with limited English proficiency. Published by the American Bible Society in 1995, the CEV emphasizes clarity, readability, and ease of comprehension. Unlike more literal translations, the CEV uses a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, which focuses on conveying the original meaning of the text in a way that is clear and straightforward for contemporary readers.
One of the key features of the CEV is its use of everyday language and simple sentence structures. The translators avoided theological jargon and archaic terms, instead opting for language that is commonly used in daily conversation. This makes the CEV particularly well-suited for public reading, educational settings, and outreach programs where the audience might not be familiar with traditional biblical language. The translation strives to communicate the essence of the biblical message without the barriers that complex language can sometimes create.
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Despite its strengths, the CEV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more literal translations. Critics argue that the CEV emphasises on simplicity and readability which can sometimes result in a loss of nuance and depth found in the original languages. Some theologians and scholars believe that the thought-for-thought approach may oversimplify complex theological concepts. Nevertheless, the Contemporary English Version remains a valuable resource for many readers, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that is particularly effective for those new to the scriptures or those seeking a more accessible way to engage with the biblical text.