6. Among the cities which you will give to the Levites there will be six cities of refuge, which you will appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee there, and to them you will add forty-two cities.
7. So all the cities which you will give to the Levites will be forty-eight cities. You will give them with their pasturelands.
8. The cities which you shall give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel. From the larger tribes you shall give many, and from the smaller tribes you shall give few. Each tribe, in proportion to the inheritance that it receives, shall give of its cities to the Levites.
9. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
10. Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you are crossing over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11. then you shall designate cities as your cities of refuge, so that a manslayer who unintentionally kills a person may flee there.
12. The cities will be for you a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer does not die until he stands trial before the assembly.