¹Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

¹Zvino Jehovha akataura naMozisi pamapani eMoabhu, paJoridhani paJeriko, akati,

²“Command the children of Israel that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and you shall give suburbs for the cities around them to the Levites.

²Raira vana vaIsiraeri, kuti vape vaRevhi panhaka yavakagara ivo, maguta mavangagara; munofanirawo kupa vaRevhi ruwa runopoteredza maguta avo.

³The cities shall they have to dwell in; and their suburbs shall be for their livestock, and for their substance, and for all their animals.

³Vanofanira kuva namaguta mavangagara; noruwa rwawo runofanira kuva rwemombe dzavo, nefuma yavo, nezvipfuwo zvavo zvose.

⁴“The suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.

⁴Ruwa rwamaguta, amunofanira kupa vaRevhi, runofanira kutanga parusvingo rweguta ndokupoteredza guta kusvika pamakubhiti ane chiuru chimwe kunhivi dzose.

⁵You shall measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

⁵Munofanira kuyera kunze kweguta, kurutivi rwokumabvazuva makubhiti ane zviuru zviviri, nokurutivi rwezasi makubhiti ane zviuru zviviri, nokurutivi rwokumusoro makubhiti ane zviuru zviviri, guta riri pakati. Ndirwo runofanira kuva ruwa rwamaguta avo.

⁶“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to: and besides them you shall give forty-two cities.

⁶Maguta amunopa vaRevhi anofanira kuva maguta matanhatu outiziro, amunofanira kuvapa, kuti muurayi atizire kwaari; kunze kwaiwayo munofanira kuvapa maguta ana makumi mana namaviri.

⁷All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their suburbs.

⁷Maguta ose amunopa vaRevhi anofanira kuva maguta ana makumi mana namasere, iwo noruwa rwawo.

⁸Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many; and from the few you shall take few: everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give of his cities to the Levites.”

⁸Kana ari maguta amunotora panhaka dzavana vaIsiraeri, kuna vana mazhinji munofanira kutora mazhinji, kuna vana mashoma munofanira kutora mashoma; rudzi rumwe norumwe runofanira kupa vaRevhi mamwe maguta, sezvarwakapiwa nhaka yarwo.

⁹Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

⁹Zvino Jehovha akataura naMozisi, akati,

¹⁰“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

¹⁰Taura navana vaIsiraeri, uti kwavari, Kana mayambuka Joridhani, mukapinda munyika yeKanani,

¹¹then you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

¹¹munofanira kuzvisanangurira maguta, ave maguta outiziro kwamuri; kuti muurayi, anouraya munhu asingaiti nohwoni atizireko.

¹²The cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer not die, until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

¹²Maguta iwayo anofanira kuva kwamuri utiziro pamutsivi, kuti muurayi arege kufa, asina kumbotongwa pamberi peungano.

¹³The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.

¹³Maguta amunovapa, anofanira kuva kwamuri maguta matanhatu outiziro.

¹⁴You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.

¹⁴Munofanira kuvapa maguta matatu mhiri kwaJoridhani, namamwe maguta matatu munofanira kuvapa munyika yeKanani; ndiwo anofanira kuva maguta outiziro.

¹⁵For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the foreigner living among them, shall these six cities be for refuge; that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

¹⁵Maguta iwayo matanhatu anofanira kuva utiziro kuvana vaIsiraeri, nokumweni, nokumutorwa ugere pakati pavo; kuti mumwe nomumwe wakauraya munhu, asina kuita nohwoni, atizireko.

¹⁶“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁶Asi kana achinge amurova nenhumbi yedare, akafa, wava muurayi; zvino muurayi anofanira kuurawa zvirokwazvo.

¹⁷If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁷Kana achinge amuuraya nebwe riri muruoko rwake, ringauraya munhu, akafa, wava muurayi; zvino muurayi anofanira kuurawa zvirokwazvo.

¹⁸Or if he struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸Kana achinge amurova nenhumbi yamatanda iri muruoko rwake, ingauraya munhu, akafa, wava muurayi; muurayi anofanira kuurawa zvirokwazvo.

¹⁹The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meets him, he shall put him to death.

¹⁹Mutsivi weropa ndiye anofanira kuuraya muurayi amene; kana akasangana naye, unofanira kumuuraya.

²⁰If he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died,

²⁰Kana achinge amusunga achimuvenga, kana kumuposhera, amuvandira, akafa;

²¹or in enmity struck him with his hand, so that he died; he who struck him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meets him.

²¹kana zvimwe akamurova noruoko, achimuvenga, akafa, wakamurova anofanira kuurawa zvirokwazvo, muurayi; mutsivi weropa, anofanira kuuraya muurayi, kana akasangana naye.

²²“‘But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait,

²²Asi kana achinge amusunda kamwe-kamwe, asina kumuvenga, kana kumuposhera nechinhu, asina kumuvandira,

²³or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm;

²³kana nebwe, ringauraya munhu, akarikanda pamusoro pake, asingamuoni, akafa, iye asina kumuvenga, kana kutsvaka kumukuvadza;

²⁴then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;

²⁴zvino ungano inofanira kutonga mhosva pakati pomukuvadzi nomutsivi weropa nemirairo iyi:

²⁵and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

²⁵Ipapo ungano inofanira kurwira muurayi paruoko rwomutsivi weropa, ungano igomudzosera kuguta rake routiziro, kwaakanga atizira; zvino iye anofanira kugaramo kusvikira mupristi mukuru afa, iye wakazodzwa namafuta matsvene.

²⁶“‘But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, where he flees,

²⁶Asi kana nguva ipi neipi muurayi akadarika muganhu weguta rake routiziro, kwaakanga atizira,

²⁷and the avenger of blood find him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kill the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood,

²⁷mutsivi weropa akamuwana kunze komuganhu weguta rako routiziro, mutsivi weropa akauraya muurayi uyo, iye haangavi nemhosva yeropa rake;

²⁸because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return into the land of his possession.

²⁸nekuti waifanira kugara muguta rake routiziro kusvikira mupristi mukuru afa; asi kana mupristi mukuru afa, muurayi anofanira kudzokera kunyika yake.

²⁹“‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

²⁹Izvi zvinofanira kuva kwamuri murayiro wokutonga nawo kusvikira kumarudzi enyu ose kwamunogara kose.

³⁰“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die.

³⁰Ani naani unouraya munhu, muurayi anofanira kuurawa nokupupura kwezvapupu; asi chapupu chimwe hachifaniri kupupurira munhu akaurawa.

³¹“‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.

³¹Uye hamufaniri kugamuchira dzikunuro pamusoro poupenyu hwomuurayi, anofanira kuti aurawe; asi anofanira kuurawa zvirokwazvo.

³²“‘You shall take no ransom for him who is fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

³²Musagamuchira dzikunuro pamusoro pomunhu wakatizira kuguta routiziro, kuti adzokere kugara munyika yake, kusvikira mupristi afa.

³³“‘So you shall not pollute the land in which you are: for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him who shed it.

³³Naizvozvo hamufaniri kusvibisa nyika mamugere, nekuti ropa rinosvibisa nyika; nyika haingayananisirwi pamusoro peropa rakateurirwamo, asi koga neropa romunhu wakariteura.

³⁴You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell: for I, Yahweh, dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.’”

³⁴Musasvibisa nyika mamugere, mandigerewo ini; nekuti ini Jehovha ndigere pakati pavana vaIsiraeri.