(Make the chain, ¹  because the land is full of murder ²  and the city is full of violence.)

“‘See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood. ¹ 

“‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the city of bloodshed! I will also make the pile high.

They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they became greatly distressed.

But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker. ¹ 

He said to me, “The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great; the land is full of murder, and the city is full of corruption, ¹  for they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land, and the Lord does not see!’ ² 

But if a man willfully attacks his neighbor to kill him cunningly, ¹  you will take him even from my altar that he may die.

And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community.

Moreover, you must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; he must surely be put to death.

So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah,

They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer,

from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim,

Praised be your good judgment! May you yourself be rewarded ¹  for having prevented me this day from shedding blood and taking matters into my own hands!

All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king’s instigation. ¹ 

Rescue me from the guilt of murder, ¹  O God, the God who delivers me! Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your deliverance. ² 

How long will you threaten ¹  a man? All of you are murderers, ²  as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. ³ 

They shed innocent blood – the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted by bloodshed. ¹ 

Our cattle will be weighted down with produce. ¹  No one will break through our walls, no one will be taken captive, and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares. ² 

The one who robs ¹  his father and mother and says, “There is no transgression,” is a companion ²  to the one ³  who destroys.

When ¹  a sentence ²  is not executed ³  at once against a crime, ⁴  the human heart ⁵  is encouraged to do evil. ⁶