Run there quickly, ¹  for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) ² 

you must set apart for yourselves three cities ¹  in the middle of your land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession.

When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem ¹  heard the news, they went to the stronghold ²  of the temple of El-Berith. ³ 

Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod. ¹ 

David promised Saul this on oath. ¹  Then Saul went to his house, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam escaped to Egypt and found refuge with King Shishak of Egypt. ¹  He stayed in Egypt until Solomon died.

How blessed ¹  is the one ²  who trusts in the Lord ³  and does not seek help from ⁴  the proud or from liars! ⁵ 

unless they became my subjects ¹  and made peace with me; let them make peace with me. ² 

For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself. ¹ 

Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all the foreigners, ¹  Libya, and the people ²  of the covenant land ³  will die by the sword along with them.

He will then turn his attention to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again.

Fast runners will find no place to hide; ¹  strong men will have no strength left; ²  warriors will not be able to save their lives.

But on Mount Zion there will be a remnant of those who escape, ¹  and it will be a holy place once again. The descendants ²  of Jacob will conquer ³  those who had conquered them. ⁴ 

These were the cities of refuge ¹  appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by ²  the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly. ³ 

When Pharaoh heard ¹  about this event, ²  he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled ³  from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, ⁴  and he settled ⁵  by a certain well. ⁶ 

But if he does not do it with premeditation, ¹  but it happens by accident, ²  then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

Anyone who accidentally killed someone ¹  without hating him at the time of the accident ²  could flee to one of those cities and be safe.

Now this is the law pertaining to one who flees there in order to live, ¹  if he has accidentally killed another ²  without hating him at the time of the accident. ³ 

However, suppose a person hates someone else ¹  and stalks him, attacks him, kills him, ²  and then flees to one of these cities.

The elders of his own city must send for him and remove him from there to deliver him over to the blood avenger ¹  to die.