Deuteronomy 19:4

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 

This is the rule concerning the man who kills another and flees there to save his life—one who kills his neighbour unintentionally, without malice aforethought.

"Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously—

"If someone accidentally kills a neighbor without harboring any previous hatred, the slayer may flee to any of these cities and be safe.

This is the guideline for the murderer who flees there to take refuge: He has to have killed his neighbor without premeditation and with no history of bad blood between them.

This is to be the rule for anyone who goes in flight there, after causing the death of his neighbour in error and not through hate;

Now this is the case of a homicide who might flee there and live, that is, someone who has killed another person unintentionally when the two had not been at enmity before:

"And this is the case of the manslayer who flees there, that he may live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, not having hated him in time past––

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 

¹ tn Heb “and this is the word pertaining to the one who kills who flees there and lives.”

² tn Heb “who strikes his neighbor without knowledge.”

³ tn Heb “yesterday and a third (day)” (likewise in v. 6). The point is that there was no animosity between the two parties at the time of the accident and therefore no motive for the killing. Cf. NAB “had previously borne no malice”; NRSV “had not been at enmity before.”