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

However, if he did not lie in wait, but God allowed the meeting into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber, and his hand swings a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head has slipped from the handle and struck his neighbor so that he has died; he shall flee to one of these cities and live;

that the slayer who kills a soul accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand.