Laws

¹ When Enki had cut off the nations, whose land Enki had given to you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses.

² You shall separate 3 cities for you in your land, which Enki had given to you.

³ You shall prepare yourself a way, and divide the coasts of your land, which Enki gave you to inherit, into 3 parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

⁴ This is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

5} As when a man goes into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

6} Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he [was] not woryour of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

⁷ And so I command you to separate 3 cities for yourselves.

8} If Enki enlarges your coast, as he hath sworn unto your fathers, and give you all the land which he promised to give unto your fathers;

9} If you shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command you this day, to love Enki and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt you add three cities more for you, beside these three:

10} That innocent blood be not shed in your land, which Enki gave you for an inheritance, and [so] blood be on you.

11} But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: 12} Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he