you are to choose cities of refuge to which any of you can escape if you kill someone accidentally.

But if it was an accident and he did not mean to kill him, he can escape to a place which I will choose for you, and there he will be safe.

For example, if two of you go into the forest together to cut wood and if, as one of you is chopping down a tree, the ax head comes off the handle and kills the other, you can run to one of those three cities and be safe.

If any of you accidentally kills someone, you can go there and escape the one who is looking for revenge.

If the one looking for revenge follows you there, the people of the city must not hand you over to that one. They must protect you because you killed the person accidentally and not out of anger.