” And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hateth not in time past:”

Deuteronomy 19:4

If a man by choice and inner voice,
Doth kill another man,
His lot is death and taken breath,
And this by another’s hand!
If he choose at will this man to kill,
And precious life to take,
Death is his lot- What he chose, he got!
This for the nation’s sake!
But if by chance and happenstance
The axehead slip from the helve,
Twas accident and not consent.
This man may save himself.
And in this case let there be place
And make thee cities three,
Within the land on either hand,
Where the innocent may flee!
And when thy God within the sod,
Thy habitat shall fix,
Then thou shalt score three cities more,
For refuge cities six.
So shall it be, if any of thee
Take life at unawares,
Just flee within- Twas not thy sin-
And find thy refuge there!