either when he was enemy to him, smite him with his hand, and he is dead, the smiter shall be guilty of manslaying. The kinsman of him that is slain, anon as he findeth him, that is, the slayer, shall slay him.
but to have gone simply with him into the wood to hew down trees, and in the felling down of trees the ax flieth from his hand, and the iron slideth from the helve, and smiteth, and slayeth his friend; this man shall flee to one of the foresaid cities, and shall live;
that whoever slayeth unwittingly a man, flee to those cities; that when he hath fled to one of those cities, he may escape the ire [or wrath] of the neighbour, which is avenger of blood.
And when the avenger of blood pursueth him, they of that city shall not betake him into the hands of the avenger; for unwittingly he killed his neighbour, and he is not proved his enemy before the second day either the third day.