Israel Designates Cities of Refuge
20 The Lord instructed Joshua: 2 “Have the Israelites select[a] the cities of refuge[b] that I told you about through Moses. 3 Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there;[c] these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood. 4 The one who committed manslaughter[d] should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city.[e] They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.[f] 5 When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation.[g] 6 He must remain[h] in that city until his case is decided by the assembly,[i] and the high priest dies.[j] Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.”[k]
7 So they selected[l] Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they selected[m] Bezer in the wilderness on the plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the cities of refuge[n] appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by[o] the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly.[p]
Footnotes
- Joshua 20:2 tn Heb “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘Set aside for yourselves.’”
- Joshua 20:2 tn Or “asylum.”
- Joshua 20:3 tn Heb “so that the one who kills, taking life accidentally without knowledge, may flee there.”
- Joshua 20:4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the one who accidentally kills another, cf. v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 20:4 tn Heb “and speak into the ears of the elders of that city his words.”
- Joshua 20:4 tn Heb “and they should gather him into the city to themselves, give to him a place, and he will live with them.”
- Joshua 20:5 tn Heb “for without knowledge he killed his neighbor, and he was not hating him prior to that.”
- Joshua 20:6 tn Or “live.”
- Joshua 20:6 tn Heb “until he stands before the assembly for judgment.”
- Joshua 20:6 tn Heb “until the death of the high priest who is in those days.”
- Joshua 20:6 tn Heb “may return and enter his city and his house, the city from which he escaped.”
- Joshua 20:7 tn Heb “set apart.”
- Joshua 20:8 tn Or “set aside.”
- Joshua 20:9 tn The Hebrew text reads simply “the cities.” The words “for refuge” are supplied for clarification.
- Joshua 20:9 tn Heb “and not die by the hand of.”
- Joshua 20:9 tn Heb “until he stands before the assembly.” The words “at least” are supplied for clarification.