Joshua 20

Six Cities of Refuge

1Then the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to JoshuaH3091, sayingH559, 2“SpeakH1696 to the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, sayingH559, ‘1DesignateH5414 2the citiesH5892 of refugeH4733, of whichH834 I spokeH1696 to you 3throughH3027 MosesH4872, 3so that one who commitsH7523 manslaughterH7523 by 4killingH5221 a personH5315 unintentionallyH7684, withoutH1097 premeditationH1847, may fleeH5127 thereH8033, and they shall becomeH1961 your refugeH4733 from the avengerH1350 of bloodH1818. 4Then he shall fleeH5127 to oneH259 of theseH428 citiesH5892, and shall standH5975 at the entranceH6607 of the 5gateH8179 of the cityH5892, and stateH1696 his caseH1697 in the 6presenceH241 of the eldersH2205 of that cityH5892; and they shall 7receiveH622 him into the cityH5892 to them and giveH5414 him a placeH4725, so that he may remainH3427 amongH5973 them. 5Now 8ifH3588 the avengerH1350 of bloodH1818 pursuesH7291 him, then they are not to handH5462H3027 the one who committedH7523 manslaughterH7523 overH5462 to him, sinceH3588 he struckH5221 his neighborH7453 withoutH1097 premeditationH1847 and did not hateH8130 him previouslyH4480H8543H8032. 6And he shall remainH3427 in that cityH5892 9untilH5704 he standsH5975 beforeH6440 the congregationH5712 for judgmentH4941, untilH5704 the deathH4194 of the one whoH834 is highH1419 priestH3548 in thoseH1992 daysH3117. ThenH227 10he shall 11returnH7725H935 to his own cityH5892 and to his own houseH1004, to the cityH5892 from whichH834 he fledH5127.’”

7So they 12setH6942 apartH6942 13KedeshH6943 in 14GalileeH1551 in the hillH2022 countryH2022 of NaphtaliH5321, and ShechemH7927 in the hillH2022 countryH2022 of EphraimH669, and Kiriath-arbaH7153 (that is, HebronH2275) in 15the hillH2022 countryH2022 of JudahH3063. 8And beyondH4480 the JordanH3383 eastH4217 of JerichoH3405, they 16designatedH5414 BezerH1221 in the wildernessH4057 on the plainH4334 from the tribeH4294 of ReubenH7205, and RamothH7216 in GileadH1568 from the tribeH4294 of GadH1410, and GolanH1474 in BashanH1316 from the tribeH4294 of ManassehH4519. 917TheseH428 were the designatedH4152 citiesH5892 for allH3605 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 and for the strangerH1616 who residesH1481 amongH8432 them, so that whoeverH3605 18killsH5221 a personH5315 unintentionallyH7684 may fleeH5127 thereH8033, and not dieH4191 by the handH3027 of the avengerH1350 of bloodH1818 untilH5704 he standsH5975 beforeH6440 the congregationH5712.