Joshua 20:1-9
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Cities of refuge (1-9)
20 Then Jehovah said to Joshua:
2 “Tell the Israelites, ‘Select for yourselves the cities of refuge+ about which I spoke to you through Moses,
3 so that the manslayer who unintentionally or accidentally* kills someone* may flee there. And they will serve as a refuge for you from the avenger of blood.+
4 He must flee to one of these cities+ and stand at the entrance of the city gate+ and present his case in the hearing of the elders of that city. Then they must receive him into the city and give him a place and he will live with them.
5 If the avenger of blood chases after him, they should not surrender the manslayer into his hand, for he killed his fellow man accidentally* and he did not previously hate him.+
6 He must dwell in that city until he stands trial before the assembly+ and remain there until the death of the high priest+ who is in office at that time. Then the manslayer may return to the city from which he fled, and he may enter his city and his house.’”+
7 So they gave a sacred status to* Keʹdesh+ in Galʹi·lee in the mountainous region of Naphʹta·li, Sheʹchem+ in the mountainous region of Eʹphra·im, and Kirʹi·ath-arʹba,+ that is, Hebʹron, in the mountainous region of Judah.
8 In the region of the Jordan, east of Jerʹi·cho, they selected Beʹzer+ in the wilderness on the tableland* out of the tribe of Reuʹben, Raʹmoth+ in Gilʹe·ad out of the tribe of Gad, and Goʹlan+ in Baʹshan out of the tribe of Ma·nasʹseh.+
9 These became the cities appointed for all the Israelites and for the foreign residents residing among them, so that anyone who unintentionally killed someone* could flee there+ and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.+
Footnotes
^ Or “unknowingly.”
^ Or “strikes a soul.”
^ Or “unknowingly.”
^ Or “they set apart.”
^ Or “plateau.”
^ Or “a soul.”
