Joshua 20 The LORD also spake unto Joshua , saying ,

1 H3068 The LORD H1696 also spake [H8762] H3091 unto Joshua H559 , saying [H8800] ,

2 H1696 Speak [H8761] H1121 to the children H3478 of Israel H559 , saying [H8800] H5414 , Appoint out [H8798] H5892 for you cities H4733 of refuge H1696 , whereof I spake [H8765] H3027 unto you by the hand H4872 of Moses:

3 H7523 That the slayer [H8802] H5221 that killeth [H8688] H5315 any person H7684 unawares H1847 and unwittingly H5127 may flee [H8800] H4733 thither: and they shall be your refuge H1350 from the avenger [H8802] H1818 of blood.

4 H5127 And when he that doth flee [H8804] H259 unto one H5892 of those cities H5975 shall stand [H8804] H6607 at the entering H8179 of the gate H5892 of the city H1696 , and shall declare [H8765] H1697 his cause H241 in the ears H2205 of the elders H5892 of that city H622 , they shall take [H8804] H5892 him into the city H5414 unto them, and give [H8804] H4725 him a place H3427 , that he may dwell [H8804] among them.

5 H1350 And if the avenger [H8802] H1818 of blood H7291 pursue [H8799] H310 after H5462 him, then they shall not deliver [H8686] H7523 the slayer [H8802] H3027 up into his hand H5221 ; because he smote [H8689] H7453 his neighbour H1097 unwittingly H1847 H8130 , and hated [H8802] H8543 him not beforetime H8032 .

6 H3427 And he shall dwell [H8804] H5892 in that city H5975 , until he stand [H8800] H6440 before H5712 the congregation H4941 for judgment H4194 , and until the death H1419 of the high H3548 priest H834 that H3117 shall be in those days H7523 : then shall the slayer [H8802] H7725 return [H8799] H935 , and come [H8804] H5892 unto his own city H1004 , and unto his own house H5892 , unto the city H5127 from whence he fled [H8804] .

7 H6942 And they appointed [H8686] H6943 Kedesh H1551 in Galilee H2022 in mount H5321 Naphtali H7927 , and Shechem H2022 in mount H669 Ephraim H7153 , and Kirjatharba H2275 , which is Hebron H2022 , in the mountain H3063 of Judah.

8 H5676 And on the other side H3383 Jordan H3405 by Jericho H4217 eastward H5414 , they assigned [H8804] H1221 Bezer H4057 in the wilderness H4334 upon the plain H4294 out of the tribe H7205 of Reuben H7216 , and Ramoth H1568 in Gilead H4294 out of the tribe H1410 of Gad H1474 , and Golan H1316 in Bashan H4294 out of the tribe H4519 of Manasseh.

9 H5892 These were the cities H4152 appointed H1121 for all the children H3478 of Israel H1616 , and for the stranger H1481 that sojourneth [H8802] H8432 among H5221 them, that whosoever killeth [H8688] H5315 any person H7684 at unawares H5127 might flee [H8800] H4191 thither, and not die [H8799] H3027 by the hand H1350 of the avenger [H8802] H1818 of blood H5975 , until he stood [H8800] H6440 before H5712 the congregation.

ERV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, ² Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: ³ that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly [and] unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. ⁴ And he shall flee unto one of those cities, and shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. ⁵ And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unawares, and hated him not beforetime. ⁶ And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the manslayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled. ⁷ And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸ And beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person unwittingly might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.