Then the LORD spoke
to Joshua
, saying
,
"Speak to the sons
of Israel
, saying
, ` 1Designate
athe cities
of refuge
, of which
I spoke
to you 2through
Moses
,
that the manslayer who 1kills
any person
unintentionally
, without
premeditation
, may flee
there
, and they shall become
your refuge
from the avenger
of blood
.
`He shall flee to one
of these
cities
, and shall stand
at the entrance
of the agate
of the city
and state
his case
in the hearing
of the elders
of that city
; and they shall 1take
him into the city
to them and give
him a place
, so that he may dwell
among
them.
`Now aif the avenger
of blood
pursues
him, then they shall not deliver
the manslayer
into his hand
, because
he struck
his neighbor
without
premeditation
and did not hate
him beforehand
.
`He shall dwell in that city
auntil
he stands
before
the congregation
for judgment
, until
the death
of the one who
is high
priest
in those
days
. Then
the manslayer
shall 1return
to his own city
and to his own house
, to the city
from which
he fled
.' "
So they 1set apart
aKedesh
in 2Galilee
in the hill
country
of Naphtali
and Shechem
in the hill
country
of Ephraim
, and Kiriath-arba
(that is, Hebron
) in bthe hill
country
of Judah
.
Beyond the Jordan
east
of Jericho
, they 1designated
Bezer
in the wilderness
on the plain
from the tribe
of Reuben
, and Ramoth
in Gilead
from the tribe
of Gad
, and Golan
in Bashan
from the tribe
of Manasseh
.
aThese were the appointed
cities
for all
the sons
of Israel
and for the stranger
who sojourns
among
them, that whoever
1kills
any person
unintentionally
may flee
there
, and not die
by the hand
of the avenger
of blood
until
he stands
before
the congregation
.