The LORD also spake
unto Joshua
, saying
,
Speak to the children
of Israel
, saying
, Appoint out
for you cities
of refuge
, whereof I spake
unto you by the hand
of Moses
:
That the slayer that killeth
any person
unawares
and unwittingly
may flee
thither: and they shall be your refuge
from the avenger
of blood
.
And when he that doth flee unto one
of those cities
shall stand
at the entering
of the gate
of the city
, and shall declare
his cause
in the ears
of the elders
of that city
, they shall take
him into the city
unto them, and give
him a place
, that he may dwell
among them.
And if the avenger of blood
pursue
after
him, then they shall not deliver
the slayer
up into his hand
; because he smote
his neighbour
unwittingly
, and hated
him not beforetime
.
And he shall dwell in that city
, until he stand
before
the congregation
for judgment
, and until the death
of the high
priest
that
shall be in those days
: then shall the slayer
return
, and come
unto his own city
, and unto his own house
, unto the city
from whence he fled
.
And they appointed Kedesh
in Galilee
in mount
Naphtali
, and Shechem
in mount
Ephraim
, and Kirjatharba
, which is Hebron
, in the mountain
of Judah
.
And on the other side Jordan
by Jericho
eastward
, they assigned
Bezer
in the wilderness
upon 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
.
These were the cities appointed
for all the children
of Israel
, and for the stranger
that sojourneth
among
them, that whosoever killeth
any person
at unawares
might flee
thither, and not die
by the hand
of the avenger
of blood
, until he stood
before
the congregation
.