Joshua 20

1 Eka Jehova Nyasaye nowachone Joshua niya,

Then Yahweh said to Joshua,

2 “Kone jo-Israel oyier miechgi madongo mag tony, kaka ne asenyisou kokalo kuom Musa,

“Tell the Israeli people that they should choose some cities to which people [can run] in order to be safe/protected, like I told Moses that they should do.

3 mondo ngʼato angʼata monego nyawadgi kobothne kendo ok dwarone nyalo biro kanyo mi oyud konyruok koa e lwet ngʼama dwaro chulone kuor.

If someone kills another person accidentally, not intending to kill that person, the one who killed that person may run/escape to one of these cities and be safe/protected from someone trying to get revenge for that person’s death [MTY].

4 “Ka oringo mi obiro e achiel kuom mier madongogi, to nyaka ochungʼ e dhorangach mar dala maduongʼ mondo owach malongʼo chandruok mare e nyim jotend dala maduongʼno. Bangʼ mano to girwake ei dalagi maduongʼno kendo gimiye kama odakie kodgi.

When the one who killed someone arrives at the gate of one of those cities, he must stop there and tell the leaders of the city what happened. [If they believe him], they must allow him to enter the city, and they must give him a place to live among them.

5 Ka ngʼat madwaro chulo kuor olawe, to kik gichiw ngʼatno modonjne, nikech ne onego nyawadgino ka ok ochano kendo ka oonge gi paro mar nege.

If some relative of the one who was killed comes to that city to get revenge, the leaders of that city must not allow the relative to take the killer, because what happened was accidental. He did not hate that person and as a result deliberately kill him.

6 Nyaka odag e dala maduongʼ kanyo machop chiengʼ bura e nyim kanyakla kendo nyaka chop chiengʼ ma jadolo maduongʼ marito kanyo tho. Bangʼeno onyalo dok e dalane owuon, ma en dalano mane oringo koaye.”

But the person who killed someone must stay in that city until the city judges put him on trial. [Only if the judges decide that the person who has run/escaped to their city did not deliberately kill the other person will they allow him to stay in that city], and he must stay there until the Supreme Priest dies. Then he may safely go back to his own town, [because the death of the Supreme Priest will be considered to atone/pay for the death of the person who was killed].”

7 Omiyo negiwalo tenge Kedesh man Galili e piny Naftali manie got, gi Shekem e piny Efraim manie got kod Kiriath Arba (tiende ni, Hebron), e piny Juda ma bende ni e got.

So the Israelis chose these cities to be cities to which people could run to be safe/protected: Kedesh in the Galilee district in the hilly area where the tribe of Naphtali lived; Shechem in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lived; Kiriath-Arba (which is [now named] Hebron) in the hilly area where the tribe of Judah lived;

8 To yo wuok chiengʼ mar Aora Jordan (e piny mamalo momanyore gi Jeriko) negiyiero Bezer manie thim kuom piny dhood Reuben gi Ramoth mantiere Gilead kuom piny dhood Gad, kod Golan mantiere Bashan e dhood Manase.

Bezer, on the east side of the Jordan [River] near Jericho, in the flat land in the desert where the tribe of Reuben lived; Ramoth in the Gilead [region] in the land where the tribe of Gad lived; and Golan in the Bashan region where the tribe of Manasseh lived.

9 Ja-Israel moro amora kata jadak mora amora modak e diergi ma nonego ngʼato ka ok ochano kendo ka oonge gi paro mar nege mondo odhi e mier madongo mowal mar tony mondo kik neg-gi gi ngʼatno madwaro chulo kuor kapok otergi e bura e nyim kanyakla.

Any Israeli or any foreigner who lived among us, anyone who killed someone (accidentally/without planning to do it), was allowed to run to one of those cities, and be safe/protected from some relative of the person who died coming there and killing him to get revenge. He could stay in that city until there was a trial there [to decide whether he was telling the truth or not when he said that he did not plan to kill that person].