Joshua 20

1 The LORD also spoke unto Joshua, saying,

耶和华晓谕约书亚说：

2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses:

“你吩咐以色列人说：你们要照着我借摩西所晓谕你们的，为自己设立逃城，

3 That the slayer that kills any person unexpectedly and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

使那无心而误杀人的，可以逃到那里。这些城可以作你们逃避报血仇人的地方。

4 And when he that does 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.

那杀人的要逃到这些城中的一座城，站在城门口，将他的事情说给城内的长老们听。他们就把他收进城里，给他地方，使他住在他们中间。

5 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he stroke his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not in time past.

若是报血仇的追了他来，长老不可将他交在报血仇的手里；因为他是素无仇恨，无心杀了人的。

6 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.

他要住在那城里，站在会众面前听审判，等到那时的大祭司死了，杀人的才可以回到本城本家，就是他所逃出来的那城。”

7 And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

于是，以色列人在拿弗他利山地分定加利利的基低斯；在以法莲山地分定示剑；在犹大山地分定基列·亚巴（基列·亚巴就是希伯 ）；

8 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.

又在约旦河外耶利哥东，从吕便支派中，在旷野的平原，设立比悉；从迦得支派中设立基列的拉末；从玛拿西支派中设立巴珊的哥兰。

9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourns among them, that whosoever kills any person at unexpectedly might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

这都是为以色列众人和在他们中间寄居的外人所分定的城邑，使误杀人的都可以逃到那里，不死在报血仇人的手中，等他站在会众面前听审判。