Joshua 20
1 And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,
The LORD also spoke unto Joshua, saying,
2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign the cities of refuge, [of] which I spoke to you by Moses.
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses:
3 [Even] a refuge to the slayer who has struck a man unintentionally; and the cities shall be to you a refuge, and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgment.
That the slayer that kills any person unexpectedly and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4 And Joshua separated Cades in Galilee in the mount Nephthali, and Sychem in the mount Ephraim, and the city of Arboc; this is Chebron, in the mountain of Juda.
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.
5 And beyond Jordan he appointed Bosor in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Ruben, and Aremoth in Galaad out of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in the country of Basan out of the tribe of Manasse.
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.
6 These [were] the cities selected for the sons of Israel, and for the stranger dwelling among them, that every one who smites a soul unintentionally should flee there, that he should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he should stand before the congregation for judgment.
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 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.
