Joshua 20

1 and to speak: speak LORD to(wards) Joshua to/for to say

Then the Lord told Joshua,

2 to speak: speak to(wards) son: descendant/people Israel to/for to say to give: put to/for you [obj] city [the] refuge which to speak: speak to(wards) you in/on/with hand: by Moses

“Tell the Israelites, ‘Assign sanctuary towns, as I instructed you through Moses.

3 to/for to flee there [to] to murder to smite soul: person in/on/with unintentionally in/on/with without knowledge and to be to/for you to/for refuge from to redeem: avenge [the] blood

Then any man who kills somebody by accident, unintentionally, can run there and they will be protected from those who wish to take revenge.

4 and to flee to(wards) one from [the] city [the] these and to stand: stand entrance gate [the] city and to speak: speak in/on/with ear: to ears (old: elder [the] city *LA(bh)*) [the] he/she/it [obj] word: case his and to gather [obj] him [the] city [to] to(wards) them and to give: give to/for him place and to dwell with them

When he gets to one of these towns, he shall state his case to the elders at the town gates. They must allow him to enter, and they will also arrange a place for him to stay.

5 and for to pursue to redeem: avenge [the] blood after him and not to shut [obj] [the] to murder in/on/with hand: power his for in/on/with without knowledge to smite [obj] neighbor his and not to hate he/she/it to/for him from yesterday three days ago

If the one seeking revenge comes looking for the man, they must not hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, because he killed someone unintentionally and without deliberate hatred.

6 and to dwell in/on/with city [the] he/she/it till to stand: stand he to/for face: before [the] congregation to/for justice: judgement till death [the] priest [the] great: large which to be in/on/with day [the] they(masc.) then to return: return [the] to murder and to come (in): come to(wards) city his and to(wards) house: home his to(wards) [the] city which to flee from there

He shall remain in that town until he has received a public trial and a verdict has been given, and until the death of the high priest of the time. Then he is free to return to his home, back to the town from where he ran away.’”

7 and to consecrate: prepare [obj] Kedesh in/on/with Galilee in/on/with mountain: hill country Naphtali and [obj] Shechem in/on/with mountain: hill country Ephraim and [obj] Kiriath-arba Kiriath-arba he/she/it Hebron in/on/with mountain: hill country Judah

So they assigned the following sanctuary towns: Kedesh of Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Kiriath-arba (or Hebron), in the hill country of Judah.

8 and from side: beyond to/for Jordan Jericho east [to] to give: put [obj] Bezer in/on/with wilderness in/on/with plain from tribe Reuben and [obj] Ramoth in/on/with Gilead from tribe Gad and [obj] (Golan *Q(K)*) in/on/with Bashan from tribe Manasseh

On the other side of the Jordan, east of Jericho, they assigned: Bezer, in the wilderness on the plateau, from the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.

9 these to be city [the] designated to/for all son: descendant/people Israel and to/for sojourner [the] to sojourn in/on/with midst their to/for to flee there [to] all to smite soul: person in/on/with unintentionally and not to die in/on/with hand to redeem: avenge [the] blood till to stand: stand he to/for face: before [the] congregation

These were the assigned towns for all the Israelites, as well as for the foreigners living among them. Anyone who unintentionally killed someone could go there so they would not be killed by those who wished to take revenge before they had received a public trial and been given a guilty verdict.