Joshua 20

1 The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying,

And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

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

Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign the cities of refuge, [of] which I spoke to you by Moses.

3 That the slayer that killeth any person unintentionally and unknowingly may flee there: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

[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 judgement.

4 And when he that doth flee to one of those cities shall stand at the entrance 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 to them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

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.

5 And if the avenger of blood shall pursue him, then they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unknowingly, and had not hated him in times past.

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.

6 And he shall dwell in that city, until he shall 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 to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.

These [were] the cities selected for the sons of Israel, and for the stranger dwelling amongst 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 judgement.

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.

8 And on the other side of 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.

9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger sojourning among them, that whoever should kill any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.