Joshua 20

1 And the Lord spak to Josue, and seide, Spek thou to the sones of Israel, and seie thou to hem,

The Lord also spake vnto Ioshua, saying,

2 Departe ye the citees of fugytyues, `ether of men exilid for vnwilful schedyng of blood, of whiche citees Y spak to you bi the hond of Moises,

Speake to the children of Israel, and say, Appoint you cities of refuge, whereof I spake vnto you by the hand of Moses,

3 that whoeuer sleeth vnwytyngli a man, fle to tho citees;

That the slaier that killeth any person by ignorance, and vnwittingly, may flee thither, and they shall be your refuge from the auenger of blood.

4 that whanne he hath fled to oon of these citees, he may ascape the ire of the neiybore, which is veniere of blood. And he schal stonde bifor the yatis of the citee, and he schal speke to the eldre men of that citee tho thingis that schulen preue hym innocent; and so thei schulen reseyue hym, and schulen yyue to hym place to dwelle.

And he that doeth flee vnto one of those cities, shall stand at the entring of the gate of the citie, and shall shewe his cause to the Elders of the citie: and they shall receiue him into the citie vnto them, and giue him a place, that hee may dwell with them.

5 And whanne the vengere of blood pursueth hym, thei schulen not bitake hym in to the hondis of the vengere; for vnwityngli he killide his neiybore, and is not preued his enemy bifor the secounde dai ethir the thridde dai.

And if the auenger of blood pursue after him, they shall not deliuer the slaier into his hand because hee smote his neighbour ignorantly, neither hated he him before time:

6 And he schal dwelle in that citee, til he stonde bifor the doom, and yelde cause of his dede. And he that killide a man, dwelle `in that citee, til the grete preest die, which is in that tyme; thanne the mansleere schal turne ayen, and he schal entre in to his citee and hows, `fro which he fledde.

But hee shall dwell in that citie vntill hee stande before the Congregation in iudgement, or vntill the death of the hie Priest that shall be in those daies: then shall the slaier returne, and come vnto his owne citie, and vnto his owne house, euen vnto the citie from whence he fled.

7 And thei ordeyneden Cedes in Galilee, of the hil of Neptalym, and Sichem in the hil of Effraym, and Cariatharbe, thilke is Ebron, in the hil of Juda.

Then they appointed Kedesh in Galil in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba, (which is Hebron) in the mountaine of Iudah.

8 And biyende Jordan, ayens the eest coost of Jerico, thei ordeyneden Bosor, which is set in the feeldi wildirnesse of the lynage of Ruben, and Ramoth in Galaad, of the lynage of Gad, and Gaulon in Basan, of the lynage of Manasses.

And on the other side Iorden toward Iericho Eastward, they appoynted Bezer in the wildernesse vpon the plaine, 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 citees weren ordeyned to alle the sones of Israel, and to comelyngis that dwellen among hem, that he that killide vnwityngli a man, schulde fle to tho citees; and he schulde not die in the hond of neiybore, coueitynge to venge the blood sched out, til he stood bifor the puple, to declare his cause.

These were the cities appoynted for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that soiourned among them, that whosoeuer killed any person ignorantly, might flee thither, and not die by the hande of the auenger of blood, vntill hee stoode before the Congregation.