Yosua 20

1 Yehowa gblɔ na Yosua be,

And the Lord spoke to Josue, saying: Speak to the children of Israel and say to them:

2 “Gblɔ na Israelviwo be woatia sitsoƒeduwo, abe ale si meɖoe da ɖi to Mose dzi ene la azɔ.

Appoint cities of refuge, a of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses:

3 Ne ame aɖe wu ame to nu maɖowɔ me la, ate ŋu asi ayi du siawo dometɔ ɖeka me, eye woaxɔ nɛ tso ame kukua ƒe ƒometɔwo, ame siwo adi be yewoabia hlɔ̃ awui la ƒe asi me.

That whosoever shall kill a person unawares may flee to them: and may escape the wrath of the kinsman, who is the avenger of blood:

4 Ne amewula la ɖo du siawo dometɔ ɖeka me la, awɔ takpekpe kple du ma me tɔwo ƒe ametsitsiwo, agblɔ nu si dzɔ la na wo, ekema woaxɔe, ana teƒee wòanɔ le wo dome.

And when he shall flee to one of these cities: he shall stand before the gate of the city, and shall speak to the ancients of that city, such things as prove him innocent: and so shall they receive him, and give him a place to dwell in.

5 Ne ame kuku la ƒe ƒometɔ aɖe va be yeabia hlɔ̃e, awui la, womaɖe asi le amewula la ŋu nɛ o, elabena menye ɖe wòɖoe hafi wu amea o.

And when the avenger of blood shall pursue him, they shall not deliver him into his hands, because he slew his neighbour unawares, and is not proved to have been his enemy two or three days before.

6 Ele be amewula la nanɔ sitsoƒedu la me va se ɖe esime ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo nadrɔ̃ ʋɔnui, eye wòaganɔ afi ma va se ɖe esime nunɔlagã si nɔ dzi ɖum hafi nya sia dzɔ la naku. Ekema amewula la ate ŋu atrɔ ayi wo de azɔ.”

And he shall dwell in that city, till he stand before judgment to give an account of his fact, and till the death of the high priest, who shall be at that time: then shall the manslayer return, and go into his own city and house from whence he fled.

7 Du siwo wotsɔ wɔ sitsoƒeduwoe lae nye Kedes le Galilea, le Naftali ƒe viwo ƒe tonyigba dzi, Sekem le Efraim ƒe viwo ƒe tonyigba dzi kple Kiriat Arba si wogayɔna be Hebron la, le Yuda ƒe tonyigba dzi.

And they appointed Cedes in Galilee of mount Nephtali, and Sichem in mount Ephraim, and Cariath-Arbe, the same is Hebron in the mountain of Juda.

8 Yehowa gaɖoe be woagatia du bubu etɔ̃ woazu sitsoƒeduwo le Yɔdan tɔsisi la ƒe ɣedzeƒe lɔƒo, le Yeriko ƒe akpa kemɛ. Sitsoƒedu siawoe nye Bezer le Ruben ƒe viwo ƒe anyigba dzi, Ramot le Gilead, le Gad ƒe viwo ƒe anyigba dzi kple Golan le Basan, le Manase ƒe viwo ƒe anyigba dzi.

And beyond the Jordan to the east of Jericho, they appointed Bosor, which is upon the plain of the wilderness of the tribe of Ruben, and Ramoth in Galaad of the tribe of Cad, and Gaulon in Basan of the tribe of Manasses.

9 Sitsoƒedu siawo li na amedzro siwo le Israelviwo dome kple Israelviwo ŋutɔ siaa, ale be ame si meɖoe hafi wu nɔvia o la ate ŋu asi ayi teƒe ma, woadrɔ̃ ʋɔnui, eye womabia hlɔ̃e, awui o.

These cities were appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the strangers, that dwelt among them: that whosoever had killed a person unawares might flee to them, and not die by the hand of the kinsman, coveting to revenge the blood that was shed, until he should stand before the people to lay open his cause.