< Joshua 20 >

1 Nake Jehova akĩĩra Joshua atĩrĩ,
Then the Lord told Joshua,
2 “Ĩra andũ a Isiraeli mathuure matũũra manene ma kũũrĩrwo, marĩa ndamũheire ũhoro wamo rĩrĩa ndaaririe na Musa,
“Tell the Israelites, ‘Assign sanctuary towns, as I instructed you through Moses.
3 nĩgeetha mũndũ o wothe ũrĩa ũngĩũraga mũndũ na njĩra ya mũtino na atekwenda-rĩ, no orĩre kuo na agĩe na ũgitĩri kuuma kũrĩ mũrĩhĩria wa thakame ĩrĩa ĩitĩtwo.
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 “Rĩrĩa orĩra itũũra rĩmwe rĩa macio manene-rĩ, nĩarĩrũgamaga kĩhingo-inĩ gĩa itũũra rĩu inene, nake akoiga ũrĩa ekĩte arĩ mbere ya athuuri a itũũra rĩu inene. Nao makamwĩtĩkĩria atũũre itũũra rĩu rĩao na makamũhe handũ atũũranie nao.
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 Nake mũrĩhĩria wa thakame ĩyo ĩitĩtwo angĩmuuma thuutha, matikaneane mũndũ ũcio mũthitange, tondũ oragĩte mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake atekwenda na ataciirĩire gwĩka ũguo.
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 Mũndũ ũcio nĩarekwo aikare itũũra rĩu inene nginya hĩndĩ ĩrĩa akaarũgama mbere ya andũ monganĩte aciirithio, kana nginya rĩrĩa gĩkuũ kĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene ũcio ũratungata hĩndĩ ĩyo gĩgaakinya. Thuutha ũcio no acooke mũciĩ gwake o itũũra-inĩ rĩrĩa oimĩte akĩũra.”
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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩamũra Kedeshi itũũra rĩrĩa rĩrĩ kũu Galili bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Nafitali, na Shekemu itũũra rĩa bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu, na Kiriathu-Ariba (na nĩkuo Hebironi) itũũra rĩa bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Juda.
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 Naguo mwena wa irathĩro wa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani mũrĩmo wa Jeriko magĩthuura Bezeri kũu werũ-inĩ ũrĩa mwaraganu mũhĩrĩga-inĩ wa Rubeni, na Ramothu kũu Gileadi mũhĩrĩga-inĩ wa Gadi, na Golani thĩinĩ wa Bashani mũhĩrĩga-inĩ wa Manase.
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 Mũndũ o wothe Mũisiraeli o na kana mũndũ wa kũngĩ ũtũũranagia nao ũrĩa ũngĩũraga mũndũ ataciirĩire gwĩka ũguo no oorĩre matũũra-inĩ macio manene maathuurĩtwo nĩguo ndakooragwo nĩ mũrĩhanĩria wa thakame ĩyo ĩitĩtwo atanarũgama mbere ya andũ monganĩte aciirithio.
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.

< Joshua 20 >