Joshua 20

1 Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gwara Joshua okwu sị ya,

Then the LORD said to Joshua,

2 “Gwa ụmụ Izrel okwu sị ha họpụtara onwe unu obodo mgbaba dịka m gwara unu site nʼaka Mosis.

“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,

3 Ka obodo ndị a bụrụ ebe onye gburu mmadụ nʼọghọm na-amaghị ama ga-agbaga nʼihi izere ndụ ya site nʼaka onye ahụ ga-achọ ịbọrọ ọbọ ọchụ.

so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

4 Mgbe onye gburu mmadụ ahụ na-amaghị ama gbabara nʼime otu obodo ndị a, ọ ga-eguzo nʼọnụ ụzọ ama obodo ahụ gwa ndị okenye obodo ahụ ihe niile mere. Ndị okenye ahụ ga-akpọbata ya nʼime obodo ahụ, nye ya ebe ọ ga-ebi nʼetiti ha.

When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.

5 Ọ bụrụkwa na onye ikwu onye ahụ nwụrụ anwụ abịa ịbọrọ ọbọ ọchụ ahụ, ndị okenye obodo ahụ agaghị ekwe ka e gbuo onye ahụ gburu mmadụ na-amaghị ama, nʼihi na onye ahụ akpachaghị anya mee ihe o mere.

Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.

6 Onye ahụ gburu mmadụ na-amaghị ama ga-anọgide nʼobodo ahụ ruo mgbe ọ ga-akwụrụ nʼihu nzukọ maka ikpe ruokwa mgbe onyeisi nchụaja nọ nʼoge ahụ nwụrụ. Mgbe ahụ, o nwere ike laghachi nʼụlọ nke aka ya na nʼobodo ya bụ ebe o si gbapụ ọsọ.”

He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.”

7 Obodo ndị ha kewapụtara iche dịka obodo mgbaba bụ, Kedesh, nke dị nʼime Galili, nʼala ugwu ugwu ndị Naftalị; na Shekem, nke dị nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem na Kiriat Aba, nke a na-akpọkwa Hebrọn. Ọ dị nʼala ugwu ugwu Juda.

So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

8 Ha kewapụtara obodo atọ ọzọ nʼihi otu ihe ahụ, nʼakụkụ ọwụwa anyanwụ osimiri Jọdan nʼofe Jeriko. Obodo atọ ndị a bụ, Beza, nke dị nʼọzara, nʼala larịị ahụ e nyere ebo Ruben, na Ramọt; nke dị nʼime Gilead bụ ala ebo Gad; na Golan, nʼime Bashan, nke e si nʼala ebo Manase wepụta.

And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.

9 Obodo mgbaba ndị a a họpụtara bụ maka ndị ọbịa bi nʼetiti ụmụ Izrel, na maka ụmụ Izrel. Ọ bụ ebe onye ọbụla gburu mmadụ na-amaghị ama ga-agbaga. Onye na-abọrọ ọbọ ọchụ agaghị egbukwa onye ahụ tupu e kpee ya ikpe nʼọgbakọ ndị Izrel.

These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.