Josoa 20

1 Ary Jehovah niteny tamin’ i Josoa ka nanao hoe:

Then Yahweh said to Joshua,

2 Lazao amin’ ny Zanak’ Isiraely hoe: Fidio ny tanàna fandosirana izay nasaiko nolazain’ i Mosesy taminareo,

“Tell the Israeli people that they should choose some cities to which people [can run] in order to be safe/protected, like I told Moses that they should do.

3 handosiran’ izay nahafaty olona tsy nahy; dia ho fandosirana ho anareo izany mba tsy ho azon’ ny mpamaly rà

If someone kills another person accidentally, not intending to kill that person, the one who killed that person may run/escape to one of these cities and be safe/protected from someone trying to get revenge for that person’s death [MTY].

4 Ary raha misy mandositra ho ao amin’ ny anankiray amin’ ireo tanàna ireo ka mijanona eo anoloan’ ny vavahady ary mandahatra ny teniny eo anatrehan’ ny loholona amin’ izany tanàna izany, dia hampidiriny ho ao an-tanàna izy ka homeny toerana, mba hitoetra ao aminy.

When the one who killed someone arrives at the gate of one of those cities, he must stop there and tell the leaders of the city what happened. [If they believe him], they must allow him to enter the city, and they must give him a place to live among them.

5 Ary raha manenjika azy ny mpamaly rà, dia tsy hanolotra ilay nahafaty olona ho eo an-tànany izy, satria nahafaty tsy nahy ny namany, fa tsy dia nankahala azy teo aloha.

If some relative of the one who was killed comes to that city to get revenge, the leaders of that city must not allow the relative to take the killer, because what happened was accidental. He did not hate that person and as a result deliberately kill him.

6 Dia hitoetra ao amin’ izany tanàna izany izy mandra-pisehony eo anatrehan’ ny fiangonana hotsaraina, sy mandra-pahafatin’ izay mpisoronabe amin’ izany andro izany; dia hiverina ilay nahafaty olona ka hody any an-tanànany sy any an-tranony, dia any amin’ ny tanàna izay nialany fony izy nandositra.

But the person who killed someone must stay in that city until the city judges put him on trial. [Only if the judges decide that the person who has run/escaped to their city did not deliberately kill the other person will they allow him to stay in that city], and he must stay there until the Supreme Priest dies. Then he may safely go back to his own town, [because the death of the Supreme Priest will be considered to atone/pay for the death of the person who was killed].”

7 Dia nanokana an’ i Kadesy any Galilia any amin’ ny tany havoan’ i Naftaly izy sy Sekema any amin’ ny tany havoan’ i Efraima ary Kiriat-arba (Hebrona izany) any amin’ ny tany havoan’ i Joda.

So the Israelis chose these cities to be cities to which people could run to be safe/protected: Kedesh in the Galilee district in the hilly area where the tribe of Naphtali lived; Shechem in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lived; Kiriath-Arba (which is [now named] Hebron) in the hilly area where the tribe of Judah lived;

8 Ary dia nifidy an’ i Bezera any an-efitra amin’ ny tany lemaka izay an’ ny firenen’ i Robena izy, ary Ramota izay any Gileada, an’ ny firenen’ i Gada, ary Golana any Basana, izay an’ ny firenen’ i Manase, any an-dafy atsinanan’ i Jordana, tandrifin’ i Jeriko.

Bezer, on the east side of the Jordan [River] near Jericho, in the flat land in the desert where the tribe of Reuben lived; Ramoth in the Gilead [region] in the land where the tribe of Gad lived; and Golan in the Bashan region where the tribe of Manasseh lived.

9 Ireo no tanàna voafidy ho an’ ny Zanak’ Isiraely rehetra sy ny vahiny eo aminy handosiran’ izay rehetra nahafaty olona tsy nahy, mba tsy ho fatin’ ny tanan’ ny mpamaly rà izy mandra-pisehony eo anatrehan’ ny fiangonana.

Any Israeli or any foreigner who lived among us, anyone who killed someone (accidentally/without planning to do it), was allowed to run to one of those cities, and be safe/protected from some relative of the person who died coming there and killing him to get revenge. He could stay in that city until there was a trial there [to decide whether he was telling the truth or not when he said that he did not plan to kill that person].