UJoshuwa 20

1 INkosi yasikhuluma kuJoshuwa isithi:

And the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying:

2 Khuluma kubantwana bakoIsrayeli uthi: Zikhetheleni imizi yokuphephela engakhuluma ngayo kini ngesandla sikaMozisi,

'Speak to the children of Israel, saying: Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses;

3 ukuze umbulali obulala umuntu kungeyisikho ngabomo engazi abalekele khona. Njalo izakuba yisiphephelo kini kumphindiseli wegazi.

that the manslayer that killeth any person through error and unawares may flee thither; and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.

4 Nxa ebalekela komunye walimizi uzakuma emnyango wesango lomuzi, akhulume udaba lwakhe ezindlebeni zabadala balowomuzi; babesebememukela kubo emzini, bamnike indawo ukuthi ahlale labo.

And he shall flee unto one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

5 Uba-ke umphindiseli wegazi exotshana laye, kabayikunikela umbulali esandleni sakhe, ngoba utshaye umakhelwane wakhe engazi, ebengamzondi mandulo.

And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unawares, and hated him not beforetime.

6 Uzahlala kulowomuzi aze eme phambi kwenhlangano kusenzelwa ukwahlulelwa, kuze kube lokufa kompristi omkhulu oyabe ekhona ngalezonsuku. Umbulali usengabuyela eze emzini wakibo lendlini yakhe, aye emzini abaleke khona.

And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days; then may the manslayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.'

7 Basebengcwelisa iKedeshi eGalili entabeni yakoNafithali, leShekema entabeni yakoEfrayimi, leKiriyathi-Arba okuyiHebroni entabeni yakoJuda.

And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba — the same is Hebron — in the hill-country of Judah.

8 Langaphetsheya kweJordani eJeriko empumalanga banika iBezeri enkangala emagcekeni esizweni sakoRubeni, leRamothi eGileyadi esizweni sakoGadi, leGolani eBashani esizweni sakoManase.

And beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the table-land 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 Le yimizi eyayimiselwe bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli lowezizwe ohlala njengowezizwe phakathi kwabo, ukuze loba ngubani obulala umuntu kungeyisikho ngabomo abalekele khona, ukuze angafi ngesandla somphindiseli wegazi, aze eme phambi kwenhlangano.

These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person through error might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.