UJoshuwa 20

1 INkosi yasikhuluma kuJoshuwa isithi:

And Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

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

'Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Give for you cities of refuge, as I have spoken unto you by the hand of Moses,

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

for the fleeing thither of a man-slayer smiting life inadvertently, without knowledge; and they have been to you for a refuge from the redeemer 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.

'When [one] hath fled unto one of these cities, and hath stood [at] the opening of the gate of the city, and hath spoken in the ears of the elders of that city his matter, then they have gathered him into the city unto them, and have given to him a place, and he hath dwelt with them.

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

'And when the redeemer of blood doth pursue after him, then they do not shut up the man-slayer into his hand, for without knowledge he hath smitten his neighbour, and is not hating him hitherto;

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 hath dwelt in that city till his standing before the company for judgment, till the death of the chief priest who is in those days — then doth the man-slayer turn back and hath come unto his city, and unto his house, unto the city whence he fled.'

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

And they sanctify Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-Arba (it [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 have given Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain, 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 have been cities of meeting for all the sons of Israel, and for a sojourner who is sojourning in their midst, for the fleeing thither of any one smiting life inadvertently, and he doth not die by the hand of the redeemer of blood till his standing before the company.