Josué 20

1 Y habló Jehová a Josué, diciendo:

Then Yahweh said to Joshua,

2 Habla a los hijos de Israel, diciendo: Señaláos las ciudades de refugio, de las cuales yo os hablé por Moisés:

“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 Para que se acoja allí el homicida que matare a alguno por yerro, y no a sabiendas, que os sean por acogimiento del vengador de la sangre.

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 Y el que se acogiere a alguna de aquellas ciudades, presentarse ha a la puerta de la ciudad, y dirá sus causas oyéndole los ancianos de aquella ciudad: y ellos le recibirán consigo dentro de la ciudad, y le darán lugar que habite con ellos.

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 Y cuando el vengador de la sangre le siguiere, no entregarán en su mano al homicida, por cuanto hirió a su prójimo por yerro, ni tuvo con él antes enemistad.

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 Y quedará en aquella ciudad hasta que parezca en juicio delante del ayuntamiento hasta la muerte del gran sacerdote que fuere en aquel tiempo: entonces el homicida tornará y vendrá a su ciudad, y a su casa, a la ciudad de donde huyó.

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 Entonces señalaron a Cedes en Galilea en el monte de Neftalí: y a Siquem en el monte de Efraím, y a Cariat-arbe, que es Hebrón, en el monte de Judá.

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 Y de la otra parte del Jordán de Jericó, al oriente dieron a Bosor en el desierto en la campiña de la tribu de Rubén, y a Ramot en Galaad de la tribu de Gad, y a Gaulón en Basán de la tribu de Manasés.

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 Estas fueron las ciudades señaladas para todos los hijos de Israel, y para el extranjero que morase entre ellos, para que se acogiese a ellas cualquiera que hiriese hombre por yerro; porque no muriese por mano del vengador de la sangre, hasta que pareciese delante del ayuntamiento.

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].