Yoshua 20
1 Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Yoshua,
The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying,
2 “Waambie Waisraeli, watenge miji mikubwa ya kukimbilia, kama nilivyokuagiza kupitia Mose,
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by the hand of Moses:
3 ili mtu yeyote atakayemuua mtu kwa bahati mbaya na pasipo kukusudia aweze kukimbilia huko na kujiepusha na mlipiza kisasi wa damu.
That the slayer that kills any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4 “Anapokimbilia mojawapo ya hii miji mikubwa atasimama kwenye maingilio ya lango la mji mkuu na kueleza wazee wa mji kuhusu shauri lake. Kisha watampokea katika mji wao na kumpa mahali pa kuishi nao.
And when he that does flee to one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
5 Kama mlipiza kisasi wa damu akimfuatilia, wasimkabidhi yule mshtakiwa, kwa sababu alimuua jirani yake bila kukusudia, na bila kuwa na nia ya kudhuru.
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.
6 Huyu aliyeua atakaa kwenye mji mkubwa huo mpaka awe amesimama kukabili mashtaka yake mbele ya kusanyiko na mpaka kuhani mkuu anayehudumu kwa wakati huo atakapokufa. Ndipo atakapoweza kurudi nyumbani kwake katika mji ambao aliukimbia.”
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from where he fled.
7 Basi wakatenga Kedeshi katika Galilaya kwenye nchi ya vilima ya Naftali, Shekemu katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, na Kiriath-Arba (yaani Hebroni) kwenye nchi ya vilima ya Yuda.
And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
8 Katika upande wa mashariki mwa Yordani ya Yeriko wakatenga Bezeri katika jangwa katika uwanda wa juu katika kabila la Reubeni, Ramothi katika Gileadi katika kabila la Gadi, na Golani huko Bashani katika kabila la Manase.
And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on 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 Mwisraeli yeyote au mgeni yeyote aishiye miongoni mwao aliyemuua mtu kwa bahati mbaya, angeweza kukimbilia katika miji mikubwa hiyo iliyotengwa na asiuawe na mlipiza kisasi wa damu kabla hajasimama kukabili mashtaka mbele ya kusanyiko.
These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourns among them, that whoever kills any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
