Yoshua 20
1 Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Yoshua,
The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
2 “Waambie Waisraeli, watenge miji mikubwa ya kukimbilia, kama nilivyokuagiza kupitia Mose,
"Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by 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 manslayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be for you a 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.
He shall flee to 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. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live 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.
If the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and did not hate him before.
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.”
He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the cohen hagadol that shall be in those days. Then the manslayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.'"
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.
They set apart Kedesh in Galil in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country 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.
Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer on the wilderness plateau out of the tribe of Reuben, 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 appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands before the congregation.
