Yoshua 20
1 Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Yoshua,
And Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,
2 “Waambie Waisraeli, watenge miji mikubwa ya kukimbilia, kama nilivyokuagiza kupitia Mose,
'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 ili mtu yeyote atakayemuua mtu kwa bahati mbaya na pasipo kukusudia aweze kukimbilia huko na kujiepusha na mlipiza kisasi wa damu.
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 “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.
'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 Kama mlipiza kisasi wa damu akimfuatilia, wasimkabidhi yule mshtakiwa, kwa sababu alimuua jirani yake bila kukusudia, na bila kuwa na nia ya kudhuru.
'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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
