Yosua 20
1 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Yosua sɛ,
Then the Lord told Joshua,
2 “Afei, ka kyerɛ Israelfoɔ no na wɔnyiyi dwanekɔbea nkuropɔn no sɛdeɛ mehyɛɛ Mose no.
“Tell the Israelites, ‘Assign sanctuary towns, as I instructed you through Moses.
3 Obiara a wanhyɛ da na ɔbɛkum obi no tumi dwane kɔ nkuropɔn yi bi so, kɔbɔ ne ho adwaa, sɛdeɛ owufoɔ no abusuafoɔ no ntumi ntɔ okum no so were.
Then any man who kills somebody by accident, unintentionally, can run there and they will be protected from those who wish to take revenge.
4 Sɛ onipa a wanhyɛ da na ɔkum obi no duru kuropɔn no bi so a, ɔnkɔhunu kuropɔn no mu mpanimfoɔ wɔ kuropɔn no ɛpono ano na ɔnkyerɛ wɔn deɛ ɛsiiɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔma ho kwan ma ɔwura kuropɔn no mu, na wɔne no tena.
When he gets to one of these towns, he shall state his case to the elders at the town gates. They must allow him to enter, and they will also arrange a place for him to stay.
5 Sɛ owufoɔ no abusuafoɔ ba sɛ wɔrebɛtɔ okum no so were a, ɛnsɛ sɛ mpanimfoɔ no yi okumfoɔ no ma, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ ɛsiane.
If the one seeking revenge comes looking for the man, they must not hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, because he killed someone unintentionally and without deliberate hatred.
6 Nanso, ɛsɛ sɛ okumfoɔ no tena kuropɔn no mu na ɔmanfoɔ di nʼasɛm bu no bem. Na ɛsɛ sɛ okumfoɔ no kɔ so tena kuro no mu, ɛfiri sɛ, owuo no yɛ asiane. Ɔbɛtena hɔ akɔsi sɛ ɔsɔfopanin a ɔwɔ hɔ saa ɛberɛ no a asɛm no siiɛ no bɛwu. Ɛno akyi, okumfoɔ no wɔ ho kwan sɛ ɔsane kɔ ne kurom.”
He shall remain in that town until he has received a public trial and a verdict has been given, and until the death of the high priest of the time. Then he is free to return to his home, back to the town from where he ran away.’”
7 Nkuropɔn a ɛdidi so yi na wɔyiyi yɛɛ hɔ dwanekɔbea nkuropɔn: Kedes a ɛwɔ Galilea wɔ Naftali bepɔ asase so, Sekem a ɛwɔ Efraim bepɔ asase so, Kiriat-Arba a wɔfrɛ no Hebron a ɛwɔ Yuda bepɔ asase so.
So they assigned the following sanctuary towns: Kedesh of Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Kiriath-arba (or Hebron), in the hill country of Judah.
8 Na Asubɔnten Yordan apueeɛ fam nso a ɛtwam firi Yeriko no, saa nkuropɔn a ɛdidi soɔ yi na wɔyiyii sɛ dwanekɔbea nkuropɔn: Beser a ɛwɔ ɛserɛ pradada so a ɛyɛ Ruben abusuakuo dea no, Ramot a ɛwɔ Gilead a ɛwɔ Gad abusuakuo asase so ne Golan a ɛwɔ Basan a ɛyɛ Manase abusuakuo no asase.
On the other side of the Jordan, east of Jericho, they assigned: Bezer, in the wilderness on the plateau, from the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.
9 Yeinom ne nkuropɔn a wɔyiyi maa Israelfoɔ ne ahɔhoɔ a wɔne wɔn teɛ no. Obiara a wanfiri boapayɛ mu ankum ɔfoforɔ no, ɔtumi kɔpɛ dwanekɔbea wɔ saa nkuropɔn yi mu biara so. Sɛ wɔfa saa ɛkwan yi so a wɔn a wɔrepɛ aweretɔ nsa renka awudifoɔ no nkum wɔn ansa na wɔaba ɔmanfoɔ asɛnniiɛ abɛyi wɔn ho ano.
These were the assigned towns for all the Israelites, as well as for the foreigners living among them. Anyone who unintentionally killed someone could go there so they would not be killed by those who wished to take revenge before they had received a public trial and been given a guilty verdict.
