Joshua 20 (NET)

Israel Designates Cities of Refuge

1 The Lord instructed Joshua: 2 “Have the Israelites select1 the cities of refuge2 that I told you about through Moses. 3 Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there;3 these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood. 4 The one who committed manslaughter4 should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city.5 They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.6 5 When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation.7 6 He must remain8 in that city until his case is decided by the assembly9 and the high priest dies.10 Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.”11

7 So they selected12 Kedesh in Galilee 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 Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho13 they selected14 Bezer in the desert on the plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the cities of refuge15 appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by16 the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly.17

120:2tn Heb “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘Set aside for yourselves.’” 220:2tn Or “asylum.” 320:3tn Heb “so that the one who kills, taking life accidentally without knowledge, may flee there.” 420:4tn Heb “he”; the referent (the one who accidentally kills another, cf. v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 520:4tn Heb “and speak into the ears of the elders of that city his words.” 620:4tn Heb “and they should gather him into the city to themselves, give to him a place, and he will live with them.” 720:5tn Heb “for without knowledge he killed his neighbor, and he was not hating him prior to that.” 820:6tn Or “live.” 920:6tn Heb “until he stands before the assembly for judgment.” 1020:6tn Heb “until the death of the high priest who is in those days.” 1120:6tn Heb “may return and enter his city and his house, the city from which he escaped.” 1220:7tn Heb “set apart.” 1320:8map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. 1420:8tn Or “set aside.” 1520:9tn The Hebrew text reads simply “the cities.” The words “for refuge” are supplied for clarification. 1620:9tn Heb “and not die by the hand of.” 1720:9tn Heb “until he stands before the assembly.” The words “at least” are supplied for clarification.