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Joshua 20

The Lord spoke to Joshua too: Tell the Israelites: Set apart the cities of refuge I spoke to you about through Moses, so that anyone who kills someone accidentally and unintentionally can flee there. They will be a refuge from the avenger of blood. When the fugitive reaches one of those cities, he is to stand at the city gate and explain

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The towns of refuge

The Lord spoke to Joshua too: Tell the Israelites: Set apart the cities of refuge I spoke to you about through Moses, so that anyone who kills someone accidentally and unintentionally can flee there. They will be a refuge from the avenger of blood. When the fugitive reaches one of those cities, he is to stand at the city gate and explain his case to the elders. They are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. if the avenger of blood chases him, then they won't hand the killer over into his hand — because he struck his neighbour without meaning to and hadn't hated him before. he'll live in that city till he stands in front of the assembly for judgment, and till the death of the high priest who's there in those days. Then the killer can return and come into his own city and into his own house, into the city he ran from. they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, in the hills of Judah. on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho eastward, they set apart 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. These cities were set apart for every Israelite and for foreigners living among them. Anyone who killed someone accidentally could flee there and avoid being killed by the avenger of blood until standing trial before the assembly.

The Lord spoke to Joshua too: Speak to the people of Israel: Set apart towns of refuge for yourselves that I spoke to you about through Moses — so the killer who kills a person by mistake and not meaning to can run there. And they'll be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when the one who runs to one of those towns stands at the entrance of the gate of the town and tells his case in the ears of the elders of that town, they'll take him into the town with them and give him a place, so he can live among them. And if the avenger of blood chases him, then they won't hand the killer over into his hand — because he struck his neighbour without meaning to and hadn't hated him before. And he'll live in that town till he stands in front of the gathering for judgment, and till the death of the high priest who's there in those days. Then the killer can come back and come into his own town and into his own house, into the town he ran from. And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, in the hills of Judah. And on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho eastward, they set apart 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. These were the towns set apart for all the people of Israel and for the stranger living among them — so whoever kills a person by mistake can run there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stands in front of the gathering.

The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he that doth flee unto 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 unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. 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 unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled. And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon 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. These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

1

The Lord spoke to Joshua too:

King James Version, 1611

The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

2

Tell the Israelites: Set apart the cities of refuge I spoke to you about through Moses,

Plain English

Speak to the people of Israel: Set apart towns of refuge for yourselves that I spoke to you about through Moses —

King James Version, 1611

Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:

3

so that anyone who kills someone accidentally and unintentionally can flee there. They will be a refuge from the avenger of blood.

Plain English

so the killer who kills a person by mistake and not meaning to can run there. And they'll be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

King James Version, 1611

That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

4

When the fugitive reaches one of those cities, he is to stand at the city gate and explain his case to the elders. They are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.

Plain English

And when the one who runs to one of those towns stands at the entrance of the gate of the town and tells his case in the ears of the elders of that town, they'll take him into the town with them and give him a place, so he can live among them.

King James Version, 1611

And when he that doth flee unto 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 unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

5

if the avenger of blood chases him, then they won't hand the killer over into his hand — because he struck his neighbour without meaning to and hadn't hated him before.

Plain English

And if the avenger of blood chases him, then they won't hand the killer over into his hand — because he struck his neighbour without meaning to and hadn't hated him before.

King James Version, 1611

And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

6

he'll live in that city till he stands in front of the assembly for judgment, and till the death of the high priest who's there in those days. Then the killer can return and come into his own city and into his own house, into the city he ran from.

Plain English

And he'll live in that town till he stands in front of the gathering for judgment, and till the death of the high priest who's there in those days. Then the killer can come back and come into his own town and into his own house, into the town he ran from.

King James Version, 1611

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 unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

7

they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, in the hills of Judah.

Plain English

And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, in the hills of Judah.

King James Version, 1611

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

on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho eastward, they set apart 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.

Plain English

And on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho eastward, they set apart 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.

King James Version, 1611

And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon 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

These cities were set apart for every Israelite and for foreigners living among them. Anyone who killed someone accidentally could flee there and avoid being killed by the avenger of blood until standing trial before the assembly.

Plain English

These were the towns set apart for all the people of Israel and for the stranger living among them — so whoever kills a person by mistake can run there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stands in front of the gathering.

King James Version, 1611

These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.