Joshua 20
New English Translation
Israel Designates Cities of Refuge
20 The Lord instructed Joshua: 2 “Have the Israelites select[a] the cities of refuge[b] that I told you about through Moses. 3 Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there;[c] these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood. 4 The one who committed manslaughter[d] 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.[e] They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.[f] 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.[g] 6 He must remain[h] in that city until his case is decided by the assembly,[i] and the high priest dies.[j] Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.”[k]
7 So they selected[l] 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 Jericho they selected[m] Bezer in the wilderness 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 refuge[n] appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by[o] the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly.[p]
Footnotes
- Joshua 20:2 tn Heb “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘Set aside for yourselves.’”
- Joshua 20:2 tn Or “asylum.”
- Joshua 20:3 tn Heb “so that the one who kills, taking life accidentally without knowledge, may flee there.”
- Joshua 20:4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the one who accidentally kills another, cf. v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 20:4 tn Heb “and speak into the ears of the elders of that city his words.”
- Joshua 20:4 tn Heb “and they should gather him into the city to themselves, give to him a place, and he will live with them.”
- Joshua 20:5 tn Heb “for without knowledge he killed his neighbor, and he was not hating him prior to that.”
- Joshua 20:6 tn Or “live.”
- Joshua 20:6 tn Heb “until he stands before the assembly for judgment.”
- Joshua 20:6 tn Heb “until the death of the high priest who is in those days.”
- Joshua 20:6 tn Heb “may return and enter his city and his house, the city from which he escaped.”
- Joshua 20:7 tn Heb “set apart.”
- Joshua 20:8 tn Or “set aside.”
- Joshua 20:9 tn The Hebrew text reads simply “the cities.” The words “for refuge” are supplied for clarification.
- Joshua 20:9 tn Heb “and not die by the hand of.”
- Joshua 20:9 tn Heb “until he stands before the assembly.” The words “at least” are supplied for clarification.
Joshua 20
Amplified Bible
Six Cities of Refuge
20 The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Designate the cities of refuge (asylum), of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 so that the person (manslayer) who kills any person unintentionally, [a]without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall be your refuge from the [b]blood avenger.(A) 4 He shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and [c]explain his case to the elders of that city; and they shall take him into [the protection of] the city and give him a place [to stay], so that he may live among them. 5 If the blood avenger pursues him, they shall not hand the offender (manslayer) over to him, because he killed his neighbor [d]unintentionally and without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand. 6 He shall live in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment [and [e]if acquitted of murder he must stay there], until the death of the one who is the high priest in those days. Then the offender (manslayer) shall return to his own city and his own house from which he fled.’”
7 So they set apart and consecrated Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and 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 Jericho, they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the appointed cities for all the Israelites and for the stranger sojourning (living temporarily) among them, so that whoever killed any person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the blood avenger until he had stood before the congregation [for judgment].
Footnotes
- Joshua 20:3 Lit without knowledge. The Hebrew terminology is not very precise, but adequate nonetheless to distinguish involuntary manslaughter from murder. In modern terms, the person who is guilty only of manslaughter must not have been aware at the time that he was actually killing a human being (like the hunter who mistakes a man for an animal of prey); or if he knew that his actions were affecting another human, he must not have been aware that those actions could result in the death of the other person. In v 5, it is also stated that the perpetrator must not have had hatred for the victim, and it is implied that if hatred was a factor, the killer is automatically ruled a murderer (cf Num 35:20, 21).
- Joshua 20:3 Lit redeemer of blood, the idea being that the one who kills the murderer of a relative redeems the guilt of the crime. The avenger was ordinarily a male next-of-kin, and he had the right, or even the responsibility, to execute the guilty party.
- Joshua 20:4 Lit speak his word in the hearing of.
- Joshua 20:5 Lit without knowledge.
- Joshua 20:6 If judged guilty, the killer would be put to death. Otherwise, the time he was required to spend in the city of refuge represented a less severe punishment for involuntary manslaughter. Afterward, he was entitled to return home and live in safety. If the blood avenger killed him then, the avenger would be guilty of murder.
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