Six Cities of Refuge (Numbers 35:9–34; Deuteronomy 4:41–43; Deuteronomy 19:1–14)
1 WBS The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Joshua,
2 WBS Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint for you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses: BSB BSB: “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
3 WBS That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and ignorantly, may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. BSB BSB: so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4 WBS And when he that doth flee to 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 to them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. BSB BSB: When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.
5 WBS And if the avenger of blood shall pursue him, then they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbor ignorantly, and had not hated him before. BSB BSB: Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.
6 WBS And he shall dwell in that city, until he shall 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 to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from whence he fled. BSB BSB: He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.”
7 WBS And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, (which is Hebron) in the mountain of Judah. BSB BSB: So they set apart 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 WBS And on the other side of 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. BSB BSB: And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.
9 WBS These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger sojourning among them, that whoever should kill any person unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation. BSB BSB: These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.