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1. Then the Lord said to Joshua:
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1. The LORD H3068 also spoke H1696 unto H413 Joshua H3091 , saying H559 ,
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2. "Tell the Israelites to choose the special cities of safety, as I had Moses command you to do.
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2. Speak H1696 to H413 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 , saying H559 , Appoint H5414 out for you H853 cities H5892 of refuge H4733 , whereof H834 I spoke H1696 unto H413 you by the hand H3027 of Moses H4872 :
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3. If a person kills someone accidentally and without meaning to kill him, that person may go to a city of safety to hide. There the killer will be safe from the relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer.
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3. That the slayer H7523 that killeth H5221 any person H5315 unawares H7684 and unwittingly H1097 H1847 may flee H5127 thither H8033 : and they shall be H1961 your refuge H4733 from the avenger H4480 H1350 of blood H1818 .
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4. "When the killer runs to one of those cities, he must stop at the entrance gate, stand there, and tell the leaders of the people what happened. Then that person will be allowed to enter the city and will be given a place to live among them.
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4. And when he that doth flee H5127 unto H413 one H259 of those H428 cities H4480 H5892 shall stand H5975 at the entering H6607 of the gate H8179 of the city H5892 , and shall declare H1696 H853 his cause H1697 in the ears H241 of the elders H2205 of that H1931 city H5892 , they shall take H622 him into the city H5892 unto them , and give H5414 H413 him a place H4725 , that he may dwell H3427 among H5973 them.
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5. But if the one who is chasing him follows him to that city, the leaders of the city must not hand over the killer. It was an accident. He did not hate him beforehand or kill him on purpose.
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5. And if H3588 the avenger H1350 of blood H1818 pursue H7291 after H310 him , then they shall not H3808 deliver H5462 H853 the slayer H7523 up into his hand H3027 ; because H3588 he smote H5221 H853 his neighbor H7453 unwittingly H1097 H1847 , and hated H8130 him not H3808 formerly H8543 H8032 .
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6. The killer must stay in the city until a court comes to a decision and until the high priest dies. Then he may go back home to the town from which he ran away."
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6. And he shall dwell H3427 in that H1931 city H5892 , until H5704 he stand H5975 before H6440 the congregation H5712 for judgment H4941 , and until H5704 the death H4194 of the high H1419 priest H3548 that H834 shall be H1961 in those H1992 days H3117 : then H227 shall the slayer H7523 return H7725 , and come H935 unto H413 his own city H5892 , and unto H413 his own house H1004 , unto H413 the city H5892 from whence H834 H4480 H8033 he fled H5127 .
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7. So the Israelites chose these cities to be cities of safety: Kedesh in Galilee in the mountains of Naphtali; Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim; Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the mountains of Judah;
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7. And they appointed H6942 H853 Kedesh H6943 in Galilee H1551 in mount H2022 Naphtali H5321 , and Shechem H7927 in mount H2022 Ephraim H669 , and Kirjath H7153 -arba, which H1931 is Hebron H2275 , in the mountain H2022 of Judah H3063 .
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8. Bezer on the east side of the Jordan River near Jericho in the desert in the land of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead in the land of Gad; and Golan in Bashan in the land of Manasseh.
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8. And on the other side H4480 H5676 Jordan H3383 by Jericho H3405 eastward H4217 , they assigned H5414 H853 Bezer H1221 in the wilderness H4057 upon the plain H4334 out of the tribe H4480 H4294 of Reuben H7205 , and Ramoth H7216 in Gilead H1568 out of the tribe H4480 H4294 of Gad H1410 , and Golan H1474 in Bashan H1316 out of the tribe H4480 H4294 of Manasseh H4519 .
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9. Any Israelite or anyone living among them who killed someone accidentally was to be allowed to run to one of these cities of safety. There he would not be killed, before he was judged, by the relative who had the duty of punishing a murderer.
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9. These H428 were H1961 the cities H5892 appointed H4152 for all H3605 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 , and for the stranger H1616 that sojourneth H1481 among H8432 them , that whosoever H3605 killeth H5221 any person H5315 at unawares H7684 might flee H5127 thither H8033 , and not H3808 die H4191 by the hand H3027 of the avenger H1350 of blood H1818 , until H5704 he stood H5975 before H6440 the congregation H5712 .
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