Joshua

Chapter 20

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayedabּe֣r yehva֔h 'el-yehoshshu֖'a le'moֽr׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Then the LORD said to Joshua:

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ לֵאמֹֽר׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): dּabּe֛r 'el-bּene֥y yishsera'e֖l le'mo֑r tּen֤u lakem֙ 'et-'are֣y hamּiqela֔t 'ashsher-dּibּa֥retּiy 'aleyke֖m bּeyad-moshsheֽh׃

Edified Edition (EDE)"Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge [1], as I instructed you through Moses,

דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר תְּנ֤וּ לָכֶם֙ אֶת־עָרֵ֣י הַמִּקְלָ֔ט אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): lan֥us shsha֨mּah֙ rotze֔cha makּeh-ne֥peshsh bּishshegaga֖h bּibeliy-da֑'at vehay֤u lakem֙ lemiqela֔t migּo'e֖l hadּaֽm׃

Edified Edition (EDE)so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.

לָנ֥וּס שָׁ֨מָּה֙ רוֹצֵ֔חַ מַכֵּה־נֶ֥פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה בִּבְלִי־דָ֑עַת וְהָי֤וּ לָכֶם֙ לְמִקְלָ֔ט מִגֹּאֵ֖ל הַדָּֽם׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vena֞s 'el-'acha֣t ׀ mehe'ari֣ym ha'e֗lּeh ve'amad֙ pּe֚tach shsha֣'ar ha'i֔yr vedibּe֛r bּe'azene֛y ziqene֥y-ha'iֽyr hahi֖y 'et-dּebara֑yv ve'asep֨u 'ot֤o ha'i֨yrah֙ 'aleyhe֔m venatenu-l֥o maq֖om veyashsha֥b 'imּaֽm׃

Edified Edition (EDE)When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them.

וְנָ֞ס אֶל־אַחַ֣ת ׀ מֵהֶעָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וְעָמַד֙ פֶּ֚תַח שַׁ֣עַר הָעִ֔יר וְדִבֶּ֛ר בְּאָזְנֵ֛י זִקְנֵ֥י־הָעִֽיר הַהִ֖יא אֶת־דְּבָרָ֑יו וְאָסְפ֨וּ אֹת֤וֹ הָעִ֨ירָה֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְנָתְנוּ־ל֥וֹ מָק֖וֹם וְיָשַׁ֥ב עִמָּֽם׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): veki֨y yiredּo֜p gּo'e֤l hadּam֙ 'aֽchara֔yv veloֽ'-yasegּi֥ru 'et-harotze֖cha bּeyad֑o kּi֤y bibeliy-da֨'at֙ hikּa֣h 'et-re'e֔hu veloֽ'-shsone֥ h֛u l֖o mitּem֥ol shshileshshֽom׃

Edified Edition (EDE)If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the neighbour was killed unintentionally and without malice aforethought.

וְכִ֨י יִרְדֹּ֜ף גֹּאֵ֤ל הַדָּם֙ אַֽחֲרָ֔יו וְלֹֽא־יַסְגִּ֥רוּ אֶת־הָרֹצֵ֖חַ בְּיָד֑וֹ כִּ֤י בִבְלִי־דַ֨עַת֙ הִכָּ֣ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֔הוּ וְלֹֽא־שֹׂנֵ֥א ה֛וּא ל֖וֹ מִתְּמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): veyashsha֣b ׀ bּa'i֣yr hahi֗y 'ad-'amed֞o lipene֤y haֽ'edah֙ lamּishshepּa֔t 'ad-mot֙ hakּohe֣n hagּad֔ol 'ashshe֥r yiheye֖h bּayּami֣ym hahe֑m 'a֣z ׀ yashsh֣ub harotze֗cha uba֤ 'el-'iyro֙ ve'el-bּeyt֔o 'el-ha'i֖yr 'ashsher-na֥s mishshּaֽm׃

Edified Edition (EDE)They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled."

וְיָשַׁ֣ב ׀ בָּעִ֣יר הַהִ֗יא עַד־עָמְד֞וֹ לִפְנֵ֤י הָֽעֵדָה֙ לַמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט עַד־מוֹת֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֔וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם אָ֣ז ׀ יָשׁ֣וּב הָרוֹצֵ֗חַ וּבָ֤א אֶל־עִירוֹ֙ וְאֶל־בֵּית֔וֹ אֶל־הָעִ֖יר אֲשֶׁר־נָ֥ס מִשָּֽׁם׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayּaqedּi֜shshu 'et-qe֤deshsh bּagּaliyl֙ bּeha֣r napetּali֔y ve'et-shsheke֖m bּeha֣r 'epera֑yim ve'et-qireya֥t 'arebּa֛ hi֥y cheber֖on bּeha֥r yehudaֽh׃

Edified Edition (EDE)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.

וַיַּקְדִּ֜שׁוּ אֶת־קֶ֤דֶשׁ בַּגָּלִיל֙ בְּהַ֣ר נַפְתָּלִ֔י וְאֶת־שְׁכֶ֖ם בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־קִרְיַ֥ת אַרְבַּ֛ע הִ֥יא חֶבְר֖וֹן בְּהַ֥ר יְהוּדָֽה׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): ume'e֜ber leyaredּe֤n yeriycho֙ mizera֔chah naten֞u 'et-bּe֧tzer bּamּidebּa֛r bּamּiyshsho֖r mimּatּe֣h re'ube֑n ve'et-ra'mo֤t bּagּile'ad֙ mimּatּeh-ga֔d ve'et-glvn gּola֥n bּabּashsha֖n mimּatּe֥h menashshּeֽh׃

Edified Edition (EDE)East of the Jordan of Jericho they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh.

וּמֵעֵ֜בֶר לְיַרְדֵּ֤ן יְרִיחוֹ֙ מִזְרָ֔חָה נָתְנ֞וּ אֶת־בֶּ֧צֶר בַּמִּדְבָּ֛ר בַּמִּישֹׁ֖ר מִמַּטֵּ֣ה רְאוּבֵ֑ן וְאֶת־רָאמֹ֤ת בַּגִּלְעָד֙ מִמַּטֵּה־גָ֔ד וְאֶת־גלון גּוֹלָ֥ן בַּבָּשָׁ֖ן מִמַּטֵּ֥ה מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): e֣lּeh hayu֩ 'are֨y hamּֽu'ada֜h leko֣l ׀ bּene֣y yishsera'e֗l velagּer֙ hagּa֣r bּetoka֔m lan֣us shsha֔mּah kּal-makּeh-ne֖peshsh bּishshegaga֑h velo֣ yam֗ut bּeyad֙ gּo'e֣l hadּa֔m 'ad-'amed֖o lipene֥y ha'edaֽh׃p

Edified Edition (EDE)Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

אֵ֣לֶּה הָיוּ֩ עָרֵ֨י הַמּֽוּעָדָ֜ה לְכֹ֣ל ׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְלַגֵּר֙ הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֔ם לָנ֣וּס שָׁ֔מָּה כָּל־מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָ֑ה וְלֹ֣א יָמ֗וּת בְּיַד֙ גֹּאֵ֣ל הַדָּ֔ם עַד־עָמְד֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י הָעֵדָֽה׃פ