Joshua 20 – NIRV & AKCB

New International Reader’s Version

Joshua 20:1-9

Cities to Run to for Safety

1Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, 2“Tell the Israelites to choose the cities to go to for safety, just as I directed you through Moses. 3Anyone who kills a person by accident can run there for safety. So can anyone who kills a person without meaning to. The one charged with murder will be kept safe from the nearest male relative of the person killed. 4Suppose those who are charged with murder run for safety to one of these cities. Then they must stand in the entrance of the city gate. They must state their case in front of the elders of that city. The elders must let them come into their city. The elders must provide a place for them to live in their city. 5Suppose the nearest male relative of the person killed chases the one charged with murder. Then the elders must not hand them over to that relative. That’s because that person didn’t mean to kill their neighbor. They didn’t make evil plans to do it. 6They must stay in that city until their case has been brought to the community court. They must stay there until the high priest serving at that time dies. Then they can go back to their own home. They can return to the town they ran away from.”

7So the Israelites set apart Kedesh in Galilee. It’s in the hill country of Naphtali. They set apart Shechem. It’s in the hill country of Ephraim. They set apart Kiriath Arba. It’s in the hill country of Judah. Kiriath Arba is also called Hebron. 8On the east side of the Jordan River near Jericho they chose Bezer. It’s in the desert on the high plains. It’s in the territory of the tribe of Reuben. They chose Ramoth in Gilead. It’s in the territory of the tribe of Gad. They chose Golan in the land of Bashan. It’s in the territory of the tribe of Manasseh. 9Suppose you kill someone by accident. Or another Israelite does it. Or an outsider who lives among you does it. Then any of you can run for safety to one of these cities that have been chosen. There you won’t be killed by the nearest male relative of the person killed by accident. First your case must be brought to the community court.

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

Yosua 20:1-9

Guankɔbea Nkuropɔn

1Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Yosua se, 2“Afei, ka kyerɛ Israelfo no na wonyiyi guankɔbea nkuropɔn no sɛnea mehyɛɛ Mose no. 3Obiara a wanhyɛ da na obekum obi no tumi guan kɔ nkuropɔn yi bi so, kɔbɔ ne ho aguaa, sɛnea owufo no abusuafo no rentumi ntɔ okum no so were. 4Sɛ onipa a wanhyɛ da na okum obi no du kuropɔn no bi so a, onkohu kuropɔn no mu mpanyimfo wɔ kuropɔn no pon ano na ɔnkyerɛ wɔn nea esii. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔma ho kwan ma owura kuropɔn no mu, na wɔne no tena. 5Sɛ owufo no abusuafo ba sɛ wɔrebɛtɔ okum no so were a, ɛnsɛ sɛ mpanyimfo no yi okumfo no ma, efisɛ ɛyɛ esiane. 6Nanso ɛsɛ sɛ okumfo no tena kuropɔn no mu na ɔmanfo di nʼasɛm bu no bem. Na ɛsɛ sɛ owudifo no kɔ so tena kurow no mu, efisɛ owu no yɛ asiane. Ɔbɛtena hɔ akosi sɛ ɔsɔfopanyin a ɔwɔ hɔ saa bere no a asɛm no sii no bewu. Ɛno akyi, okumfo no wɔ ho kwan sɛ ɔsan kɔ ne kurom.”

7Nkuropɔn a edidi so yi na woyiyi yɛɛ hɔ guankɔbea nkuropɔn: Kedes a ɛwɔ Galilea wɔ Naftali bepɔw asase so, Sekem a ɛwɔ Efraim bepɔw asase so, Kiriat-Arba a wɔfrɛ no Hebron a ɛwɔ Yuda bepɔw asase so. 8Na Asubɔnten Yordan apuei fam nso a etwa mu fi Yeriko no, saa nkuropɔn a edidi so yi na woyiyii sɛ guankɔbea nkuropɔn: Beser a ɛwɔ sare pradada so a ɛyɛ Ruben abusuakuw de no, Ramot a ɛwɔ Gilead a ɛwɔ Gad abusuakuw asase so ne Golan a ɛwɔ Basan a ɛyɛ Manase abusuakuw no asase. 9Eyinom ne nkuropɔn a woyiyi maa Israelfo ne ahɔho a wɔne wɔn te no. Obiara a wamfi ɔboayɛ mu ankum ɔfoforo no, otumi kɔhwehwɛ guankɔbea wɔ saa nkuropɔn yi biara so. Sɛ wɔfa saa ɔkwan yi so a wɔn a wɔrehwehwɛ aweretɔ no nsa renka awudifo no nkum wɔn ansa na wɔaba ɔmanfo asennii abeyi wɔn ho ano.