Joshua 20 – NIRV & CCL

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.

Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero

Yoswa 20:1-9

Mizinda Yopulumukiramo

1Pambuyo pake Yehova anati kwa Yoswa: 2“Uza Aisraeli kuti apatule mizinda yopulumukiramo, monga ine ndinakulangizira kudzera mwa Mose, 3kuti aliyense amene wapha munthu mosazindikira osati mwadala azithawirako. Motero adzatetezedwa kwa wolipsira. 4Ngati munthu wathawira ku umodzi mwa mizinda imeneyi, akafike pa malo oweruzira milandu amene ali pa chipata cha mzindawo ndipo akafotokoze mlandu wake pamaso pa akuluakulu a mzindawo. Kenaka iwo adzamulola kulowa mu mzinda wawo ndi kumupatsa malo woti akhale nawo. 5Ngati munthu wolipsirayo amutsatira komweko atsogoleriwo asapereke munthu wakuphayo chifukwa anapha Mwisraeli mnzakeyo mosazindikira, osati mwachiwembu. 6Munthu wakuphayo adzakhalabe mu mzindawo mpaka atayimbidwa mlandu pamaso pa gulu lonse, ndiponso mpaka atamwalira mkulu wa ansembe amene akutumikira pa nthawiyo. Pamenepo munthuyo atha kubwereranso ku mudzi kwawo kumene anachoka mothawa kuja.”

7Choncho iwo anapatula Kedesi mʼdera la Galileya ku mapiri a Nafutali, Sekemu ku mapiri a Efereimu, ndi Kiriati Ariba (ndiye Hebroni) ku mapiri a Yuda. 8Kummawa kwa Yorodani, mʼmapiri a chipululu a kummawa kwa Yeriko, anapatula Bezeri pakati pa dera la fuko la Rubeni. Anapatulanso Ramoti ku Giliyadi mʼdera la fuko la Gadi, ndiponso Golani ku Basani mʼdera la fuko la Manase. 9Imeneyi ndiyo inali mizinda yopulumukiramo ya Aisraeli onse ngakhalenso mlendo wokhala pakati pawo. Munthu aliyense wopha mnzake mwangozi ankathawira ku mizinda imeneyi. Munthu wolipsira sankaloledwa kuti aphe munthu wothawayo ngati mlandu wake sunazengedwe pamaso pa gulu lonse.