Joshua 20 – NIVUK & CCB

New International Version – UK

Joshua 20:1-9

Cities of refuge

1Then the Lord said to Joshua: 2‘Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. 4When 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. 5If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbour unintentionally and without malice aforethought. 6They 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.’

7So 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. 8East of the Jordan (on the other side from 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. 9Any 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.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

约书亚记 20:1-9

避难城

1耶和华对约书亚说: 2“你吩咐以色列人,照我以前借摩西所吩咐你们的,设立一些城邑作为避难城, 3好让那些误杀了人的可以逃到那里,免遭仇人追杀。 4逃进城的人要先站在城门口,向避难城的长老陈明事情的经过,长老就把他们收容到城里,给他们地方住。 5如果他们的仇人追到,长老们不可把他们交出来,因为他们是无意杀的,跟被杀者无冤无仇。 6这些人要住在城内,直到在会众面前受了审讯,并且还要等到在任的大祭司死后,才可离城回乡。”

7于是,民众便设立拿弗他利山区加利利境内的基低斯以法莲山区的示剑犹大山区的基列·亚巴,即希伯仑作为避难城。 8他们又在约旦河、耶利哥东面空旷的平原上设立吕便支派的比悉迦得支派基列境内的拉末玛拿西支派巴珊境内的哥兰作为避难城。 9这是为以色列人和那些从外地来寄居的人所设立的避难城,误杀了人的可以逃到那里,不致未在会众面前受审便死在报仇的人手里。