Six Cities of Refuge
(Numbers 35:9–34; Deuteronomy 4:41–43; Deuteronomy 19:1–14)

1Then the LORD {YHWH} said to Joshua (YHWH saves), 2“Tell the Israelites (God prevails) to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you⁺ through Moses (drawn out), 3so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your⁺ refuge from the avenger of blood. 4When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.

5Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice. 6He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.”

7So they set apart Kedesh (holy place) in Galilee (circuit) in the hill country of Naphtali (wrestling), Shechem (shoulder) in the hill country of Ephraim (doubly fruitful), and Kiriath-arba (city of Arba) (that is, Hebron (association)) in the hill country of Judah (praised).

8And beyond the Jordan (flowing down), east of Jericho (city of palms), they designated Bezer (gold ore) on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben (behold a son), Ramoth (heights) in Gilead (rocky region) from the tribe of Gad (troop), and Golan (their captivity) in Bashan (fruitful) from the tribe of Manasseh (causing to forget).

9These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites (God prevails) and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.