Joshua 20

YHWH commands Joshua to designate six cities of refuge—three west and three east of the Jordan—for those who unintentionally kill someone, providing protection from the avenger of blood until a fair hearing by the city elders.[1][2][6]

Interlinear Text

Verse 3
Verse 4
וְ/נָ֞ס 𐤅/𐤍𐤎 venas and he flees and he fled and he fled HC/Vqq3ms אֶל 𐤀𐤋 el to toward to HR אַחַ֣ת 𐤀𐤇𐤕 achat Eka (Bemba) one one one HAcfsa מֵ/הֶ/עָרִ֣ים 𐤌/𐤄/𐤏𐤓𐤉𐤌 mehearim of the cities from the cities of the cities HR/Td/Ncfpa הָ/אֵ֗לֶּה 𐤄/𐤀𐤋𐤄 haeleh these these ones these HTd/Pdxcp וְ/עָמַד֙ 𐤅/𐤏𐤌𐤃 veamad ima (Bemba) and he shall stand and he stood and he stood HC/Vqq3ms פֶּ֚תַח 𐤐𐤕𐤇 petach at the entrance opening-of entrance-of HNcmsc שַׁ֣עַר 𐤔𐤏𐤓 shaar of the gate gateway of gateway of HNcmsc הָ/עִ֔יר 𐤄/𐤏𐤉𐤓 hair of the city the watchful settlement the city HTd/Ncfsa וְ/דִבֶּ֛ר 𐤅/𐤃𐤁𐤓 vediber and shall declare and he declared and he spoke HC/Vpq3ms בְּ/אָזְנֵ֛י 𐤁/𐤀𐤆𐤍𐤉 beazeney in the ears of in the ears of in the ears of HR/Ncfdc זִקְנֵ֥י 𐤆𐤒𐤍𐤉 ziqeney the elders elders of elders of HAampc הָ/עִֽיר 𐤄/𐤏𐤉𐤓 hair-2 of the city the watchful settlement the city HTd/Ncfsa הַ/הִ֖יא 𐤄/𐤄𐤉𐤀 hahi that she that HTd/Pp3fs אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et [direct object marker] object-marker [·] HTo דְּבָרָ֑י/ו 𐤃𐤁𐤓𐤉/𐤅 devarayv Ndaba (Zulu) his cause his spoken matters his cause HNcmpc/Sp3ms וְ/אָסְפ֨וּ 𐤅/𐤀𐤎𐤐𐤅 veasefu and they shall gather and they gathered and they gathered HC/Vqp3cp אֹת֤/וֹ 𐤀𐤕/𐤅 oto him him [·] HTo/Sp3ms הָ/עִ֨ירָ/ה֙ 𐤄/𐤏𐤉𐤓/𐤄 hairah the city toward the city to the city HTd/Ncfsa/Sd אֲלֵי/הֶ֔ם 𐤀𐤋𐤉/𐤄𐤌 aleyhem to them toward them to them HR/Sp3mp וְ/נָתְנוּ 𐤅/𐤍𐤕𐤍𐤅 venatenu and they shall give and they gave and they gave HC/Vqq3cp ל֥/וֹ 𐤋/𐤅 lo to him to him HR/Sp3ms מָק֖וֹם 𐤌𐤒𐤅𐤌 maqom a place standing-place place HNcmsa וְ/יָשַׁ֥ב 𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤁 veyashav and he shall dwell and he settled and he dwelt HC/Vqq3ms עִמָּֽ/ם 𐤏𐤌/𐤌 imam with them with them with them HR/Sp3mp
Verse 5
וְ/כִ֨י 𐤅/𐤊𐤉 vekhi and if and because and if HC/C יִרְדֹּ֜ף 𐤉𐤓𐤃𐤐 yiredof he pursues he will pursue he will pursue HVqi3ms גֹּאֵ֤ל 𐤂𐤀𐤋 goel avenger kinsman-redeeming one kinsman-redeeming one HVqrmsc הַ/דָּם֙ 𐤄/𐤃𐤌 hadam damu (Lingala) of the blood the blood the blood HTd/Ncmsa אַֽחֲרָ֔י/ו 𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉/𐤅 acharayv after him behind him after him HR/Sp3ms וְ/לֹֽא 𐤅/𐤋𐤀 velo and not and not and not HC/Tn יַסְגִּ֥רוּ 𐤉𐤎𐤂𐤓𐤅 yasegiru they shall deliver up they will hand over they will hand over HVhi3mp אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et [direct object marker] object-marker [·] HTo הָ/רֹצֵ֖חַ 𐤄/𐤓𐤑𐤇 harotsecha the manslayer the unlawful killer the murdering one HTd/Vqrmsa בְּ/יָד֑/וֹ 𐤁/𐤉𐤃/𐤅 beyado into his hand in his hand in his hand HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms כִּ֤י 𐤊𐤉 ki because for/because for HC בִ/בְלִי 𐤁/𐤁𐤋𐤉 viveli without without without HR/Tn דַ֨עַת֙ 𐤃𐤏𐤕 daat knowledge knowledge-of knowledge HNcfsa הִכָּ֣ה 𐤄𐤊𐤄 hikah he struck he struck he struck HVhp3ms אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et-2 [direct object marker] object-marker [·] HTo רֵעֵ֔/הוּ 𐤓𐤏/𐤄𐤅 reehu his neighbor his associate his associate HNcmsc/Sp3ms וְ/לֹֽא 𐤅/𐤋𐤀 velo-2 and not and not and not HC/Tn שֹׂנֵ֥א 𐤔𐤍𐤀 sone hating the one hating hating HVqrmsa ה֛וּא 𐤄𐤅𐤀 hu he he him HPp3ms ל֖/וֹ 𐤋/𐤅 lo him to him HR/Sp3ms מִ/תְּמ֥וֹל 𐤌/𐤕𐤌𐤅𐤋 mitemol from yesterday from previously previously HR/D שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם 𐤔𐤋𐤔𐤅𐤌 shileshom or the day before three-days-ago formerly HNcmsa
Verse 6
וְ/יָשַׁ֣ב 𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤁 veyashav and he shall dwell and he settled and he shall dwell HC/Vqq3ms בָּ/עִ֣יר 𐤁/𐤏𐤉𐤓 bair in the city in the settlement in the city HRd/Ncfsa הַ/הִ֗יא 𐤄/𐤄𐤉𐤀 hahi that she that HTd/Pp3fs עַד 𐤏𐤃 ad until up to until HR עָמְד֞/וֹ 𐤏𐤌𐤃/𐤅 amedo ima (Bemba) he stands his standing his standing HVqc/Sp3ms לִ/פְנֵ֤י 𐤋/𐤐𐤍𐤉 lifeney before to the face of to before the face of HR/Ncbpc הָֽ/עֵדָה֙ 𐤄/𐤏𐤃𐤄 haedah the congregation the appointed assembly the appointed assembly HTd/Ncfsa לַ/מִּשְׁפָּ֔ט 𐤋/𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤈 lamishepat for judgment for the judicial decision for the judgment HRd/Ncmsa עַד 𐤏𐤃 ad-2 until up to until HR מוֹת֙ 𐤌𐤅𐤕 mot death to die the death HNcmsc הַ/כֹּהֵ֣ן 𐤄/𐤊𐤄𐤍 hakohen the priest the officiating priest the officiating priest HTd/Ncmsa הַ/גָּד֔וֹל 𐤄/𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤋 hagadol the great the great one the great one HTd/Aamsa אֲשֶׁ֥ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher which that-which who HTr יִהְיֶ֖ה 𐤉𐤄𐤉𐤄 yiheyeh shall be he will come to be he will be HVqi3ms בַּ/יָּמִ֣ים 𐤁/𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤌 bayamim in the days in the days in the days HRd/Ncmpa הָ/הֵ֑ם 𐤄/𐤄𐤌 hahem those they those HTd/Pp3mp אָ֣ז 𐤀𐤆 az then at that time then HD יָשׁ֣וּב 𐤉𐤔𐤅𐤁 yashuv shall return he will return he will return HVqi3ms הָ/רוֹצֵ֗חַ 𐤄/𐤓𐤅𐤑𐤇 harotsecha the manslayer the unlawful killer the murdering one HTd/Vqrmsa וּ/בָ֤א 𐤅/𐤁𐤀 uva and come and he came and he shall come HC/Vqp3ms אֶל 𐤀𐤋 el to toward to HR עִיר/וֹ֙ 𐤏𐤉𐤓/𐤅 iro his city his settlement-city his city HNcfsc/Sp3ms וְ/אֶל 𐤅/𐤀𐤋 veel and to and toward and to HC/R בֵּית֔/וֹ 𐤁𐤉𐤕/𐤅 beyto his house his built-house his house HNcmsc/Sp3ms אֶל 𐤀𐤋 el-2 to toward to HR הָ/עִ֖יר 𐤄/𐤏𐤉𐤓 hair the city the watchful settlement the city HTd/Ncfsa אֲשֶׁר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher-2 which that-which which HTr נָ֥ס 𐤍𐤎 nas he fled he fled he fled HVqp3ms מִ/שָּֽׁם 𐤌/𐤔𐤌 misham from there from there from there HR/D
Verse 7
Verse 8
וּ/מֵ/עֵ֜בֶר 𐤅/𐤌/𐤏𐤁𐤓 umeever and-beyond and from the far side and from beyond HC/R/Ncmsa לְ/יַרְדֵּ֤ן 𐤋/𐤉𐤓𐤃𐤍 leyareden the-Jordan to Yarden the Descender to Yareden HR/Np יְרִיחוֹ֙ 𐤉𐤓𐤉𐤇𐤅 yericho Jericho Jericho Yericho HNp מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה 𐤌𐤆𐤓𐤇/𐤄 mizerachah eastward sunrise-ward toward the east HNcmsa/Sd נָתְנ֞וּ 𐤍𐤕𐤍𐤅 natenu they-appointed they gave they gave HVqp3cp אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et [direct-object-marker] object-marker [·] HTo בֶּ֧צֶר 𐤁𐤑𐤓 betser Bezer Fortified-Place Betser HNp בַּ/מִּדְבָּ֛ר 𐤁/𐤌𐤃𐤁𐤓 bamidebar Mfinda (Kongo) in-the-wilderness in the grazing steppe in the wilderness HRd/Ncmsa בַּ/מִּישֹׁ֖ר 𐤁/𐤌𐤉𐤔𐤓 bamishor on-the-plain in the level plain in the level plain HRd/Ncmsa מִ/מַּטֵּ֣ה 𐤌/𐤌𐤈𐤄 mimateh mat-taw' (Akan Twi) from-tribe-of from a staff-branch from the tribe HR/Ncmsc רְאוּבֵ֑ן 𐤓𐤀𐤅𐤁𐤍 reuven Reuben See—a Son Reuven HNp וְ/אֶת 𐤅/𐤀𐤕 veet and-[direct-object-marker] and object-marker [·] HC/To רָאמֹ֤ת 𐤓𐤀𐤌𐤕 ramot Ramoth Heights Ramot HNp בַּ/גִּלְעָד֙ 𐤁/𐤂𐤋𐤏𐤃 bagilead in-Gilead in Heap-of-Witness in Gilead HRd/Np מִ/מַּטֵּה 𐤌/𐤌𐤈𐤄 mimateh-2 mat-taw' (Akan Twi) from-tribe-of from a staff-branch from the tribe HR/Ncmsc גָ֔ד 𐤂𐤃 gad Gad Gad (Fortune) Gad HNp וְ/אֶת 𐤅/𐤀𐤕 veet-2 and-[direct-object-marker] and object-marker [·] HC/To גלון 𐤂𐤋𐤅𐤍 glvn Golan Golan Golan HNp גּוֹלָ֥ן 𐤂𐤅𐤋𐤍 golan Golan Golan Golan HNp בַּ/בָּשָׁ֖ן 𐤁/𐤁𐤔𐤍 babashan in-Bashan in Bashan in Bashan HRd/Np מִ/מַּטֵּ֥ה 𐤌/𐤌𐤈𐤄 mimateh-3 mat-taw' (Akan Twi) from-tribe-of from a staff-branch from the tribe HR/Ncmsc מְנַשֶּֽׁה 𐤌𐤍𐤔𐤄 menasheh Manasseh Forgetfulness-Causer Menasheh HNp
Verse 9
אֵ֣לֶּה 𐤀𐤋𐤄 eleh These these ones these ones HPdxcp הָיוּ֩ 𐤄𐤉𐤅 hayu were they were they were HVqp3cp עָרֵ֨י 𐤏𐤓𐤉 arey cities settlements of cities of HNcfpc הַ/מּֽוּעָדָ֜ה 𐤄/𐤌𐤅𐤏𐤃𐤄 hamuadah of the refuge the appointed place the appointed place HTd/Ncfsa לְ/כֹ֣ל 𐤋/𐤊𐤋 lekhol kila (Swahili) for all to the entirety of to all HR/Ncmsc בְּנֵ֣י 𐤁𐤍𐤉 beney Bene (Bemba) children of sons of sons of HNcmpc יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 yiserael Israel El-Contends Yiserael HNp וְ/לַ/גֵּר֙ 𐤅/𐤋/𐤂𐤓 velager and for the stranger and to the resident sojourner and to the resident sojourner HC/Rd/Ncmsa הַ/גָּ֣ר 𐤄/𐤂𐤓 hagar sojourning Female sojourner the sojourner HTd/Vqrmsa בְּ/תוֹכָ֔/ם 𐤁/𐤕𐤅𐤊/𐤌 betokham among them in their midst in their midst HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp לָ/נ֣וּס 𐤋/𐤍𐤅𐤎 lanus to flee to flee to flee HR/Vqc שָׁ֔מָּ/ה 𐤔𐤌/𐤄 shamah there to that place there HD/Sd כָּל 𐤊𐤋 kal kila (Swahili) any entirety of any HNcmsc מַכֵּה 𐤌𐤊𐤄 makeh striker the one who causes a blow the one who strikes HVhrmsc נֶ֖פֶשׁ 𐤍𐤐𐤔 nefesh person breathing being life HNcbsa בִּ/שְׁגָגָ֑ה 𐤁/𐤔𐤂𐤂𐤄 bishegagah unintentionally in unintentional error in unintentional error HR/Ncfsa וְ/לֹ֣א 𐤅/𐤋𐤀 velo and not and not and not HC/Tn יָמ֗וּת 𐤉𐤌𐤅𐤕 yamut he shall die he will die he will die HVqi3ms בְּ/יַד֙ 𐤁/𐤉𐤃 beyad by the hand of by the hand of in the hand of HR/Ncbsc גֹּאֵ֣ל 𐤂𐤀𐤋 goel avenger kinsman-redeeming one kinsman-redeeming one HVqrmsc הַ/דָּ֔ם 𐤄/𐤃𐤌 hadam damu (Lingala) of blood the blood the blood HTd/Ncmsa עַד 𐤏𐤃 ad until up to until HR עָמְד֖/וֹ 𐤏𐤌𐤃/𐤅 amedo ima (Bemba) he stands his standing his standing HVqc/Sp3ms לִ/פְנֵ֥י 𐤋/𐤐𐤍𐤉 lifeney before to the face of to before the face of HR/Ncbpc הָ/עֵדָֽה 𐤄/𐤏𐤃𐤄 haedah the congregation the appointed assembly the assembly HTd/Ncfsa