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Joshua

Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land, conquering it through many battles.

Chapter 20

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1 The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

*The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:

*Tell the people of Israel to set up cities of refuge, just like Moses told you through my messages.

3 That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

*The one who accidentally kills someone can run to that place for safety, and it will protect them from the person seeking revenge for the death.

4 And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

*If someone runs to one of those cities and stands at its entrance, telling the city's older people about their situation, the older people will let them in and provide a place for them to live with the rest of the city's residents.

5 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

*If someone seeks revenge for a death, they shouldn't hand over the person who caused it. This is because the killer didn't know what they were doing and didn't dislike the victim before.

6 And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

*He will live in that city until he faces the group for judgment. This will happen when the high priest during that time dies. Afterward, the person who caused the death will return to their city and their home, the same place they ran away from before.

7 And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

*They chose Kedesh in Galilee, Shechem in Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba (Hebron) in Judah's mountain for special places.

8 And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

*On the other side of Jordan, beyond Jericho, they gave land in the open area to the people from the tribe of Reuben called Bezer. They also gave land in Gilead to the people from the tribe of Gad named Ramoth. And in Bashan, they provided land to the people from the tribe of Manasseh called Golan.

9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

*These cities were designated for all Israel's children and anyone living with them. People could run to these cities if they accidentally killed someone. They would be safe there from the person seeking revenge until they faced the entire community.

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* work in progress, there will be mistakes

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