Part 142 (2/2)
The cities of refuge are appointed for casual manslaughter.
20:1. And the Lord spoke to Josue, saying: Speak to children of Israel and say to them:
20:2. Appoint cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses:
20:3. That whosoever shall kill a person unawares may flee to them, and may escape the wrath of the kinsman, who is the avenger of blood.
20:4. And when he shall flee to one of these cities: he shall stand before the gate of the city, and shall speak to the ancients of that city, such things as prove him innocent: and so shall they receive him, and give him a place to dwell in.
20:5. And when the avenger of blood shall pursue him, they shall not deliver him into his hands, because he slew his neighbour unawares, and is not proved to have been his enemy two or three days before,
20:6. And he shall dwell in that city, till he stand before judgment to give an account of his fact, and till the death of the high priest, who shall be at that time: then shall the manslayer return, and go into his own city and house from whence he fled.
20:7. And they appointed Cedes in Galilee of mount Nephtali, and Sichem in mount Ephraim, and Cariath-Arbe, the same is Hebron in the mountain of Juda.
20:8. And beyond the Jordan to the east of Jericho, they appointed Bosor, which is upon the plain of the wilderness of the tribe of Ruben, and Ramoth in Galaad of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in Basan of the tribe of Mana.s.ses.
20:9. These cities were appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the strangers, that dwelt among them, that whosoever had killed a person unawares might flee to them, and not die by the hand of the kinsman, coveting to revenge the blood that was shed, until he should stand before the people to lay open his cause.
Josue Chapter 21
Cities with their suburbs are a.s.signed for the priests and Levites.
21:1. Then the princes of the families of Levi came to Eleazar the priest, and to Josue the son of Nun, and to the princes of the kindreds of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
21:2. And they spoke to them in Silo in the land of Chanaan, and said: The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, that cities should be given us to dwell in, and their suburbs to feed our cattle.
21:3. And the children of Israel gave out of their possessions according to the commandment of the Lord, cities and their suburbs.
21:4. And the lot came out for the family of Caath of the children of Aaron the priest out of the tribes of Juda, and of Simeon, and of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
21:5. And to the rest of the children of Caath, that is, to thee Levites, who remained, out of the tribes of Ephraim, and of Dan, and the half tribe of Mana.s.ses, ten cities.
21:6. And the lot came out to children of Gerson, that they should take of the tribes of Issachar and of Aser and of Nephtali, and of the half tribe of Mana.s.ses in Basan, thirteen cities.
21:7. And to the sons of Merari by their kindreds, of the tribes of Ruben and of Gad and of Zabulon, twelve cities.
21:8. And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities and their suburbs, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, giving to every one by lot.
21:9. Of the tribes of the children of Juda and of Simeon Josue gave cities: whose names are these,
21:10. To the sons of Aaron, of the families of Caath of the race of Levi (for the first lot came out for them)
21:11. The city of Arbe the father of Enac, which is called Hebron, in the mountain of Juda, and the suburbs thereof round about.
21:12. But the fields and the villages thereof he had given to Caleb the son of Jephone for his possession.
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