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20  Na ka korero a Ihowa ki a Hohua, ka mea,

Korero ki nga tama a Iharaira, mea atu, Whakaritea e koutou etahi pa whakaora, ko aku i korero ai, na Mohi i whakapuaki ki a koutou:

Hei rerenga atu mo te tangata whakamate, i patu nei i tetahi tangata, he mea urupa, ehara i te mea ata whakaaro: a ka waiho hei whakaora mo koutou, kei mate i te kaitakitaki toto.

A ka rere ia ki tetahi o enei pa, ka tu i te kuwaha o te tomokanga o te pa, na ka korero i ana korero ki nga taringa o nga kaumatua o tena pa; a me tango atu ia e ratou ki roto ki te pa, ki roto ki a ratou, ka homai he wahi ki a ia, a ka noho ia ki a ratou.

A, ki te whaia atu ia e te kaitakitaki toto, kaua e tukua atu te tangata whakamate e ratou ki tona ringa; no te mea ehara i te mea ata whakaaro tana patunga i tona hoa, kihai ano ia i kino ki a ia i mua ake.

Engari me noho ia ki taua pa, kia tu ra ano ia ki mua i te whakaminenga whakawakia ai, a kia mate ra ano te tino tohunga o aua ra: ko reira hoki ai te tangata whakamate, haere ai ki tona pa, ki tona whare hoki, ki te pa i rere atu nei ia i reira

Na ka whakatapua e ratou ko Kerehe i Kariri, i te whenua pukepuke o Napatari, ko Hekeme i te whenua pukepuke o Eparaima, ko Kiriata Arapa, ara ko Heperona, i te whenua pukepuke o Hura.

Na i tawahi o Horano, i te wahi e anga ana ki Heriko whaka te rawhiti ka whakaritea e ratou ko Petere i te koraha i te mania, no te iwi o Reupena, ko Ramoto i Kireara, no te iwi o Kara, ko Korana hoki i Pahana, no te iwi o Manahi.

Ko nga pa enei i whakaritea mo nga tama katoa a Iharaira, mo te manene hoki e noho ana i roto i a ratou, hei rerenga atu mo nga tangata katoa i whakamatea ai tetahi tangata, he mea urupa, kei mate i te ringa o te kaitakitaki toto, kia tu ra ano i mua i te whakaminenga.

Cities of Refuge(A)

20 Then the Lord said to Joshua: “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally(B) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.(C) When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate(D) and state their case before the elders(E) of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly(F) 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.”

So they set apart Kedesh(G) in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem(H) in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba(I) (that is, Hebron(J)) in the hill country of Judah.(K) East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer(L) in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead(M) in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan(N) in the tribe of Manasseh. Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally(O) could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.(P)

20 The Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying,

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.