The Lord commandeth Ioſhúa to appoint cities of refuge. 3 The uſe thereof. 7 And their names.
1.THe Lord alſo ſpake vnto Ioſhúa, ſaying,
2.Speake to the children of Iſraél, and ſay, *Appoint you cities of refuge, whereof I ſpake vnto you by the hand of Moſés,
3.That the ſlayer yͤ killeth any perſone aby ignorance, and vn wittingly, may flee thether, & thei ſhal be your refuge from the auenger of blood.
4.And he that doeth flee vnto one of thoſe cities, ſhal ſtand at the entring of the gate of the citie, and ſhal ſhewe his cauſe "to the Elders of the citie: and thei ſhal receiue him into the citie vnto them, and giue him a place, yͤ he may dwel ŵ them.
5.And if the bauenger of blood purſue after him, thei ſhal not deliuer the ſlayer into his hand becauſe he ſmote his neighbour ignorantly, nether hated he him beforetime:
6.But he ſhal dwel in yͤ citie vntil he ſtand before the Congregacion in ciudgement, *or vntil the death of the hye Prieſt that ſhalbe in thoſe daies: then ſhal the ſlayer returne, and come vnto his owne citie, and vnto his owne houſe, euen vnto the citie from whence he fled.
7.¶ Then thei appointed Kédeſh in "Galíl in mount Naphtalí, & Shechém in mount Ephráim, and Kiriath-arbá, (which is Hebrón) in the mountaine of Iudáh.
8.And on the other ſide Iordén towarde Ierichó Eaſtwarde, thei appointed *Bézer in the wildernes vpon the plaine, out of yͤ tribe of Reubén, & Ramóth in Gileád, out of the tribe of Gad, and Golán in Baſhán, out of the dtribe of Manaſſéh.
9.Theſe were the cities appointed for all the children of Iſraél, and for the ſtranger that ſoiourned among them, that whoſoeuer killed any perſone ignorantly, might flee thether, & not dye by the hand of the auenger of blood, vntil he ſtode before the eCongregacion.