Joshua 20

1 Then the LORD said to Joshua,

1 耶和华对约书亚说：

2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,

2 “你吩咐以色列人，照我以前借摩西所吩咐你们的，设立一些城邑作为避难城，

3 so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

3 好让误杀人的可以逃到那里，躲避报血仇的人追杀。

4 When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.

4 他要逃到避难城，站在城门口向城中的长老们陈明事情的经过，长老们就把他收容到城里，给他提供住处，让他留在那里。

5 Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.

5 如果报血仇的人追到，长老们不可把他交出来，因为他是无意杀的，跟被杀者无冤无仇。

6 He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.”

6 他要住在城内，直到在会众面前受了审讯，并且还要等到在任的大祭司死后，才可离城回乡。”

7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

7 于是，民众便设立拿弗他利山区加利利境内的基低斯、以法莲山区的示剑和犹大山区的基列·亚巴，即希伯仑作为避难城。

8 And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.

8 他们又在约旦河东岸、耶利哥东面空旷的平原上设立吕便支派的比悉，迦得支派基列境内的拉末和玛拿西支派巴珊境内的哥兰作为避难城。

9 These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

9 这是为以色列人和那些从外地来寄居的人所设立的避难城，误杀了人的可以逃到那里，不致未在会众面前受审便死在报血仇的人手里。