The Safe Towns
(Numbers 35.9-15Deuteronomy 19.1-13)1 One day the Lord told Joshua:
2 When Moses was still alive, I commanded him to tell the Israelites about the Safe Towns. Now you tell them that it is time to set up these towns. 3-4 If a person accidentally kills someone and the victim's relatives say it was murder, they might try to take revenge. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of the Safe Towns and be safe from the victim's relatives. The one needing protection will stand at the entrance to the town gate and explain to the town leaders what happened. Then the leaders will bring that person in and provide a place to live in their town.
5 One of the victim's relatives might come to the town, looking for revenge. But the town leaders must not simply hand over the person accused of murder. After all, the accused and the victim had been neighbors, not enemies. 6 The citizens of that Safe Town must come together and hold a trial. They may decide that the victim was killed accidentally and that the accused is not guilty of murder.
Everyone found not guilty must still live in the Safe Town until the high priest dies. Then they can go back to their own towns and their homes that they had to leave behind.
7 The Israelites decided that the following three towns west of the Jordan River would be Safe Towns:
Kedesh in Galilee in Naphtali's hill country, Shechem in Ephraim's hill country, and Kiriath-Arba in Judah's hill country. Kiriath-Arba is now called Hebron.
8 The Israelites had already decided on the following three towns east of the Jordan River:
Bezer in the desert flatlands of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, which was a town that belonged to Gad, and Golan in Bashan, which belonged to Manasseh.
9 These Safe Towns were set up, so that if Israelites or even foreigners who lived in Israel accidentally killed someone, they could run to one of these towns. There they would be safe until a trial could be held, even if one of the victim's relatives came looking for revenge.
Patvēruma pilsētas
(4Moz 35:9–285Moz 19:1–13)1 Tad Kungs teica Jozuam: 2 “Saki Israēla dēliem: iekārtojiet sev arī patvēruma pilsētas, par kurām esmu jums teicis caur Mozu. 3 Lai turp bēg slepkava, kas neapzināti vai bez ļauna nodoma kādu nokāvis, – tur lai jums ir patvērums no asinsatriebēja. 4 Tāds lai bēg uz kādu no šīm pilsētām, nostājas pilsētas vārtos un stāsta tās pilsētas vecajiem par savu lietu – tad lai viņi to uzņem pie sevis pilsētā un ierāda viņam vietu, kur tas var palikt. 5 Ja nu asinsatriebējs viņu vajā, tie nedrīkst nodot viņu asinsatriebēja rokā, jo viņš savu tuvāko nokāvis bez ļauna nolūka un viņam iepriekš nav bijis naida pret to. 6 Lai viņš paliek tajā pilsētā, līdz viņam jāstājas sapulces priekšā, kur viņu tiesās, – lai viņš paliek tur līdz augstā priestera nāvei, kurš tobrīd ir amatā, pēc tam slepkava var doties atpakaļ uz savu pilsētu un savu namu tajā pilsētā, no kurienes viņš bēdzis.” 7 Tad viņi iesvētīja Kedešu Galilejā, Naftālī kalnos, un Šehemu Efraima kalnos un Kirjat-Arbu – tā ir Hebrona, kas Jūdas kalnos. 8 Un viņpus Jardānas, austrumos no Jērikas, viņi izraudzījās Beceru, kas tuksneša līdzenumā un pieder Rūbena ciltij, un Rāmotu Gileādā, kas pieder Gāda ciltij, un Golānu Bāšānā, kas pieder Manases ciltij. 9 Šīs pilsētas tika iedibinātas visiem Israēla dēliem, kā arī svešiniekiem, kas mīt viņu vidū, lai turp var bēgt ikviens, kas kādu nokāvis neapzināti, – lai tāds nemirst no asinsatriebēja rokas, kamēr nav stājies sapulces priekšā.
