so that one who commits manslaughter by [a]killing a person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood. Then he shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the (A)gate of the city, and state his case in the [b]presence of the elders of that city; and they shall [c]receive him into the city to them and give him a place, so that he may remain among them. Now (B)if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they are not to hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, since he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him previously.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 20:3 Lit striking
  2. Joshua 20:4 Lit ears of
  3. Joshua 20:4 Lit gather

so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally(A) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.(B) When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate(C) and state their case before the elders(D) 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.

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