Cities of Refuge
Joshua 20, verse 1. Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, Joshua 20, verse 2. “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moses, Joshua 20, verse 3. a place of refuge for a slayer who kills a soul involuntarily. The cities will be a refuge for you, and the slayer shall not die by the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment.’” Joshua 20, verse 4. So he appointed Kedesh in Galilee in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) in the mountains of Judah. Joshua 20, verse 5. On the other side of the Jordan he appointed Bezer in the desert on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. Joshua 20, verse 6. These were the cities appointed for the children of Israel and for the resident alien living among them, that whoever killed a soul involuntarily should take refuge there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation for judgment.