Joshua 20

The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

The LORD tenderly spoke to Joshua, saying,

Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:

Tell the people of Israel, "Choose your safe cities, just as I instructed through Moses."

That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

If someone accidentally kills another, they can seek sanctuary in these places. These will be your safe havens from those seeking revenge.

And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

When a person seeking refuge reaches the city gates, they must explain their situation to the city's elders. If their plea is heard, they will be welcomed into the city, given a place to live, and accepted as one of their own.

And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

If the one seeking revenge chases him, they must not hand over the person who accidentally killed his neighbor; because he didn't do it on purpose and had no previous hatred towards him.

And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

He'll stay in that city until he faces the community's judgment. He'll remain there until the high priest of that time passes away. Only then can the one who caused harm return to his original home, the city he ran away from.

And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

They designated Kedesh, nestled in the hills of Naphtali, and Shechem, perched on Mount Ephraim, along with Kirjatharba, now known as Hebron, in the heart of the Judah mountains.

And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

On the eastern side of the Jordan, near Jericho, they designated Bezer, a desert city on the flatlands, from the tribe of Reuben. They also set apart Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.

These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

These were the designated safe havens for everyone in Israel, including foreigners. They were places where anyone who accidentally caused a death could seek refuge, avoiding immediate revenge, until they could face a fair trial.