Joshua 20 יְהוֹשֻׁעַ פרק כ׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with transliteration and English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Joshua 20 in the interlinear reader for roots and notes, or listen to it read aloud in Hebrew.

1. 1

   וַיְדַבֵּרvay/dab/BERand spokeיְהֹוָהAdonaithe LORDאֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַel-Ye/ho/SHU/ato Joshuaלֵאמֹר׃le/MORsaying

   The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

2. 2

   דַּבֵּרdab/BERspeakאֶל־בְּנֵיel-be/NEto the children ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYis/ra/ELIsraelלֵאמֹרle/MORsayingתְּנוּte/NUappointלָכֶםla/KHEMfor yourselvesאֶת־עָרֵיet-a/REthe cities ofהַמִּקְלָטham/mik/LATthe refugeאֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּרְתִּיa/SHER-dib/BAR/tiof which I spokeאֲלֵיכֶםa/le/KHEMto youבְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה׃be/YAD-mo/SHEby the hand of Moses

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

3. 3

   לָנוּסla/NUSthat may fleeשָׁמָּהSHAM/mathereרוֹצֵחַro/TSE/achthe manslayerמַכֵּה־נֶפֶשׁmak/KE-NE/feshwho kills a personבִּשְׁגָגָהbish/ga/GAby inadvertenceבִּבְלִי־דָעַתbiv/LI-DA/atunawaresוְהָיוּve/ha/YUand they shall beלָכֶםla/KHEMyourלְמִקְלָטle/mik/LATrefugeמִגֹּאֵלmig/go/ELfrom the avenger ofהַדָּם׃had/DAMblood

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

4. 4

   וְנָסve/NASand when he fleesאֶל־אַחַתel-a/CHATto oneמֵהֶעָרִיםme/he/a/RIMof the citiesהָאֵלֶּהha/EL/letheseוְעָמַדve/a/MADand standsפֶּתַחPE/tachat the entrance ofשַׁעַרSHA/arthe gate ofהָעִירha/IRthe cityוְדִבֶּרve/dib/BERand declaresבְּאׇזְנֵיbe/oz/NEin the ears ofזִקְנֵי־הָעִירzik/NE-ha/IRthe elders of the cityהַהִיאha/HIthatאֶת־דְּבָרָיוet-de/va/RAYVhis caseוְאָסְפוּve/a/se/FUthen they shall takeאֹתוֹo/TOhimהָעִירָהha/I/rainto the cityאֲלֵיהֶםa/le/HEMto themוְנָתְנוּ־לוֹve/na/te/NU-loand give himמָקוֹםma/KOMa placeוְיָשַׁבve/ya/SHAVthat he may dwellעִמָּם׃im/MAMwith them

   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.

5. 5

   וְכִיve/KHIand ifיִרְדֹּףyir/DOFpursuesגֹּאֵלgo/ELthe avenger ofהַדָּםhad/DAMbloodאַחֲרָיוa/cha/RAYVafter himוְלֹא־יַסְגִּרוּve/LO-yas/GI/ruthen they shall not deliverאֶת־הָרֹצֵחַet-ha/ro/TSE/achthe manslayerבְּיָדוֹbe/ya/DOinto his handכִּיkibecauseבִבְלִי־דַעַתviv/LI-DA/atunawaresהִכָּהhik/KAhe struckאֶת־רֵעֵהוּet-re/E/huhis neighborוְלֹא־שֹׂנֵאve/LO-so/NEand did not hateהוּאhuheלוֹlohimמִתְּמוֹלmit/te/MOLbeforehandשִׁלְשׁוֹם׃shil/SHOMbefore

   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.

6. 6

   וְיָשַׁבve/ya/SHAVand he shall dwellבָּעִירba/IRin the cityהַהִיאha/HIthatעַד־עׇמְדוֹad-om/DOuntil he standsלִפְנֵיlif/NEbeforeהָעֵדָהha/e/DAthe congregationלַמִּשְׁפָּטlam/mish/PATfor judgmentעַד־מוֹתad-motuntil the death ofהַכֹּהֵןhak/ko/HENthe priestהַגָּדוֹלhag/ga/DOLhighאֲשֶׁרa/SHERwhoיִהְיֶהyih/YEisבַּיָּמִיםbay/ya/MIMin the daysהָהֵםha/HEMthoseאָזazthenיָשׁוּבya/SHUVshall returnהָרוֹצֵחַha/ro/TSE/achthe manslayerוּבָאu/VAand comeאֶל־עִירוֹel-i/ROto his cityוְאֶל־בֵּיתוֹve/EL-be/TOand to his houseאֶל־הָעִירel-ha/IRto the cityאֲשֶׁר־נָסa/SHER-naswhich he fledמִשָּׁם׃mish/SHAMfrom

   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.

7. 7

   וַיַּקְדִּשׁוּvay/yak/DI/shuso they set apartאֶת־קֶדֶשׁet-KE/deshKedeshבַּגָּלִילbag/Ga/LILin Galileeבְּהַרbe/HARin the hill country ofנַפְתָּלִיNaf/ta/LINaphtaliוְאֶת־שְׁכֶםve/ET-she/KHEMand Shechemבְּהַרbe/HARin the hill country ofאֶפְרָיִםEf/RA/yimEphraimוְאֶת־קִרְיַתve/ET-kir/YATand Kiriath-אַרְבַּעar/BAarbaהִיאhiwhich isחֶבְרוֹןChev/RONHebronבְּהַרbe/HARin the hill country ofיְהוּדָה׃Ye/hu/DAJudah

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

8. 8

   וּמֵעֵבֶרu/me/E/verand beyondלְיַרְדֵּןle/Yar/DENthe JordanיְרִיחוֹYe/ri/CHOby Jerichoמִזְרָחָהmiz/RA/chaeastwardנָתְנוּna/te/NUthey assignedאֶת־בֶּצֶרet-BE/tserBezerבַּמִּדְבָּרbam/mid/BARin the wildernessבַּמִּישֹׁרbam/mi/SHORon the plainמִמַּטֵּהmim/mat/TEfrom the tribe ofרְאוּבֵןRe/u/VENReubenוְאֶת־רָאמֹתve/ET-ra/MOTand Ramothבַּגִּלְעָדbag/Gil/ADin Gileadמִמַּטֵּה־גָדmim/Mat/TE-gadfrom the tribe of Gadוְאֶת־[גּוֹלָן]ve/ET-go/LANand Golanבַּבָּשָׁןbab/Ba/SHANin Bashanמִמַּטֵּהmim/mat/TEfrom the tribe ofמְנַשֶּׁה׃Me/nash/SHEManasseh

   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.

9. 9

   אֵלֶּהEL/letheseהָיוּha/YUwereעָרֵיa/REthe citiesהַמּוּעָדָהham/mu/a/DAappointedלְכֹלle/KHOLfor allבְּנֵיbe/NEthe children ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYis/ra/ELIsraelוְלַגֵּרve/lag/GERand for the strangerהַגָּרhag/GARwho sojournsבְּתוֹכָםbe/to/KHAMamong themלָנוּסla/NUSthat may fleeשָׁמָּהSHAM/mathereכׇּל־מַכֵּה־נֶפֶשׁkol-mak/KE-NE/feshwhoever kills a personבִּשְׁגָגָהbish/ga/GAby inadvertenceוְלֹאve/LOand notיָמוּתya/MUTdieבְּיַדbe/YADby the hand ofגֹּאֵלgo/ELthe avenger ofהַדָּםhad/DAMbloodעַד־עׇמְדוֹad-om/DOuntil he stoodלִפְנֵיlif/NEbeforeהָעֵדָה׃ha/e/DAthe congregation

   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.