Joshua 20 יְהוֹשֻׁעַ פרק כ׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Joshua 20 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   וַיְדַבֵּרand spokeיְהֹוָהthe LORDאֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַto Joshuaלֵאמֹר׃saying

   The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

2. 2

   דַּבֵּרspeakאֶל־בְּנֵיunto the sons ofיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelלֵאמֹרsayingתְּנוּgiveלָכֶםto youאֶת־עָרֵיcities ofהַמִּקְלָטthe refugeאֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּרְתִּיwhich I have spokenאֲלֵיכֶםunto youבְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה׃in 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

   לָנוּסto fleeשָׁמָּהthereרוֹצֵחַa manslayerמַכֵּה־נֶפֶשׁwho kills any personבִּשְׁגָגָהby inadvertenceבִּבְלִי־דָעַתwith no knowledgeוְהָיוּthen they shall beלָכֶםto youלְמִקְלָטto refugeמִגֹּאֵלfrom the avenger ofהַדָּם׃the blood

   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

   וְנָסand he will fleeאֶל־אַחַתto oneמֵהֶעָרִיםof the citiesהָאֵלֶּהtheseוְעָמַדand shall standפֶּתַחdoor ofשַׁעַרthe gate ofהָעִירthe cityוְדִבֶּרand shall declareבְּאׇזְנֵיin the ears ofזִקְנֵי־הָעִירthe elders of the cityהַהִיאthatאֶת־דְּבָרָיוhis wordsוְאָסְפוּand they will gatherאֹתוֹhimהָעִירָהinto the cityאֲלֵיהֶםto themוְנָתְנוּ־לוֹand they shall give himמָקוֹםa placeוְיָשַׁבand he shall dwellעִמָּם׃with 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

   וְכִיand thatיִרְדֹּףshould pursueגֹּאֵלthe avenger ofהַדָּםthe bloodאַחֲרָיוafter himוְלֹא־יַסְגִּרוּand not they will deliver upאֶת־הָרֹצֵחַthe manslayerבְּיָדוֹin his handכִּיbecauseבִבְלִי־דַעַתwith not knowledgeהִכָּהstruckאֶת־רֵעֵהוּhis neighborוְלֹא־שֹׂנֵאand not was hatingהוּאheלוֹto himמִתְּמוֹלfrom yesterdayשִׁלְשׁוֹם׃three days ago

   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

   וְיָשַׁבand he shall dwellבָּעִירin the cityהַהִיאthatעַד־עׇמְדוֹuntil he standלִפְנֵיbeforeהָעֵדָהthe congregationלַמִּשְׁפָּטto the judgmentעַד־מוֹתuntil death ofהַכֹּהֵןthe priestהַגָּדוֹלthe greatאֲשֶׁרwhichיִהְיֶהshall beבַּיָּמִיםin the daysהָהֵםthoseאָזthenיָשׁוּבhe shall returnהָרוֹצֵחַthe manslayerוּבָאand comeאֶל־עִירוֹto his cityוְאֶל־בֵּיתוֹand his houseאֶל־הָעִירto the cityאֲשֶׁר־נָסwhence he fledמִשָּׁם׃from there

   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

   וַיַּקְדִּשׁוּand they set apartאֶת־קֶדֶשׁKedeshבַּגָּלִילin Galileeבְּהַרon the mount ofנַפְתָּלִיNaphtaliוְאֶת־שְׁכֶםand Shechemבְּהַרon the mount ofאֶפְרָיִםEphraimוְאֶת־קִרְיַתand Kiriath-אַרְבַּעarbaהִיאit isחֶבְרוֹןHebronבְּהַרon the mount ofיְהוּדָה׃Judah

   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

   וּמֵעֵבֶרand from the other sideלְיַרְדֵּןof the JordanיְרִיחוֹJerichoמִזְרָחָהeastwardנָתְנוּthey gaveאֶת־בֶּצֶרBezerבַּמִּדְבָּרin the wildernessבַּמִּישֹׁרin the plainמִמַּטֵּהfrom the tribe ofרְאוּבֵןReubenוְאֶת־רָאמֹתand Ramothבַּגִּלְעָדin Gileadמִמַּטֵּה־גָדfrom the tribe of Gadוְאֶת־[גּוֹלָן]and Golanבַּבָּשָׁןin Bashanמִמַּטֵּהfrom the tribe ofמְנַשֶּׁה׃Manasseh

   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

   אֵלֶּהtheseהָיוּwereעָרֵיthe citiesהַמּוּעָדָהappointedלְכֹלfor allבְּנֵיthe sons ofיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelוְלַגֵּרand to the sojournerהַגָּרthe one who sojournsבְּתוֹכָםamong themלָנוּסto fleeשָׁמָּהthereכׇּל־מַכֵּה־נֶפֶשׁwhoever kills any personבִּשְׁגָגָהby inadvertenceוְלֹאand notיָמוּתhe shall dieבְּיַדin the hand ofגֹּאֵלthe avenger ofהַדָּםthe bloodעַד־עׇמְדוֹuntil he standלִפְנֵיbeforeהָעֵדָה׃the 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.