1
Kisha Bwana akanena na Yoshua, na kumwambia,
Then the LORD said to Joshua,
2
Nena wewe na wana wa Israeli, uwaambie, Haya, toeni hiyo miji ya makimbilio, ambayo niliwaambia habari zake kwa mkono wa Musa;
“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
3
ili kwamba mwenye kuua mtu, aliyemwua mtu awaye yote pasipo kukusudia, na pasipo kujua, apate kukimbilia kuko; nayo itakuwa ni mahali pa kukimbilia kwenu, kumkimbia huyo ajilipizaye kisasi cha damu.
so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4
Naye ataikimbilia miji hiyo mmojawapo, naye atasimama hapo penye maingilio ya lango la huo mji, kisha atanena neno lake masikioni mwa wazee wa mji; nao watamtia kwao ndani ya mji, na kumpa mahali, ili apate kukaa kati yao.
When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.
5
Na kama huyo mwenye kujilipiza kisasi cha damu akimwandamia, ndipo hawatamtoa huyo mwuaji kumtia mkononi mwake huyo; kwa sababu alimpiga mwenziwe naye hakujua, wala hakumchukia tangu hapo.
Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.
6
Naye atakaa katika mji huo, hata hapo atakaposimama mbele ya mkutano kuhukumiwa, hata kifo chake kuhani mkuu mwenye kuwapo siku hizo; ndipo yule mwuaji atarudi, na kuuendea mji wake mwenyewe, na nyumba yake mwenyewe, hata mji huo alioutoka hapo alipokimbia.
He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.”
7
Nao wakaweka Kedeshi katika Galilaya katika nchi ya vilima ya Naftali, na Shekemu katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, na Kiriath-arba (ndio Hebroni) katika nchi ya vilima ya Yuda.
So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
8
Tena ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani pande za Yeriko upande wa kuelekea mashariki wakaweka Bezeri ulioko nyikani, katika nchi tambarare ya kabila ya Reubeni, na Ramothi katika Gileadi katika kabila ya Gadi, na Golani katika Bashani katika kabila ya Manase.
And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.
9
Miji hiyo ndiyo miji iliyoamriwa kwa ajili ya wana wa Israeli wote, na kwa ajili ya mgeni akaaye kati yao ugenini, ili kwamba mtu awaye yote atakayemwua mtu pasipo kukusudia apate kimbilia huko, asife kwa mkono wa mwenye kujilipiza kisasi cha damu, hata hapo atakapokuwa amekwisha simama mbele ya mkutano.
These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.