Joshua 20:3-5

20:3 Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there; ¹  these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood. 20:4 The one who committed manslaughter ²  should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city. ³  They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there. ⁴  20:5 When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation. ⁵ 

¹ tn Heb “so that the one who kills, taking life accidentally without knowledge, may flee there.”

² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the one who accidentally kills another, cf. v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Heb “and speak into the ears of the elders of that city his words.”

⁴ tn Heb “and they should gather him into the city to themselves, give to him a place, and he will live with them.”

³ tn Heb “for without knowledge he killed his neighbor, and he was not hating him prior to that.”