for the people who were in the land before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become unclean.

These were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were killed by the hand of David and his soldiers.

So he overthrew those cities and all that region, including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew from the ground.

I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.

He, the God who leads you, will expel the nations little by little. You will not be allowed to destroy them all at once lest the wild animals overrun you.

However, suppose a person hates someone else and stalks him, attacks him, kills him, and then flees to one of these cities.

Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

Stay in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, and I will fulfill the solemn promise I made to your father Abraham.

Anyone who accidentally killed someone without hating him at the time of the accident could flee to one of those cities and be safe.