These six towns will be places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills any person accidentally may flee there.

“Not a single person of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors!

In your distress when all these things happen to you in the latter days, if you return to the Lord your God and obey him

The Lord commanded us to obey all these statutes and to revere him so that it may always go well for us and he may preserve us, as he has to this day.

He is the one you should praise; he is your God, the one who has done these great and awesome things for you that you have seen.

Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord and because of these detestable things the Lord your God is about to drive them out from before you.

This is how you are to deal with all those cities located far from you, those that do not belong to these nearby nations.

As for the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is going to give you as an inheritance, you must not allow a single living thing to survive.

Today the Lord your God is commanding you to keep these statutes and ordinances, something you must do with all your heart and soul.

So when you cross the Jordan you must erect on Mount Ebal these stones about which I am commanding you today, and you must cover them with plaster.

Then the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies, on those who hate you and persecute you.

Gather to me all your tribal elders and officials so I can speak to them directly about these things and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them.

The stones will be a reminder to you. When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’

He told the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones represent?’

Joshua said, “Open the cave’s mouth and bring the five kings out of the cave to me.”

Joshua captured in one campaign all these kings and their lands, for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.

All these kings gathered and joined forces at the Waters of Merom to fight Israel.

But the men of Manasseh were unable to conquer these cities; the Canaanites managed to remain in those areas.

as well as all the towns around these cities as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah of the Negev). This was the land assigned to the tribe of Simeon by its clans.

So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed.