For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery ¹  in the land of Egypt ²  and performed these awesome miracles ³  before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations. ⁴ 

Joshua instructed ¹  the leaders of the people:

The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.

the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. ¹  It piled up far upstream ²  at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). ³  The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. ⁴ 

When they brought the kings out to Joshua, he ¹  summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the troops who accompanied him, “Come here ²  and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came up ³  and put their feet on their necks.

The first lot belonged to ¹  the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

The five Amorite kings ¹  ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah.

The one who committed manslaughter ¹  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. ²  They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there. ³ 

He must remain ¹  in that city until his case is decided by the assembly ²  and the high priest dies. ³  Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.” ⁴ 

Meanwhile ¹  the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River ²  near the fords. ³  The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them. ⁴ 

The stones ¹  will be a reminder to you. ²  When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’

Now ¹  all the men ²  who left were circumcised, but all the sons ³  born on the journey through the desert after they left Egypt were uncircumcised.

As they fled from Israel on the slope leading down from ¹  Beth Horon, the Lord threw down on them large hailstones from the sky, ²  all the way to Azekah. They died – in fact, more died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.

Twelve thousand men and women died ¹  that day, including all the men of Ai.

He replaced them with their sons, ¹  whom Joshua circumcised. They were uncircumcised; their fathers had not circumcised them along the way.

I and all the troops ¹  who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them.

Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities. ¹ 

When King Jabin of Hazor ¹  heard the news, he organized a coalition, including ²  King Jobab of Madon, the king of Shimron, the king of Acshaph,

So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah,

They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer,