^20:3Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there;³ these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood. ^20:4The one who committed manslaughter⁴ 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.⁵ They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.⁶^20:5When 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.⁷^20:6He must remain⁸ in that city until his case is decided by the assembly⁹ and the high priest dies.¹⁰ Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.”¹¹

Read in Logos

Footnotes

3 Heb “so that the one who kills, taking life accidentally without knowledge, may flee there.”
4 Heb “he”; the referent (the one who accidentally kills another, cf. v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 Heb “and speak into the ears of the elders of that city his words.”
6 Heb “and they should gather him into the city to themselves, give to him a place, and he will live with them.”
7 Heb “for without knowledge he killed his neighbor, and he was not hating him prior to that.”
8 Or “live.”
9 Heb “until he stands before the assembly for judgment.”
10 Heb “until the death of the high priest who is in those days.”
11 Heb “may return and enter his city and his house, the city from which he escaped.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’ ”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

so that a person who kills someone unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before the elders of that city, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, for he killed his neighbor accidentally and did not hate him beforehand. 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 one who committed manslaughter may return home to his own city from which he fled.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed.

“Upon reaching one of these cities, the one who caused the death will appear before the elders at the city gate and present his case. They must allow him to enter the city and give him a place to live among them. If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility. But the slayer must stay in that city and be tried by the local assembly, which will render a judgment. And he must continue to live in that city until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the accident. After that, he is free to return to his own home in the town from which he fled.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Anyone who kills a person by accident or unintentionally may flee there; they will be for yourselves a refuge from the avenger of blood. The killer will flee to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and state his case to the elders of that city; and they will take him into the city and give him a place, and he will dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursues after him, they will not hand over the killer into his hand, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally, and he did not hate him previously. The killer will stay in that city until he stands before the congregation for the trial, until the death of the one who is the high priest in those days. Then the killer will return to his city and to his house, to the city from which he fled.’ ”

KJV 1900King James Version

That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

Public Domain