Cities of Refuge
1 The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,
Kisha Bwana akanena na Yoshua, na kumwambia,
2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
Nena wewe na wana wa Israeli, uwaambie, Haya, toeni hiyo miji ya makimbilio, ambayo niliwaambia habari zake kwa mkono wa Musa;
3 that the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
ili kwamba mwenye kuua mtu, aliyemwua mtu awaye yote pasipo kukusudia, na pasipo kujua, apate kukimbilia kuko; nayo itakuwa ni mahali pa kukimbilia kwenu, kumkimbia huyo ajilipizaye kisasi cha damu.
4 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.
Naye ataikimbilia miji hiyo mmojawapo, naye atasimama hapo penye maingilio ya lango la huo mji, kisha atanena neno lake masikioni mwa wazee wa mji; nao watamtia kwao ndani ya mji, na kumpa mahali, ili apate kukaa kati yao.
5 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.
Na kama huyo mwenye kujilipiza kisasi cha damu akimwandamia, ndipo hawatamtoa huyo mwuaji kumtia mkononi mwake huyo; kwa sababu alimpiga mwenziwe naye hakujua, wala hakumchukia tangu hapo.
6 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.
Naye atakaa katika mji huo, hata hapo atakaposimama mbele ya mkutano kuhukumiwa, hata kifo chake kuhani mkuu mwenye kuwapo siku hizo; ndipo yule mwuaji atarudi, na kuuendea mji wake mwenyewe, na nyumba yake mwenyewe, hata mji huo alioutoka hapo alipokimbia.
7 And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
Nao wakaweka Kedeshi katika Galilaya katika nchi ya vilima ya Naftali, na Shekemu katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, na Kiriath-arba (ndio Hebroni) katika nchi ya vilima ya Yuda.
8 And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
Tena ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani pande za Yeriko upande wa kuelekea mashariki wakaweka Bezeri ulioko nyikani, katika nchi tambarare ya kabila ya Reubeni, na Ramothi katika Gileadi katika kabila ya Gadi, na Golani katika Bashani katika kabila ya Manase.
9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
Miji hiyo ndiyo miji iliyoamriwa kwa ajili ya wana wa Israeli wote, na kwa ajili ya mgeni akaaye kati yao ugenini, ili kwamba mtu awaye yote atakayemwua mtu pasipo kukusudia apate kimbilia huko, asife kwa mkono wa mwenye kujilipiza kisasi cha damu, hata hapo atakapokuwa amekwisha simama mbele ya mkutano.
