God commandeth,

1 ¶ The LORDº also spakeºª unto² Joshua,º saying,ºª 2 Speakºª to² the childrenº of Israel,º saying,ºª Appoint² out¹ª for you² citiesº of refuge,º whereof² I spakeºª unto² you by the handº of Moses:º 3 That the slayerºª that killethºª [any] personº unawaresº [and] unwittinglyº² may fleeºª thither:² and they shall be² your refugeº from the avengerºª² of blood.º 4 And when he that doth fleeºª unto² oneº of those² citiesº² shall standºª at the enteringº of the gateº of the city,º and shall declareºª² his causeº in the earsº of the eldersº of that² city,º they shall takeºª him into the cityº unto them, and giveºª² him a place,º that he may dwellºª among² them. 5 And if² the avengerºª of bloodº pursueºª afterº him, then they shall not² deliverºª² the slayerºª up into his hand;º because² he smoteºª² his neighbourº unwittingly,ºº and hatedºª him not² beforetime.ºº 6 And he shall dwellºª in that² city,º until² he standºª beforeº the congregationº for judgment,º [and] until² the deathº of the highº priestº thatº shall be² in those² days:º then² shall the slayerºª return,ºª and comeºª unto² his own city,º and unto² his own house,º unto² the cityº from whence²²² he fled.ºª

and the children of Israel appoint the six cities of refuge.

7 ¶ And they appointedºª² Kedeshº in Galileeº in mountº Naphtali,º and Shechemº in mountº Ephraim,º and Kirjatharba,º which² [is] Hebron,º in the mountainº of Judah.º 8 And on the other sideº² Jordanº by Jerichoº eastward,º they assignedºª² Bezerº in the wildernessº upon the plainº out of the tribeº² of Reuben,º and Ramothº in Gileadº out of the tribeº² of Gad,º and Golanº in Bashanº out of the tribeº² of Manasseh.º 9 These² were² the citiesº appointedº for all² the childrenº of Israel,º and for the strangerº that sojournethºª amongº them, that whosoever² killethºª [any] personº at unawaresº might fleeºª thither,² and not² dieºª by the handº of the avengerºª of blood,º until² he stoodºª beforeº the congregation.º