Joshua 20:3

New Century Version

If a person kills someone accidentally and without meaning to kill him, that person may go to a city of safety to hide. There the killer will be safe from the relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer.

Cross References

2 Samuel 14:11

The woman said, “Please promise in the name of the Lord your God. Then my relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer won’t add to the destruction by killing my son.” David said, “As surely as the Lord lives, no one will hurt your son. Not one hair from his head will fall to the ground.”

Leviticus 4:2

“Tell the people of Israel this: ‘When a person sins by accident and does some things the Lord has commanded not to be done, that person must do these things:

Numbers 35:12

There the person will be safe from the dead person’s relative who has the duty of punishing the killer. He will not die before he receives a fair trial in court.

Numbers 35:19

A relative of the dead person must put the murderer to death; when they meet, the relative must kill the murderer.

Numbers 35:22

“ ‘But a person might suddenly shove someone, and not from hatred. Or a person might accidentally throw something and hit someone.

Hebrews 6:18

These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given.

Joshua 20:2

“Tell the Israelites to choose the special cities of safety, as I had Moses command you to do.

Joshua 20:4

“When the killer runs to one of those cities, he must stop at the entrance gate, stand there, and tell the leaders of the people what happened. Then that person will be allowed to enter the city and will be given a place to live among them.