CHAP XX.

CITIES OF REFUGE APPOINTED.

THEN the Eternal said to Joshua, 2. Say to the Israelites, Appoint the cities of refuge, whereof I spake by Moses; 3. That he who killeth any una wares may flee thither, for a refuge from the avenger. 4. And having given the evidence of his cause at the gate to the elders of the city, they shall take him into it, and give him a place to dwell in. 5. And not deliver him to the avenger; because he hated not his neighbour in time past, nor designed to slay him. 6. And he shall dwell there till the death of the high priest; then shall he return to his own city, and be judged by the judges of it, and dwell in his own house.

7. So they set apart Kadesh of Galilee, in the hill countries of Naphtali, and the hilly country of Shechem, on Ephraim, and Kirjath-araba, which is Hebron, on the mountain of Judah. 8. And on the east side of Jordan, opposite to Jericho, they assigned Bezer by the wilderness, on the plain, Reuben's possession, and Ramoth in Gilead, Gad's possession, and Golan in Bashan, in the half tribe of Manasseh's possession; 9. That any, whether Israelite or stranger, who happened to kill a person unawares, might flee thither, till his cause was decided.

CHAP. XXI..

CITIES GIVEN TO THE LEVITES.

THEN the chief fathers of the Levites approached Eleazer the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of Israel's tribe, 2.At Shiloh, in Canaan, and said, The Eternal commanded by Moses, to give us cities to dwell in, with their fields for our cattle.

3. So the other tribes gave cities, with their fields,

out of their possessions, to the Levites, according to the Eternal's command, 4. So the first lot came for the Kohathites, Aaron the priest's posterity, be ing Levites, they had by lot out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen eities. 5. And the rest of the Kohahites had by lot ten cities, in the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half tribe of Manasseh. 6. The Gershonites also had by lot thir teen cities, in the tribes of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali, and the lialf tribe of Manasseh, in Bashan. 7. The Merarites had twelve cities, from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 8. The Israelites gave these cities with fields to them, as the Eternal commanded by Moses.

9. They gave also out of the tribes of Judah and Simeon the following cities, 10. Which the Koha. thite Levites, being Aaron's posterity, received; as they got the first lot, 11. Even the city of Arba, Anak's father, which is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its suburbs around it. 12. But they had given the fields of the city, and its villages, to Caleb Jephuneh's son, for his possession.

13. They gave to Aaron the priest's offspring, Hebron with its suburbs, to be a city of refuge, and Libenah, 4. Jattir, Eshtëmoa, 15. Holon, Debir, 16. Ain, Juttah, and Bethshemesh, with their suburbs: ninė cities from those two tribes. 17. And from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon, Gebah, 18. Anathoth, and Almon, four cities with their suburbs. 19. All the cities of Aaron the priest's offspring, were thirteen, with their suburbs.

20. And the rest of the Levites of Kohath's posterity, had the cities of their lot from the tribe of Ephtaim, even Shechem with its suburbs. 21. In the mountains of Ephraim to be a city of refuge, and Gezer, 22. And Kibzaim and Bethhoron; four cities with their suburbs. 23. And from Dan's tribe, Eltekeh, Gibethon, 24. Aijalon, Gath-rimmon; four cities with their suburbs. 25. And from the half

tribe of Manasseh, Tanaack, with its suburbs. 26. All the cities were ten, with their suburbs, for the remnant of the Kohathites.

27. And the Levites of Gershon's offspring received from the other half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan, with its suburbs, to be a city of refuge, and Beeshterah with its suburbs. 28. And from the tribe of Issachar, Kishon, Dabareh, 29. Jarmuth, and Engannim; four cities with their suburbs. 30. And from the tribe of Asher, Mishal, 31. Abdon, Kelkath, and Rehob; four cities with. their suburbs. 32. And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kadesh in Galilee, with its suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the accidental slayer, Hamothdor, and Kartan, with their suburbs, three cities. 33. All the cities of the Gershonites were thirteen with their suburbs.

34. And the rest of the Levites, the Merarites, received from the tribe of Zebulun, Jocknean, Kartah, 35. Dimnah and Nahalal; four cities with their suburbs. 36. And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer, a city of refuge, Jahazah, 37. Kedemoth, by the wilderness, and Mephaoth; four cities with their suburbs. 38. And from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead, a ciiy of refuge, and Mahanaim, 39. Heshbon and Jazer; four cities with their suburbs.

40. Thus all the cities of the rest of the Levites, the offspring of Merari, were twelve, according to their lot. 41. The number of cities, which all the Levites possessed, within the inheritance of the Israelites, were forty-eight, with their suburbs. 42. Every one had suburbs, or fields around them for cattle.

43. Now the Eternal gave to the Israelites the land which he promised to their fathers. 44. And he gave them rest in it from all their enemies around according to all that he promised to their fathers; he delivered all their enemies into their hands; none were able to stand before them. 45. He performed all the good things he had promised.

CHAP XXII.

THE TWO TRIBES AND A HALF RETURN HOME.

THEN Joshua called the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 2. And said to them, Ye have observed all that Moses the Eternal's servant commanded you. 3. And have thus kept the charge we gave you by the Eternal your God's command, in accompanying your brethren until now. 4. And as he hath given them the rest he promised them, in possessing Canaan, return ye to your possession, which Moses the Eternal's servant gave you on the other side of Jordan. 5. But observe diligently the Eternal's law, which Moses his servant charged you to do, that ye love the Eternal your God, and walk in all his ways, by keeping his commands, and cleaving to him, and serving him with all the faculites of your soul and bodily powers.

6. So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away to their possessions.

7. (To the one half of Manasseh's tribe, Moses had given possessions in Bashan, and to the other Joshua gave possessions among their brethren, on the west side of ordan.)

8. Now Joshua said to them, Return with much riches to your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, gold, brass, iron, and very much raiment; and give a part of the spoil of your enemies to your brethren.

9. So the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh, departed from the Israelites in Shiloh, in Canaan, and returned to their possessions in Gilead, which they received, according to the Eternal's word by Moses.

10. But when they came to Jordan's banks, they built a notable great altar before they passed over.

11. But when the Israelites of the other tribes heard of it, 12. They assembled at Shiloh, to go

and make war against them. 13. And they sent Phinehas the priest to them at Gilead, 14. Accompanied with ten chiefs, one from each principal family among all the tribes. 15. And they said to them, 16. Thus saith the Eternal's whole congregation, Why have ye committed this trespass against the God of Israel, to apostatize now from the Eternal, by building yourselves an altar, that ye may rebel against him? 17. Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us (Num. xxv. 4.) to bear? we are not yet cleared from it, though there was a plague in the congregation. 18. And will ye yet apostatize from the Eternal, that his anger may be kindled against the whole congregation. 19. If the land of your possessions be wholly unclean, come over to our possessions, where the Eternal's tabernacle dwells, and we will share them among you: but rebel not against the Eternal and his people, in building yourselves an altar besides the Eternal our God's altar. 20. Did not Achan commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on the whole congregation, so that he perished not alone in his iniquity?

21. Then they replied, 22. The Eternal, the God of gods, who is the only true God, knows, and Israel shall know, that it is not in rebellion or transgression against the Eternal, 23. That we have built us an altar, may he destroy us this day, rather than that we should apostatize from him to offer on it. 24.. But we have built this altar for a memorial, lest your posterity should say to ours in future times, Why come ye over to the God of Israel's feasts? 25. The Eternal hath made Jordan the boundary be twen us and you, so that ye have no part in him; and thus might your posterity make ours apostatize from the Eternal. 26. Therefore we said, Let us build here an altar, not for offering sacrifices, 27. But for a testimony to our posterity and yours, that those may thus ascertain their priviledge to go over Jordan, to offer sacrifices at the Eternal's altar, and