The Cities of Refuge
(Numbers 35.9-34Joshua 20.1-9)1 “After the Lord your God has destroyed the people whose land he is giving you and after you have taken their cities and houses and settled there, 2-3 divide the territory into three parts, each with a city that can be easily reached. Then any of you that kill will be able to escape to one of them for protection. 4 If you accidentally kill someone who is not your enemy, you may escape to any of these cities and be safe. 5 For example, if two of you go into the forest together to cut wood and if, as one of you is chopping down a tree, the ax head comes off the handle and kills the other, you can run to one of those three cities and be safe. 6 If there were only one city, the distance to it might be too great, and the relative who is responsible for taking revenge for the killing might catch you and angrily kill an innocent person. After all, it was by accident that you killed someone who was not your enemy. 7 This is why I order you to set aside three cities.
8 “When the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he told your ancestors he would, and gives you all the land he has promised, 9 then you are to select three more cities. (He will give you this land if you do everything that I command you today and if you love the Lord your God and live according to his teachings.) 10 Do this, so that innocent people will not die and so that you will not be guilty of putting them to death in the land that the Lord is giving you.
11 “But suppose you deliberately murder your enemy in cold blood and then escape to one of those cities for protection. 12 In that case, the leaders of your own town are to send for you and hand you over to the relative responsible for taking revenge for the murder, so that you may be put to death. 13 No mercy will be shown to you. Israel must rid itself of murderers, so that all will go well.
Ancient Property Lines
14 “Do not move your neighbor's property line, established long ago in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Concerning Witnesses
15 “One witness is not enough to convict someone of a crime; at least two witnesses are necessary to prove that someone is guilty. 16 If any of you try to harm another by false accusations, 17 both of you are to go to the one place of worship and be judged by the priests and judges who are then in office. 18 The judges will investigate the case thoroughly; and if you have made a false accusation, 19 you are to receive the punishment the accused would have received. In this way your nation will get rid of this evil. 20 Then everyone else will hear what happened; they will be afraid, and no one will ever again do such an evil thing. 21 In such cases show no mercy; the punishment is to be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.
Ovihuro vyomaundiro
(Num 35:9-34Jos 20:1-9)1 “Muhona, Ndjambi woye, tja zu nokunyona oviwaṋa vyehi eye ndi me ku pe, nove o vi ramba mouini wavyo, no tura movihuro na mozondjuwo zavyo, 2 ritoororera ovihuro vitatu mehi ndi. 3 Ehi Muhona, Ndjambi woye, ndi me ku pe, ri rire ouini woye, ri haṋa motukondwa tutatu, nu morukondwa aruhe ngamu kare otjihuro tjimwe. Nu ondjira, ndji yenda ngo, i koronga nawa kutja auhe ngwa zepa omundu, a sore okutaurira ngo. 4 Tji pe nomundu ngwa zeperere omukwao ngu ha ri novita na ye, eye ma yenene okutaurira ku tjimwe tjovihuro mbyo, na kayamwa. 5 Rumwe mape kara nai: Ovarumendu vevari mave i pamwe mokuti okukaka ozonguṋe, nu umwe ngunda ama ke omuti, ekuva ari homoka komupiṋe nari zepa omukwao, eye nga taurire ku tjimwe tjovihuro mbi, a kayamwe. 6 Ape ha yandjerwa omunangore kutja momazenge we a tezere ingwi omuzepe, nokutja mena roure wondjira e mu vaze, nu e mu zepe; orondu omurumendu ngwi ka pwire pokuṱa, tjinga e ha ri omunavita nomukwao rukuru. 7 Opu me ku rakizire ame tja nai: Ritoororera ovihuro vitatu.
8 “Nu Muhona, Ndjambi woye, tji ma parangisa ehi roye otja tja kwizikira ooiho mukururume noruyano, ne ku pe indi ehi arihe nda kwizikire, 9 ritoororera ovihuro vitatu vyarwe okuviweza ku imbi ovitenga. Eye me ku pe ehi ndi, tji mo ṱakamisa nawa omatwako nga aehe ngu me ku rakiza ndinondi, amo suvere Muhona, Ndjambi woye, nokuryanga aruhe mozondjira ze. 10 Tjita nai kutja o ha tura ondjo yokuzepa omundu omuhinandjo mehi ra Muhona, Ndjambi woye, ndi me ku pe ri rire otjirumatwa tjoye.
11 “Nungwari tji pe nomundu ngu novita nomukwao, ne mu honine nokumutjendjereka nokumutona nga tja koka, nu tjazumba a taurire kotjihuro tjimwe tjaimbi, 12 ovanane votjihuro tjawo ngave hinde ovandu kutja a kakamburwe nu a yandjewe komunangore, kutja a ṱe. 13 O mu ṱire ondjenda. Isa mo omatirahiro wombinḓu ohinandjo mOisrael, kutja u kare nombwiro.
Omiruko vyehi nomahongonona woposyo
14 “O rundurura omuruko wopopezu na ove, ooiho mukururume mbu va twire po kotjirumatwa tjoye mehi Muhona, Ndjambi woye, ndi me ku pe ri rire ouini woye.
15 “Omuhongonone umwe ke nokuyenena okuhongonona ondataiziro poo ondjo ngamwa aihe yomundu; omahongonona wovandu vevari poo vetatu ongu maye raisa kutja omundu omunandjo poo omuhinandjo. 16 Omundu umwe tji ma kondjo okuhihamisa omukwao, ame mu kuminine posyo kutja u nondjo, 17 ovarumendu mba vevari mbe notjiposa, ngave kakurame komurungu wa Muhona, komurungu wovapristeri novapangure mbu mave kara mbo momayuva ngo. 18 Novapangure ngave konḓonone otjiposa hi nawa; nomundu tja kuminine omukwao mombanguriro, 19 mamu sokutjita ku ye tjimuna indu eye omuini tja vanga okutjita komukwao. Komuhingo mbwi otji mamu isa mo ouvi mokati keṋu. 20 Nu auhe warwe ngu ma zuu ihi tji tja tjitwa, ma tira na ha tjiti otjiṋa otjivi tji tja sana ngo rukwao. 21 O ṱotjari; indji omberero mai rire omuinyo komuinyo, eho keho, eyo keyo, eke keke, nombaze kombaze.
