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.
Iilando yokwiigamena
(Num. 35:9-28Jos. 20:1-9)1 “Omuwa Kalunga koye ngele a hanagula po iigwana yevi ndyoka te ke li ku pa, nangoye ngele wa lala iilando nomagumbo gawo nowa tula mo. 2-3 Topola evi ndyoka Omuwa Kalunga koye te ke li ku pa, miitopolwa itatu. Moshitopolwa kehe yoolola oshilando shimwe shopokati, moka omuntu ta vulu okuholama, ngele a dhipaga mukwawo. 4 Ngele omuntu ta dhipaga mukwawo hanowina ye ke shi omutondi gwe, ota vulu okumatukila mushimwe shomiilando mbika, a holame. 5 Ngaashika ando aantu yaali taa yi mokuti ya ka komangele omiti, ndele gumwe ta keke omuti, ekuya e tali hukuka ko e tali dhipaga mukwawo, ota vulu okumatukila kushimwe shomiilando mbika itatu e ta hupu. 6 Ngele oku na owala oshilando shimwe, noshinano oshile noonkondo, omukwawo gwanakudhipagwa ngoka te mu galulile iikonene yokudhipaga, ote mu kwata nomondjahi ota dhipaga omukeenandjo. Ndishi shika oshiponga, sho omuntu a dhipaga mukwawo ngoka a li kee shi omutondi gwe. 7 Omolwashoka tandi ku lombwele, wi iyoololele iilando itatu.
8 “Omuwa Kalunga koye ngele ta taandelitha oshilongo, ngaashi a lombwele oohokulu kutya ote shi ningi note ku pe evi alihe e li uvaneka, 9 ihogololela tuu natango iilando itatu. (Ote ke ku pa evi ndika, ngele oto gwanitha ayihe mbyoka tandi ku lombwele nena ndjika nongele ou hole Omuwa Kalunga koye e to ende pamalongo ge.) 10 Shi ninga, opo aantu aakaanandjo yaa se nowaa kale u na ondjo yoku ya dhipaga mevi ndyoka Omuwa Kalunga koye te li ku pe.
11 “Ihe ngele oku na ngoka e tonde mukwawo e te mu langele note mu dhipaga owina e ta ka holama mushimwe shomiilando mbika itatu, 12 nena aakuluntu yoshilando she naye mu tume ko a ze ko notaye mu gandja miikaha yanakupula ombinzi, opo e mu dhipage. 13 Ino mu sila ohenda. Kutha Israel momadhipagathano, opo u kale u na elago.”
Oongamba dhaakulu yonale
14 “Ino lundulula ongamba yamushiinda shoye ndjoka ya tendwa nalenale koohokulu mevi ndyoka Omuwa Kalunga koye te ke li ku pa.”
Kombinga yoonzapo
15 “Onzapo yimwe ayike inayi gwana okutompitha omuntu moontamanana, shila ongele oonzapo dhi li po mbali nenge ndatu dhi holole kutya omuntu omusama. 16 Ngele ope na omuntu te ehameke mukwawo te mu etele ondjo yiifundja nenge uusama, 17 ayehe yaali naa ye kehala lyelongelokalunga e taa tokolwa kaayambi naatokolihapu mboka ye li moshilonga. 18 Aatokolihapu naa konakone oshinima nawa, nongele omuntu okwa ningi onzapo yiifundja okutamaneka mukwawo, 19 na geelwe negeelo ndyoka lya li li na okugeelwa mukwawo a lundilwa. Pahedhi ndjika oto kombo po uuwinayi mbuka. 20 Nena ayehe taye shi kundana, otaa tila nokape na we ngoka ta ka halela mukwawo uuwinayi u thike mpoka. 21 Miinima ya tya ngeyi ino kala nando u na ohenda; egeelo nali kale tuu omwenyo omomwenyo, eho omeho, eyego omeyego, oshikaha omoshikaha nompadhi omompadhi.”
