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Joshua 20: Cities of Refuge

Yahweh tells Joshua to assign the cities of refuge that He spoke of by Moses. A person who kills someone accidentally may flee to one of these cities, stand at the gate, and tell his case to the elders. They take him in, and the avenger of blood may not hand him over. He stays until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest. Six cities are set apart: Kedesh, Shechem, and Hebron west of the Jordan, and Bezer, Ramoth in Gilead, and Golan east of it. They are for Israelites and for the alien who lives among them.

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Bible:

Read Joshua 20

World English Bible · 9 verses

  1. 1 Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  2. 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  3. 3 that the man slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  4. 4 He shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live among them.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  5. 5 If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver up the man slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  6. 6 He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. Then the man slayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.’”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  7. 7 They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  8. 8 Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
  9. 9 These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands trial before the congregation.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org

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Joshua 20 · Preschool

Safe Places

Name Date

Color the safe city on the hill!

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“He shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live among them.”

Joshua 20:4 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Say: God made safe places for His people. God is our safe place too.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

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