Joshua 20:4 bbe — And if anyone goes in flight to one of those towns, and comes into the public place of the town, and puts his cause bef…

Bible in Basic English

"And if anyone goes in flight to one of those towns, and comes into the public place of the town, and puts his cause before the responsible men of the town, they will take him into the town and give him a place among them where he may be safe."

— Joshua 20:4, Bible in Basic English

Read in Another Translation

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Joshua 20:4 in Other Translations

4 versions All translations
  • ASV

    “And he shall flee unto one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. ”

  • WEB

    “He shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his cause 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.”

  • NET

    “The one who committed manslaughter should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city. They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.”

  • DRB

    “And when he shall flee to one of these cities: he shall stand before the gate of the city, and shall speak to the ancients of that city, such things as prove him innocent: and so shall they receive him, and give him a place to dwell in.”

Joshua 20 — Context

1

And the Lord said to Joshua,

2

Say to the children of Israel, Let certain towns be marked out as safe places, as I said to you by the mouth of Moses,

3

So that any man who in error and without design has taken the life of another, may go in flight to them: and they will be safe places for you from him who has the right of punishment for blood.

4

And if anyone goes in flight to one of those towns, and comes into the public place of the town, and puts his cause before the responsible men of the town, they will take him into the town and give him a place among them where he may be safe.

5

And if the one who has the right of punishment comes after him, they are not to give the taker of life up to him; because he was the cause of his neighbour's death without designing it and not in hate.

6

And he is to go on living in that town till he has to come before the meeting of the people to be judged; (till the death of him who is high priest at that time:) then the taker of life may come back to his town and to his house, to the town from which he had gone in flight.

7

So they made selection of Kedesh in Galilee in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (which is Hebron) in the hill-country of Judah.

Joshua 20:4 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Joshua 20:4 say?
Joshua 20:4 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “And if anyone goes in flight to one of those towns, and comes into the public place of the town, and puts his cause before the responsible men of the town, they will take him into the town and give him a place among them where he may be safe.”
Where is Joshua 20:4 in the Bible?
Joshua 20:4 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Joshua, chapter 20, verse 4.
Who wrote Joshua?
Joshua is traditionally attributed to Joshua (traditional). Traditionally written by Joshua with later additions noting his death and burial. It was written c. 1405–1380 BC.
What is the book of Joshua about?
Joshua is the account of Israel's entry into Canaan under Moses' successor — the crossing of the Jordan, the fall of Jericho, the conquest of the land, and its division among the twelve tribes. It is a record of God's faithfulness to his covenant promise to Abraham.
What are the major themes of Joshua?
Joshua explores themes including Conquest, Faithfulness, Inheritance, Courage, Holy War. These themes shape the meaning and context of Joshua 20:4.
What translation should I read Joshua 20:4 in?
Joshua 20:4 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Joshua 20:4?
Joshua 20:4 reads (BBE): “And if anyone goes in flight to one of those towns, and comes into the public place of the town, and puts his cause before the responsible men of the town, they will take him into the town and give him a place among them where he may be safe.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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