the one who was constantly going before you to find places for you to set up camp. He appeared by fire at night and cloud by day, to show you the way you ought to go.

Anyone who accidentally killed someone ¹  without hating him at the time of the accident ²  could flee to one of those cities and be safe.

a land where you may eat food ¹  in plenty and find no lack of anything, a land whose stones are iron ²  and from whose hills you can mine copper.

Listen, Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan so you can dispossess the nations there, people greater and stronger than you who live in large cities with extremely high fortifications. ¹ 

You must by all means destroy ¹  all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods – on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree. ² 

But you must seek only the place he ¹  chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence, ²  and you must go there.

When you do go across the Jordan River ¹  and settle in the land he ²  is granting you as an inheritance and you find relief from all the enemies who surround you, you will live in safety. ³ 

Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you – in one of your villages ¹  that the Lord your God is giving you – who sins before the Lord your God ²  and breaks his covenant

When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing ¹  is being done in Israel,

But if the man came across ¹  the engaged woman in the field and overpowered her and raped ²  her, then only the rapist ³  must die.

You will feel your way along at noon like the blind person does in darkness and you will not succeed in anything you do; ¹  you will be constantly oppressed and continually robbed, with no one to save you.

Even if your exiles are in the most distant land, ¹  from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.

Meanwhile ¹  the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River ²  near the fords. ³  The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them. ⁴ 

Joshua replied to them, “Since you have so many people, ¹  go up into the forest and clear out a place to live in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites, for the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.”

Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there; ¹  these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood.

They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses. ¹ 

So now go and make a new cart. Get two cows that have calves and that have never had a yoke placed on them. Harness the cows to the cart and take their calves from them back to their stalls.

He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his chosen king ¹  is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.” ²  They said, “He is witness!”

So Saul said to the army that was with him, “Muster the troops and see who is no longer with us.” When they mustered the troops, ¹  Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

Now it was reported to Saul, “Look, the army is sinning against the Lord by eating even the blood.” He said, “All of you have broken the covenant! ¹  Roll a large stone over here to me.”