'Refuge' in the Bible

“The cities you give the Levites will include six cities of refuge, which you must provide so that the one who kills someone may flee there; in addition to these, give 42 other cities.

designate cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

You will have the cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who kills someone will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.

The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

Select three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan to be cities of refuge.

These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or temporary resident among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.

The assembly is to protect the one who kills someone from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge he fled to, and he must live there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

“If the one who kills someone ever goes outside the border of the city of refuge he fled to,

and the avenger of blood finds him outside the border of his city of refuge and kills him, the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed,

for the one who killed a person was supposed to live in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may the one who has killed a person return to the land he possesses.

Neither should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to his city of refuge, allowing him to return and live in the land before the death of the high priest.

He will say: “Where are their gods,the ‘rock’ they found refuge in?

“Tell the Israelites: Select your cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,

so that a person who kills someone unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

They gave to the descendants of Aaron the priest:Hebron, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands,

The Israelites gave them:Shechem, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands,

From half the tribe of Manasseh, they gave to the descendants of Gershon, who were one of the Levite clans:Golan, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands in Bashan, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands—two cities.

From the tribe of Naphtali they gave:Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities.

From the tribe of Gad they gave:Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands,

The bramble said to the trees,“If you really are anointing meas king over you,come and find refuge in my shade.But if not,may fire come out from the brambleand consume the cedars of Lebanon.”

May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there.

my God, my mountain where I seek refuge.My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge,and my Savior, You save me from violence.

God—His way is perfect;the word of the Lord is pure.He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

God is my strong refuge;He makes my way perfect.

Aaron’s sons were given:Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah and its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands,

Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer and its pasturelands,

Pay homage to the Son or He will be angryand you will perish in your rebellion,for His anger may ignite at any moment.All those who take refuge in Him are happy.

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice;let them shout for joy forever.May You shelter them,and may those who love Your name boast about You.

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.Yahweh my God, I seek refuge in You;save me from all my pursuers and rescue me

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,a refuge in times of trouble.

For the choir director. Davidic.I have taken refuge in the Lord.How can you say to me,“Escape to the mountain like a bird!

You sinners frustrate the plans of the afflicted,but the Lord is his refuge.

A Davidic Miktam.Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.

Display the wonders of Your faithful love,Savior of all who seek refugefrom those who rebel against Your right hand.

The Lord is my rock,my fortress, and my deliverer,my God, my mountain where I seek refuge,my shield and the horn of my salvation,my stronghold.

God—His way is perfect;the word of the Lord is pure.He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Guard me and deliver me;do not let me be put to shame,for I take refuge in You.

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.Lord, I seek refuge in You;let me never be disgraced.Save me by Your righteousness.

Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.Be a rock of refuge for me,a mountain fortress to save me.

You will free me from the netthat is secretly set for me,for You are my refuge.

How great is Your goodnessthat You have stored up for those who fear Youand accomplished in the sight of everyonefor those who take refuge in You.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!

The Lord redeems the life of His servants,and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished.

God, Your faithful love is so valuablethat people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,their refuge in a time of distress.

The Lord helps and delivers them;He will deliver them from the wicked and will save thembecause they take refuge in Him.

For You are the God of my refuge.Why have You rejected me?Why must I go about in sorrowbecause of the enemy’s oppression?

For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.God is our refuge and strength,a helper who is always foundin times of trouble.

“Here is the manwho would not make God his refuge,but trusted in the abundance of his riches,taking refuge in his destructive behavior.”

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Davidic Miktam. When he fled before Saul into the cave.Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,for I take refuge in You.I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wingsuntil danger passes.

But I will sing of Your strengthand will joyfully proclaimYour faithful love in the morning.For You have been a stronghold for me,a refuge in my day of trouble.

for You have been a refuge for me,a strong tower in the face of the enemy.

I will live in Your tent foreverand take refuge under the shelter of Your wings.Selah

My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock.My refuge is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;pour out your hearts before Him.God is our refuge.Selah

The righteous one rejoices in the Lordand takes refuge in Him;all those who are upright in heartwill offer praise.

Lord, I seek refuge in You;let me never be disgraced.

Be a rock of refuge for me,where I can always go.Give the command to save me,for You are my rock and fortress.

I have become an ominous sign to many,but You are my strong refuge.

But as for me, God’s presence is my good.I have made the Lord God my refuge,so I can tell about all You do.

BOOK IV(Psalms 90–106)A prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, You have been our refugein every generation.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust.”

He will cover you with His feathers;you will take refuge under His wings.His faithfulness will be a protective shield.

Because you have made the Lord—my refuge,the Most High—your dwelling place,

But the Lord is my refuge;my God is the rock of my protection.

The high mountains are for the wild goats;the cliffs are a refuge for hyraxes.

It is better to take refuge in the Lordthan to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lordthan to trust in nobles.

But my eyes look to You, Lord God.I seek refuge in You; do not let me die.

Look to the right and see:no one stands up for me;there is no refuge for me;no one cares about me.

He is my faithful love and my fortress,my stronghold and my deliverer.He is my shield, and I take refuge in Him;He subdues my people under me.

In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidenceand his children have a refuge.

The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin,but the righteous one has a refuge in his death.

Every word of God is pure;He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

and there will be a booth for shade from heat by day, and a refuge and shelter from storm and rain.

Madmenah has fled.The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.

What answer will be given to the messengers from that nation?The Lord has founded Zion,and His afflicted people find refuge in her.

Let my refugees stay with you;be a refuge for Moab from the aggressor.When the oppressor has gone,destruction has ended,and marauders have vanished from the land.

For You have been a stronghold for the poor,a stronghold for the needy person in his distress,a refuge from the rain, a shade from the heat.When the breath of the violentis like rain against a wall,

For you said, “We have cut a deal with Death,and we have made an agreement with Sheol;when the overwhelming scourge passes through,it will not touch us,because we have made falsehood our refugeand have hidden behind treachery.”

And I will make justice the measuring lineand righteousness the mason’s level.”Hail will sweep away the false refuge,and water will flood your hiding place.

They set out to go down to Egyptwithout asking My advice,in order to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protectionand take refuge in Egypt’s shadow.

But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame,and refuge in Egypt’s shadow your disgrace.

Each will be like a shelter from the wind,a refuge from the rain,like streams of water in a dry landand the shade of a massive rock in an arid land.

he will dwell on the heights;his refuge will be the rocky fortresses,his food provided, his water assured.

When you cry out,let your collection of idols deliver you!The wind will carry all of them off,a breath will take them away.But whoever takes refuge in Mewill inherit the landand possess My holy mountain.

Lord, my strength and my stronghold,my refuge in a time of distress,the nations will come to Youfrom the ends of the earth, and they will say,“Our fathers inherited only lies,worthless idols of no benefit at all.”

Don’t become a terror to me.You are my refuge in the day of disaster.

The Lord will roar from Zionand raise His voice from Jerusalem;heaven and earth will shake.But the Lord will be a refuge for His people,a stronghold for the Israelites.

The Lord is good,a stronghold in a day of distress;He cares for those who take refuge in Him.

You also will become drunk;you will hide yourself.You also will seek refuge from the enemy.

so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.