'Refuge' in the Bible

Hurry and take refuge there, for I cannot do anything [to punish Sodom] until you arrive there.” For this reason the town was named Zoar (few, small).

When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. Then Moses fled from Pharaoh’s presence and took refuge in the land of Midian, where he sat down by a well.

[Among] the cities which you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall provide for the one who commits manslaughter to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities [to the Levites].

then you shall select for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge, so that the one who kills any person unintentionally may escape there.

The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who has caused the death of another will not be killed until he has had a [fair] trial before the congregation.

The cities which you are to provide shall be your six cities of refuge.

You shall provide three cities on this [east] side of the Jordan [River], and three [more] cities in the land of Canaan; they are to be the cities of refuge.

These six cities shall be a refuge for the Israelites and for the stranger and the resident alien among them; so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may escape there.

The congregation shall rescue the offender from the hand of the blood avenger and return him to his city of refuge, [the place] to which he had escaped; and he shall live there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the sacred oil.

But if at any time the one guilty of manslaughter comes outside the border of his city of refuge to which he fled,

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

because the offender should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the high priest’s death the offender shall return to the land of his possession.

You shall not accept a ransom for him who has escaped to his city of refuge, so that he may return to live in his [own] land before the death of the high priest.

Then Moses set apart three cities [of refuge] beyond the Jordan toward the rising of the sun (eastward),

Therefore, I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside three cities [of refuge] for yourself.’

“And He will say, ‘Where are their gods,The rock in which they took refuge?

“The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place,And underneath are the everlasting arms;He drove out the enemy from before you,And said, ‘Destroy!’

“Speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Designate the cities of refuge (asylum), of which I spoke to you through Moses,

so that the person (manslayer) who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall be your refuge from the blood avenger.

So to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands, and Libnah with its pasture lands,

They gave them Shechem, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands, in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasture lands,

To the sons of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites, they gave from the other half-tribe of Manasseh, [the city of] Golan in Bashan, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands, and Be-eshterah with its pasture lands; two cities.

From the tribe of Naphtali, they gave Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands and Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands and Kartan with its pasture lands; three cities.

From the tribe of Gad, they gave Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands and Mahanaim with its pasture lands,

So the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

May the Lord repay you for your kindness, and may your reward be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge,My Savior—You save me from violence.

“As for God, His way is blameless and perfect;The word of the Lord is tested.He is a shield to all those who take refuge and trust in Him.

And Adonijah feared Solomon, and he got up and went [to the tabernacle on Mt. Zion] and took hold of the horns of the altar [seeking asylum].

To the sons of Aaron they gave the following cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,

They gave to the Levites the following cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its pasture lands, Gezer with its pasture lands;

Kiss (pay respect to) the Son, so that He does not become angry, and you perish in the way,For His wrath may soon be kindled and set aflame.How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] are all those who take refuge in Him!

But let all who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice,Let them ever sing for joy;Because You cover and shelter them,Let those who love Your name be joyful and exult in You.

O Lord my God, in You I take refuge;Save me and rescue me from all those who pursue me,

The Lord also will be a refuge and a stronghold for the oppressed,A refuge in times of trouble;

In the Lord I take refuge [and put my trust];How can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to your mountain;

You [evildoers] shamefully plan against the poor,But the Lord is his safe refuge.

Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have placed my trust and found refuge.

Wondrously show Your [marvelous and amazing] lovingkindness,O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right handFrom those who rise up against them.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.

As for God, His way is blameless.The word of the Lord is tested [it is perfect, it is faultless];He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Guard my soul and rescue me;Do not let me be ashamed or disappointed,For I have taken refuge in You.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—Whom shall I fear?The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life—Whom shall I dread?

In You, O Lord, I have placed my trust and taken refuge;Let me never be ashamed;In Your righteousness rescue me.

Incline Your ear to me, deliver me quickly;Be my rock of refuge,And a strong fortress to save me.

How great is Your goodness,Which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You,Which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You,Before the sons of man!

O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good;How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him.

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;He is their refuge and stronghold in the time of trouble.

The Lord helps them and rescues them;He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,Because they take refuge in Him.

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the Lord his trust,And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies.

For You are the God of my strength [my stronghold—in whom I take refuge]; why have You rejected me?Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable],A very present and well-proved help in trouble.

The Lord of hosts is with us;The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

The Lord of hosts is with us;The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

God, in her palaces,Has made Himself known as a stronghold.

“Look, [this is] the man who would not make God his strength [his stronghold and fortress],But trusted in the abundance of his riches,Taking refuge in his wealth.”

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious and merciful to me,For my soul finds shelter and safety in You,And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge and be confidently secureUntil destruction passes by.

But as for me, I will sing of Your mighty strength and power;Yes, I will sing joyfully of Your lovingkindness in the morning;For You have been my strongholdAnd a refuge in the day of my distress.

For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me,A strong tower against the enemy.

Let me dwell in Your tent forever;Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah.

On God my salvation and my glory rest;He is my rock of [unyielding] strength, my refuge is in God.

Trust [confidently] in Him at all times, O people;Pour out your heart before Him.God is a refuge for us. Selah.

The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him;All the upright in heart will glory and offer praise.

In you, O Lord, I have put my trust and confidently taken refuge;Let me never be put to shame.

Be to me a rock of refuge and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually come;You have given the commandment to save me,For You are my rock and my fortress.

I am as a wonder to many,For You are my strong refuge.

But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God;I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him,That I may tell of all Your works.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place [our refuge, our sanctuary, our stability] in all generations.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!”

He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions,And under His wings you will find refuge;His faithfulness is a shield and a wall.

Because you have made the Lord, [who is] my refuge,Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

But the Lord has become my high tower and defense,And my God the rock of my refuge.

The high mountains are for the wild goats;The rocks are a refuge for the shephanim.

O Israel, trust and take refuge in the Lord! [Be confident in Him, cling to Him, rely on His word!]He is their help and their shield.

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 princes.

For my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord;In You I take refuge; do not pour out my life nor leave me defenseless.

Look to the right [the point of attack] and see;For there is no one who has regard for me [to act in my favor].Escape has failed me and I have nowhere to run;No one cares about my life.

I cried out to You, O Lord;I said, “You are my refuge,My portion in the land of the living.

My [steadfast] lovingkindness and my fortress,My high tower and my rescuer,My shield and He in whom I take refuge,Who subdues my people under me.

In the [reverent] fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,And His children will [always] have a place of refuge.

Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver];He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.

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

“Then what answer will one give the messengers of the [Philistine] nation?That the Lord has founded Zion,And the afflicted of His people will seek and find refuge in it.”

Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,And with Sheol (the place of the dead) we have made an agreement,When the overwhelming scourge passes by, it will not reach us,For we have made lies our refuge and we have concealed ourselves in deception.”

“I will make justice the measuring lineAnd righteousness the mason’s level;Then hail will sweep away the refuge of liesAnd waters will flood over the secret [hiding] place.

“Therefore the safety and protection of Pharaoh will be your shameAnd the refuge in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation and disgrace.

“His rock [his stronghold] will pass away because of panic,And his princes will be terrified at the [sight of the battle] standard,”Declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

“When you cry out [for help], let your [ridiculous] collection of idols save you.But the wind will carry them all away,A [mere] breath will take them.But he who takes refuge in Me will possess the land [Judea]And will inherit My holy mountain.”

Like the cattle that go down into the valley [to find better pasture and rest],The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.So You led Your people [O Lord]To make for Yourself a beautiful and glorious name [preparing the way for the acknowledgment of Your name by all nations].

How long [O Lord] must I see the banner [marking the way for flight]And hear the sound of the trumpet [urging the people to run for safety]?

[Then said Jeremiah] “O Lord, my Strength and my Stronghold,And my Refuge in the day of distress and need,The nations will come to YouFrom the ends of the earth and say,‘Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies and illusion,[Worthless] things in which there is no benefit!’

Do not be a terror to me;You are my refuge and my hope in the day of disaster.

Ethiopia (Cush), Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya (Cub) and the people of the land of the covenant [the Jews who had taken refuge in Egypt] will fall with the Egyptians by the sword.”

The Lord thunders and roars from ZionAnd utters His voice from Jerusalem [in judgment of His enemies],And the heavens and the earth tremble and shudder;But the Lord is a refuge for His peopleAnd a stronghold [of protection] to the children of Israel.

“Flight will be lost to the swift [so they will be unable to escape],And the strong shall not strengthen nor maintain his power,Nor shall the mighty man save his own life.

The Lord is good,A strength and stronghold in the day of trouble;He knows [He recognizes, cares for, and understands fully] those who take refuge and trust in Him.

You too [Nineveh] will become drunk [with the cup of God’s wrath];You will be hidden.You too [Nineveh] will search [in vain] for a refuge from the enemy.