Deuteronomo 19

1 Yehova Mulungu wanu akadzawononga anthu amene dziko lawo akukupatsani, ndipo inu mukawapirikitsa ndi kukhazikika mʼmizinda ndi mʼnyumba zawo,

When the nations, whose land the Lord your God is giving you, have been cut off by him, and you have taken their place and are living in their towns and in their houses;

2 mukapatule mizinda itatu imene ili pakati pa dziko lomwe Yehova Mulungu akukupatsani kukhala lanu.

You are to have three towns marked out in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage.

3 Mudzakonze misewu ndi kuligawa patatu dzikolo limene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani ngati cholowa chanu, kuti aliyense wopha munthu akhoza kuthawirako.

You are to make ready a way, and see that the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, is marked out into three parts, to which any taker of life may go in flight.

4 Ili ndi lamulo lokhudza munthu amene wapha mnzake mosazindikira osati mwadala, nathawira kumeneko kupulumutsa moyo wake. Ndi munthu amene wapha mnzake mosazindikira, popanda maganizo oyipa.

This is to be the rule for anyone who goes in flight there, after causing the death of his neighbour in error and not through hate;

5 Mwachitsanzo, munthu atapita ku nkhalango ndi mnzake kukadula mitengo, ndiye posamula nkhwangwa kuti adule mtengo, nkhwangwa ikhoza kuguluka nʼkukagwera mnzake uja nʼkumupha. Munthu ameneyo akhoza kuthawira ku umodzi mwa mizindayo napulumutsa moyo wake.

For example, if a man goes into the woods with his neighbour for the purpose of cutting down trees, and when he takes his axe to give a blow to the tree, the head of the axe comes off, and falling on to his neighbour gives him a wound causing his death; then the man may go in flight to one of these towns and be safe:

6 Kupanda kutero ndiye kuti wolipsira akhoza kumuthamangitsa mwaukali ndi kumugwira ngati mtunda utalika, ndipo akhoza kumupha ngakhale kuti sanayenera kufa popeza sanaphe mnzake mwadala.

For if not, he who has the right of punishment may go running after the taker of life in the heat of his wrath, and overtake him because the way is long, and give him a death-blow; though it is not right for him to be put to death because he was not moved by hate.

7 Ichi ndi chifukwa chake ndikukulamulani kuti mudzipatulire nokha mizinda itatu.

And so I am ordering you to see that three towns are marked out for this purpose.

8 Ngati Yehova Mulungu wanu akulitsa malire anu monga analonjezera pa malumbiro ndi makolo anu, nakupatsani dziko lonse monga analonjezera,

And if the Lord your God makes wide the limits of your land, as he said in his oath to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he undertook to give to your fathers;

9 chifukwa chotsatira bwino malamulo onse amene ndikukuwuzani lero, kukonda Yehova Mulungu wanu ndi kuyenda mʼnjira zake nthawi zonse, ndiye kuti mukuyenera kupatula mizinda itatu yowonjezera.

If you keep and do all these orders which I give you today, loving the Lord your God and walking ever in his ways; then let three more towns, in addition to these three, be marked out for you:

10 Muchite zimenezi kuti musakhetse magazi wosalakwa mʼdziko lanu limene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani ngati cholowa, ndipo kuti musapezeke ndi mlandu wokhetsa magazi.

So that in all your land, which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, no man may be wrongly put to death, for which you will be responsible.

11 Koma ngati munthu adana ndi mnzake namubisalira panjira nʼkumuvulaza mpaka kumupha, nathawira ku umodzi mwa mizindayi,

But if any man has hate for his neighbour, and waiting for him secretly makes an attack on him and gives him a blow causing his death, and then goes in flight to one of these towns;

12 akuluakulu a mu mzinda wake akamugwire ndi kumubwezera ku mzinda wake namupereka kwa wolipsira kuti aphedwe.

The responsible men of his town are to send and take him, and give him up to the one who has the right of punishment to be put to death.

13 Osamumvera chisoni. Muyenera kuchotsa tchimo lokhetsa magazi wosalakwa mu Israeli kuti zinthu zizikuyenderani bwino.

Have no pity on him, so that Israel may be clear from the crime of putting a man to death without cause, and it will be well for you.

14 Musamasunthe mwala wa malire anu ndi mnzanu amene anayikidwa ndi makolo anu pa cholowa chimene mulandire mʼdziko limene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani.

Your neighbour's landmark, which was put in its place by the men of old times, is not to be moved or taken away in the land of your heritage which the Lord your God is giving you.

15 Mboni imodzi siyokwanira kupeza munthu kuti ndi wolakwa pa mlandu uliwonse umene wapalamula. Nkhani itsimikizike ndi umboni wa anthu awiri kapena atatu.

One witness may not make a statement against a man in relation to any sin or wrongdoing which he has done: on the word of two or three witnesses a question is to be judged.

16 Ngati mboni yonama ifuna kunamizira munthu mlandu,

If a false witness makes a statement against a man, saying that he has done wrong,

17 anthu awiri okhudzidwa ndi mlanduwo ayenera kuyima pamaso pa Yehova pali ansembe ndi oweruza amene ali pa ntchito pa nthawiyo.

Then the two men, between whom the argument has taken place, are to come before the Lord, before the priests and judges who are then in power;

18 Oweruza afufuze bwinobwino, ndipo ngati zatsimikizika kuti mboniyo ndi yabodza, yopereka umboni wonama pa mʼbale wake,

And the judges will have the question looked into with care: and if the witness is seen to be false and to have made a false statement against his brother,

19 ndiye kuti amuchitire iyeyo zimene anafuna kuchitira mʼbale wakezo. Muyenera kuchotsa choyipa pakati panu.

Then do to him what it was his purpose to do to his brother: and so put away the evil from among you.

20 Anthu ena onse adzamva zimenezi nachita mantha, ndipo choyipa choterechi sichidzachitikanso pakati panu.

And the rest of the people, hearing of it, will be full of fear, and never again do such evil among you.

21 Osachita chisoni, moyo uzilipira moyo, diso kulipira diso, dzino kulipira dzino, dzanja kulipira dzanja ndi phazi kulipira phazi.

Have no pity; let life be given for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.