Deuteronomo 19
1 Yehova Mulungu wanu akadzawononga anthu amene dziko lawo akukupatsani, ndipo inu mukawapirikitsa ndi kukhazikika mʼmizinda ndi mʼnyumba zawo,
After Yahweh our God has gotten rid of the people-groups from the land that he is giving to you, and after you have expelled them from their cities and you start to live in their houses,
2 mukapatule mizinda itatu imene ili pakati pa dziko lomwe Yehova Mulungu akukupatsani kukhala lanu.
you must divide into three parts the land that he is giving to you. Then choose a city in each part. You must make good roads [in order that people can get to those cities easily]. Someone who kills another person can escape to one of those cities [to be safe/protected].
3 Mudzakonze misewu ndi kuligawa patatu dzikolo limene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani ngati cholowa chanu, kuti aliyense wopha munthu akhoza kuthawirako.
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 the rule about someone who has killed another person. If someone (accidentally/without planning to) kills another person who was not his enemy, he may escape to one of those cities and be safe/protected there.
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 two men go into the forest to cut some wood, if the axe head comes off the handle while one of them is chopping down a tree and the axe head strikes and kills the other man, the man [who was using the axe] will be allowed to run to one of those cities and be safe there, [because the people of that city will protect him].
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.
Because he accidentally killed someone, and because the man was not his enemy, he can try to run to one of those cities. If there were only one city, it may be a long distance to that city. Then if the relative of the man who was killed [MTY], the man who is supposed/expected to get revenge, is very angry, he may be able to catch the other person before he arrives at that city.
7 Ichi ndi chifukwa chake ndikukulamulani kuti mudzipatulire nokha mizinda itatu.
[To prevent that from happening], you must choose three cities, not only one, [in order that someone can get to one of those cities quickly].
8 Ngati Yehova Mulungu wanu akulitsa malire anu monga analonjezera pa malumbiro ndi makolo anu, nakupatsani dziko lonse monga analonjezera,
“If you do everything that I am today commanding you to do, and if you love Yahweh our God, and if you conduct your lives as he wants you to do, Yahweh our God will give you much more land than you will have when you first occupy it, which is what he promised to do. He will give you all the land which he promised your ancestors that he would give to you. When he gives you that land, you must select three more cities [to which people may escape].
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.
10 Muchite zimenezi kuti musakhetse magazi wosalakwa mʼdziko lanu limene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani ngati cholowa, ndipo kuti musapezeke ndi mlandu wokhetsa magazi.
Do this in order that people who (are innocent/have killed someone else without planning to) will not die, and you will not be guilty for [allowing] them to be executed, in the land that Yahweh is giving to you.
11 Koma ngati munthu adana ndi mnzake namubisalira panjira nʼkumuvulaza mpaka kumupha, nathawira ku umodzi mwa mizindayi,
“But suppose someone hates his enemy and hides and waits for that person [to come along the road]. Then [when he passes by, suddenly] he attacks him and murders him. If the attacker flees to one of those cities [to be protected there],
12 akuluakulu a mu mzinda wake akamugwire ndi kumubwezera ku mzinda wake namupereka kwa wolipsira kuti aphedwe.
the elders of the city [where the murdered man lived must not protect the attacker. They]. must send someone to the city to which the other man escaped, and bring him to [MTY] the relative who is supposed/expected to get revenge, so that he may execute that man.
13 Osamumvera chisoni. Muyenera kuchotsa tchimo lokhetsa magazi wosalakwa mu Israeli kuti zinthu zizikuyenderani bwino.
You must not pity those who murder other people! Instead, you must execute them, in order that the people in the land of Israel will not murder [MTY] innocent people, and in order that things will go 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.
“[When you are living] in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, do not move the markers of your neighbors’ property boundaries which were placed there long ago.”
15 Mboni imodzi siyokwanira kupeza munthu kuti ndi wolakwa pa mlandu uliwonse umene wapalamula. Nkhani itsimikizike ndi umboni wa anthu awiri kapena atatu.
“If someone is accused of committing a crime, one (witness/person who says, ‘I saw him do it’) is not enough. There must be at least two (witnesses/people who say, ‘We saw him do it’). [If there is only one witness], the judge must not believe that what he says is true.
16 Ngati mboni yonama ifuna kunamizira munthu mlandu,
“If someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him,
17 anthu awiri okhudzidwa ndi mlanduwo ayenera kuyima pamaso pa Yehova pali ansembe ndi oweruza amene ali pa ntchito pa nthawiyo.
both of them must go to the place where the people worship, to [talk to] the priests and judges who are serving at that time.
18 Oweruza afufuze bwinobwino, ndipo ngati zatsimikizika kuti mboniyo ndi yabodza, yopereka umboni wonama pa mʼbale wake,
The judges must (investigate the case carefully/try to find out which one is telling the truth). If [the judges determine that] one of them has accused the other falsely,
19 ndiye kuti amuchitire iyeyo zimene anafuna kuchitira mʼbale wakezo. Muyenera kuchotsa choyipa pakati panu.
that person must be punished in the same way that the other one would have been punished [if the judge decided that he (was guilty/had done what is wrong)]. By punishing such people, you will get rid of this evil practice among you.
20 Anthu ena onse adzamva zimenezi nachita mantha, ndipo choyipa choterechi sichidzachitikanso pakati panu.
And/Because when that person is punished, everyone will hear what has happened, and they will be afraid, and no one will dare to act that way any more.
21 Osachita chisoni, moyo uzilipira moyo, diso kulipira diso, dzino kulipira dzino, dzanja kulipira dzanja ndi phazi kulipira phazi.
You must not pity people who are punished like that. The rule should be that a person who has murdered someone else must be executed; one of a person’s eyes must be gouged out if he has gouged out someone else’s eye, one tooth of a person who has knocked out the tooth of another person must be knocked out; one hand of a person who has cut off the hand of another person must likewise be cut off; one foot of a person who has cut off the foot of another person must also be cut off.”
