Deuteronomy 12

1 These are the statutes and the ordinances which ye shall observe to do in the land which Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, has given thee to possess it all the days that ye live upon the earth.

Hizi ndizo amri na sheria ambazo ni lazima mwe waangalifu kuzifuata katika nchi ambayo Bwana, Mungu wa baba zenu, amewapa kumiliki, kwa muda wote mtakaoishi katika nchi.

2 Ye shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that ye shall dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree.

Haribuni kabisa kila mahali pao pa kuabudia kwenye milima mirefu, vilima na chini ya kila mti mkubwa ambamo mataifa haya mnayokwenda kuchukua ardhi yao huabudia miungu yao.

3 And ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire. And ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and ye shall destroy their name out of that place.

Bomoeni madhabahu zao, vunjeni yale mawe wanayoabudu, chomeni moto nguzo zao za Ashera; katilieni mbali sanamu za miungu yao na mfute majina yao mahali hapo.

4 Ye shall not do so to Jehovah your God.

Kamwe msimwabudu Bwana Mungu wenu kama wanavyoabudu wao.

5 But to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even to his habitation ye shall seek, and there thou shall come.

Bali mtatafuta mahali Bwana Mungu wenu atakapopachagua katika makabila yenu yote ili aliweke jina lake huko kuwa makao yake. Mahali hapo ndipo iwapasapo kwenda;

6 And there ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock.

hapo ndipo mtakapoleta sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa na dhabihu, zaka zenu na changizo zenu, kile ulichoweka nadhiri kutoa, sadaka zenu za hiari na malimbuko ya makundi yenu ya ngʼombe pamoja na mbuzi na kondoo.

7 And there ye shall eat before Jehovah your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand to, ye and your households, in which Jehovah thy God has blessed thee.

Hapo, katika uwepo wa Bwana Mungu wenu, ninyi pamoja na jamaa zenu, mtakula na kufurahia kila kitu ambacho mmegusa kwa mikono yenu, kwa sababu Bwana Mungu wenu amewabariki.

8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatever is right in his own eyes.

Msifanye kama tunavyofanya hapa leo, kila mtu anavyopenda mwenyewe,

9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Jehovah thy God gives thee.

kwa kuwa bado hamjafikia mahali pa mapumziko na urithi ambao Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa.

10 But when ye go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which Jehovah your God causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety,

Lakini mtavuka Yordani na kuishi katika nchi Bwana Mungu wenu anayowapa kama urithi, naye atawapa pumziko kutokana na adui zenu wote wanaowazunguka ili ninyi mpate kuishi kwa salama.

11 then it shall come to pass that to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there, there ye shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow to Jehovah.

Kisha kuhusu mahali Bwana Mungu wenu atakapopachagua kuwa mahali pa makao ya Jina lake, hapo ndipo inapowapasa kuleta kila kitu ninachowaamuru: sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa na dhabihu, zaka zenu na changizo, pamoja na vitu vyote vyenye thamani ambavyo mmeweka nadhiri kumtolea Bwana.

12 And ye shall rejoice before Jehovah your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite who is within your gates-inasmuch as he has no portion nor inheritance with you.

Hapo furahini mbele za Bwana Mungu wenu, ninyi, wana wenu na binti zenu, watumishi wenu wa kiume na wa kike, pamoja na Walawi kutoka miji yenu ambao hawana mgawo wala urithi wao wenyewe.

13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou see,

Kuweni waangalifu, msitoe dhabihu zenu za kuteketezwa mahali popote mnapopapenda.

14 but in the place which Jehovah shall choose in one of thy tribes. There thou shall offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shall do all that I command thee.

Mtazitoa tu mahali pale ambapo Bwana atachagua katika mojawapo ya makabila yenu, nanyi hapo zingatieni kila jambo ninalowaamuru.

15 Notwithstanding, thou may kill and eat flesh within all thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul, according to the blessing of Jehovah thy God which he has given thee, the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle, and as of the hart.

Hata hivyo, mnaweza kuwachinja wanyama wenu katika miji yenu yoyote ile na kula nyama nyingi mpendavyo kama vile mmemchinja paa au kulungu, kulingana na baraka mtakazojaliwa na Bwana Mungu wenu. Watu walio najisi au walio safi wanaweza kula.

16 Only ye shall not eat the blood. Thou shall pour it out upon the ground as water.

Lakini kamwe usinywe damu; imwage juu ya ardhi kama maji.

17 Thou may not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy grain, or of thy new wine, or of thine oil, or the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vow, nor thy freewill offerings, nor the heave offering of thy hand.

Hamruhusiwi kula katika miji yenu zaka yenu ya nafaka, ya divai mpya na ya mafuta, au mzaliwa wa kwanza wa makundi yenu ya ngʼombe na makundi yenu ya mbuzi na kondoo, wala chochote ambacho mmeweka nadhiri kukitoa, au sadaka zako za hiari, wala matoleo maalum.

18 But thou shall eat them before Jehovah thy God in the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite who is within thy gates. And thou shall rejoice before Jehovah thy God in all that thou put thy hand to.

Badala yake, mtakula vitu hivyo katika uwepo wa Bwana Mungu wenu mahali ambapo Bwana Mungu wenu atapachagua: wewe, wana wako na binti zako, watumishi wako wa kiume na wa kike, na Walawi kutoka miji yenu. Mnatakiwa mfurahi mbele za Bwana Mungu wenu kwa kula kitu mtakachoweka mikono yenu.

19 Take heed to thyself that thou not forsake the Levite as long as thou live in thy land.

Mwe waangalifu msiwapuuze Walawi kwa muda wote mnaoishi katika nchi yenu.

20 When Jehovah thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he has promised thee, and thou shall say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul desires to eat flesh, thou may eat flesh, after all the desire of thy soul.

Bwana Mungu wenu atakapokuwa ameongeza nchi yenu kama alivyowaahidi, nanyi mkitamani nyama na mkisema, “Ningependa nyama,” hapo unaweza kula nyingi upendavyo.

21 If the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to put his name there, be too far from thee, then thou shall kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which Jehovah has given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou may eat within thy gates, according to all the desire of thy soul.

Kama mahali ambapo Bwana Mungu wenu atapachagua kuweka Jina lake ni mbali sana kutoka kwenu, unaweza kuchinja wanyama kutoka makundi yenu ya ngʼombe, ya mbuzi na ya kondoo ambayo Bwana amewapa, kama nilivyokuamuru, na mkiwa katika miji yenu wenyewe mnaweza kula nyingi mtakavyo.

22 Even as the gazelle and as the hart is eaten, so thou shall eat of it. The unclean and the clean may eat of it alike.

Mle kama vile mngekula paa na kulungu. Wote walio najisi kiibada na walio safi mwaweza kula.

23 Only be sure that thou not eat the blood. For the blood is the life, and thou shall not eat the life with the flesh.

Lakini hakikisheni kwamba hamkunywa damu, kwa sababu damu ni uhai, kamwe msile uhai pamoja na nyama.

24 Thou shall not eat it. Thou shall pour it out upon the ground as water.

Hamruhusiwi kamwe kunywa damu; imwageni juu ya ardhi kama maji.

25 Thou shall not eat it, that it may go well with thee, and with thy sons after thee, when thou shall do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.

Msinywe damu, ili mweze kufanikiwa ninyi pamoja na watoto wenu baada yenu, kwa sababu mtakuwa mkifanya lililo haki machoni pa Bwana.

26 Only thy holy things which thou have, and thy vows, thou shall take, and go to the place which Jehovah shall choose.

Lakini vichukueni vitu vyenu vilivyowekwa wakfu pamoja na vile mlivyoweka nadhiri, mwende mahali pale Bwana atakapopachagua.

27 And thou shall offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of Jehovah thy God, and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of Jehovah thy God, and thou shall eat the flesh.

Leteni sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa juu ya madhabahu ya Bwana Mungu wenu, vyote nyama na damu. Damu ya dhabihu zenu lazima imiminwe kando ya madhabahu ya Bwana Mungu wenu, lakini nyama mnaweza kula.

28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy sons after thee forever, when thou do that which is good and right in the eyes of Jehovah thy God.

Mwe waangalifu kutii masharti haya yote ninayowapa, ili kwamba siku zote mweze kufanikiwa, ninyi pamoja na watoto wenu baada yenu, kwa sababu mtakuwa mkifanya lililo jema na sahihi mbele za macho ya Bwana Mungu wenu.

29 When Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, where thou go in to dispossess them, and thou dispossess them, and dwell in their land,

Bwana Mungu wenu atayakatilia mbali mbele yenu mataifa ambayo punde kidogo mtayavamia na kuyaondoa. Lakini mtakapokuwa mmeyafukuza na kuishi katika nchi yao,

30 take heed to thyself that thou be not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before thee, and that thou not inquire after their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods? Even so I will do likewise.

na baada ya kuangamizwa mbele yenu, mwe waangalifu msijiingize katika tanzi kwa kuuliza habari za miungu yao, mkisema, “Je, mataifa haya hutumikiaje miungu yao? Nasi tutafanya vivyo hivyo.”

31 Thou shall not do so to Jehovah thy God. For every abomination to Jehovah, which he hates, they have done to their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.

Kamwe msimwabudu Bwana Mungu wenu kwa njia wanayoabudu miungu yao, kwa sababu katika kuabudu miungu yao, wanafanya aina zote za machukizo anayoyachukia Bwana. Hata huwateketeza wana wao na binti zao kwa moto kama kafara kwa miungu yao.

32 Whatever thing I command you, that shall ye observe to do. Thou shall not add to it, nor diminish from it.

Angalieni kwamba mnafanya yote niliyowaamuru; msiongeze kitu wala msipunguze kitu.