Deuteronomy 19
1 When Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God gives thee, and thou succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses,
Wakati Yahwe Mungu wenu anayafutilia mbali mataifa, yale ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa nchi yao, na wakati mnakuja kwao na kuishi katika miji yao na nyumba,
2 thou shall set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God gives thee to possess it.
mnapaswa kuchagua miji mitatu kwa ajili yenu katikati mwa nchi yenu ambayo Yahwe Mungu anawapa kuimiliki.
3 Thou shall prepare for thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which Jehovah thy God causes thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there.
Mnapaswa kujenga barabara na kugawa mipaka ya nchi yenu katika maeneo matatu, nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anafanya kuimiliki, ili kwamba kila mmoja anayeua mtu mwingine apate kukimbia hapo.
4 And this is the case of the manslayer, who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and did not hate him in time past,
Hii ni sheria kwa ajili ya mtu anayeua mwingine na anayekimbilia huko kuishi: yeyote auae jirani yake bila kujua, na hapo awali hakumchukia-
5 as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the helve, and lands upon his neighbor, so that he dies, he shall flee to one of these cities and live.
kama wakati mtu aingiapo katika msitu pamoja na jirani yake kukata kuni, na mkono wake ukata mti chini kwa shoka, na kichwa uteleza kutoka kwenye mpini na kumpiga jirani yake mpaka akafa- basi mtu huyu anapaswa kukimbilia katika moja ya miji hii na kuishi.
6 Lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally, whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he did not hate him in time past.
Vinginevyo damu ya mlipiza kisasi atamfuata yeye aliyetoa uhai, na kwa hasira kali anampita kwa sababu ilikuwa safari ndefu. Na anampiga na kumuua, ijapokuwa mtu huyo akustahili kufa; na hata akustahili adhabu ya kifo kwa sababu hakumchukia jirani yake kabla hili halijatokea.
7 Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shall set apart three cities for thee.
Basi sasa ninakuamuru kuchagua miji mitatu kwa ajili yako.
8 And if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border, as he has sworn to thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give to thy fathers,
Kama Yahwe Mungu wenu apanua mipaka yenu, kama alivyoapa kwa mababu zenu kufanya, na kuwapa nchi yote ambayo amewaahadia kuwapa mababu zenu;
9 if thou shall keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk ever in his ways, then shall thou add three more cities for thee, besides these three,
kama mnazishika amri hizi zote kuzifanya, ambazo ninakuamuru leo- amri za kumpenda Yahwe Mungu wenu na daima kutembea katika njia zake, basi mnapaswa kuongeza miji mitatu zaidi kwa ajili yenu, isipokuwa ile mitatu.
10 that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God gives thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
Fanya hivi ili kwamba damu isiyo na hatia isimwangwe katikati ya nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa kwa ajili ya urithi, ili kwamba pasiwepo hatia ya damu kwenu.
11 But if any man hates his neighbor, and lies in wait for him, and rises up against him, and smites him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities,
Lakini kama yeyote anamchukia jirani yake, uongo unamsubiri, uinuka dhidi yake, na majeraha ya kufa kwake ili kwamba anakufa, na kama basi anakimbia katika moja ya miji hii-
12 then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him from there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
basi wazee wa mji wake wanapaswa kumtoa na kumrudisha toka huko, na kumkabizi katika mkono wa ndugu mhusika, ili kwamba amuue.
13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shall put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
Jicho lako halipaswi kumuonea huruma; badala yake; unapaswa kuondoa hatia ya damu kutoka Israel, ili kwamba iwe vizuri kwako.
14 Thou shall not remove thy neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shall inherit, in the land that Jehovah thy God gives thee to possess it.
Haupaswi kuondoa alama ya jirani yako ambayo wameweka katika eneo muda mrefu, katika urithi wako ambao utarithi, katika nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wako anakupa kumiliki.
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
Shahidi moja peke hapaswi kuinuka dhidi ya mtu kwa ajili ya uovu wowote, au kwa ajili ya dhambi yoyote, katika jambo lolote ambalo amefanya dhambi; kwa kinywa cha mashahidi wawili, au kwa kinywa cha mashahidi watatu, kunapaswa jambo lolote lilithibitishwe.
16 If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing,
Kama ushuhuda wa mtu asiye na haki anainua dhidi ya mtu yeyote kushuhudia dhidi yake kwa mambo mabaya.
17 then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days,
Basi watu wote wawili, mmoja kati ya yule utata upo, anapaswa kusimama mbele ya Yahwe, mbele ya makuhani na waamuzi ambao wanatumika siku hizo.
18 and the judges shall make diligent inquiry. And, behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,
Waamuzi wanapaswa kuchunguza kwa uangalifu; ona, kama ushahidi ni ushahidi wa uongo na umeshuhudiwa kwa uongo dhidi ya ndugu yake,
19 then ye shall do to him, as he had thought to do to his brother. So shall thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.
basi unapaswa kufanya kwake, kama alivyokusudia kufanya kwa ndugu yake, na utaondoa uovu kutoka miongoni mwenu.
20 And those who remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of thee.
Basi wale wanaobaki watasikia na kuogopa, na kuanzia hapo na kuendelea hawatafanya tena aina ya ouvu miongoni mwao.
21 And thine eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Macho yako hapaswi kuona huruma; maisha yatalipa kwa maisha, jicho kwa jicho, jino kwa jino, mkono kwa mkono, mguu kwa mguu.
