< Deuteronomy 17 >
1 You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep with any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.
Ungahlabeli iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho inkabi kumbe imvu okukuyo isici, loba yiyiphi into embi, ngoba kuyisinengiso eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho.
2 If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant
Uba kutholakala phakathi kwakho, loba phakathi kwaliphi lamasango akho, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika wona, owesilisa loba owesifazana owenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ngokweqa isivumelwano sayo,
3 and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
abesesiyakhonza abanye onkulunkulu, abakhothamele, loba ilanga kumbe inyanga, kumbe enye yebutho lamazulu, engingakulayanga,
4 and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel,
ube usukubikelwa, ukuzwe, uzakubuzisisa, khangela-ke, kuliqiniso, indaba iqinisekile, lesosinengiso senziwe koIsrayeli,
5 you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.
uzayikhupha leyondoda kumbe lowo owesifazana, abenze leyonto embi, emasangweni akho, leyondoda kumbe lowo owesifazana, ubakhande ngamatshe baze bafe.
6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.
Ngomlomo wabafakazi ababili loba wabafakazi abathathu ofanele ukufa uzabulawa; kayikubulawa ngomlomo womfakazi oyedwa.
7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.
Isandla sabafakazi sizakuba ngesokuqala phezu kwakhe ukumbulala, lemva kwalokho isandla sabo bonke abantu. Ngalokhu uzakhupha ububi phakathi kwakho.
8 If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.
Uba kulodaba olulukhuni kakhulu kuwe ekwahluleleni, phakathi kwegazi legazi, phakathi kwesahlulelo lesahlulelo, laphakathi kokutshaya lokutshaya, indaba zokuphikisana emasangweni akho, khona uzasukuma uye endaweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ezayikhetha,
9 You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.
uze kubapristi abangamaLevi lakumahluleli ozakuba ekhona ngalezonsuku, uzabuza; babesebekutshela isinqumo sesahlulelo.
10 You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you,
Njalo uzakwenza njengokwesinqumo abazakutshela sona kuleyondawo iNkosi ezayikhetha; njalo unanzelele ukwenza njengakho konke abazakufundisa khona.
11 according to the terms of law they give and the verdict they proclaim. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from the decision they declare to you.
Njengokomthetho abazakufundisa wona, lanjengokwesahlulelo abazakutshela sona, uzakwenza. Kawuyikuphambuka kusinqumo abazakutshela sona, uye ngakwesokunene kumbe ngakwesokhohlo.
12 But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.
Lendoda eyenza ngokuziqhenya ukuze ingalaleli umpristi omi ukukhonza khona iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, kumbe umahluleli, leyondoda izakufa. Ngalokhu uzakhupha ububi koIsrayeli.
13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.
Njalo bonke abantu bazakuzwa, besabe, bangaphindi ukuziqhenya.
14 When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
Lapho usufikile elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukuthi udle ilifa lalo, uhlale kilo, ubususithi: Ngizazimisela inkosi njengazo zonke izizwe ezingizingelezeleyo;
15 you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.
umbeke lokumbeka abe yinkosi phezu kwakho, yena iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ezamkhetha. Evela phakathi kwabafowenu umbeke abe yinkosi phezu kwakho; kawulakumbeka owezizweni phezu kwakho ongesumfowenu.
16 But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’
Kodwa angazandiseli amabhiza, njalo angababuyiseli abantu eGibhithe ukuze andise amabhiza, ngoba iNkosi ithe kini: Kalisayikubuyela futhi ngaleyondlela.
17 He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
Futhi angazandiseli abafazi, ukuze inhliziyo yakhe ingaphambuki; njalo angazandiseli kakhulu isiliva legolide.
18 When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
Kuzakuthi esehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wakhe, uzazibhalela impinda yalumlayo egwalweni, okuvela kulokho okuphambi kwabapristi abangamaLevi.
19 It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.
Njalo luzakuba laye, njalo abale kulo insuku zonke zempilo yakhe, ukuze afunde ukuyesaba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe, agcine wonke amazwi alumlayo lezimiso lezi, akwenze,
20 Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.
ukuze inhliziyo yakhe ingaziphakamisi phezu kwabafowabo, lokuze angaphambuki emthethweni aye ngakwesokunene loba ngakwesokhohlo, ukuze elule izinsuku embusweni wakhe, yena labantwana bakhe, phakathi kukaIsrayeli.