< 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.
Msimtolee Bwana Mungu wenu dhabihu ya maksai au kondoo ambaye ana dosari yoyote au hitilafu ndani yake, kwa kuwa hilo litakuwa chukizo kwake.
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
Ikiwa mwanaume au mwanamke anayeishi kati ya mojawapo ya miji akupayo Bwana, anakutwa anafanya uovu mbele za Bwana Mungu wenu, kwa kuvunja Agano lake,
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—
naye amekwenda kinyume na agizo langu kuabudu miungu mingine na kuisujudia, kama vile jua, mwezi au nyota za angani,
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,
hili likiwa limeletwa mbele yenu, ni lazima kulichunguza kikamilifu. Ikiwa ni kweli na kuwa limehakikishwa kwamba hili ni chukizo lililofanyika katika Israeli,
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.
mchukueni huyo mwanaume au mwanamke ambaye amelifanya tendo hili ovu kwenye lango la mji wenu na kumpiga mawe mtu huyo mpaka afe.
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.
Kwa ushuhuda wa mashahidi wawili au watatu mtu huyo atauawa, bali hakuna mtu atakayeuawa kwa ushuhuda wa shahidi mmoja tu.
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.
Ni lazima kwanza mikono ya mashahidi itangulie kumuua huyo mtu, kisha mikono ya watu wote. Ni lazima mwondoe uovu miongoni mwenu.
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.
Kama mashauri yanaletwa katika mahakama zenu ambayo ni magumu zaidi kwenu kuyaamua, ikiwa ni umwagaji wa damu, madai au mashambulio, yapelekeni mahali ambapo Bwana Mungu wenu atapachagua.
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.
Nendeni kwa makuhani, ambao ni Walawi, na kwa mwamuzi ambaye atakuwa kazini wakati huo. Ulizeni kwao nao watawapa maamuzi.
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,
Ni lazima mtende sawasawa na maamuzi watakayowapa mahali Bwana atakapopachagua. Kuweni waangalifu kufanya kila kitu watakachowaongoza kufanya.
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.
Fanyeni sawasawa na sheria wanayowafundisha na maamuzi wanayowapa. Msigeuke mkono wa kuume au kushoto kuacha kufanya yale wanayowaambia.
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.
Mwanaume atakayeonyesha dharau kwa mwamuzi au kwa kuhani ambaye amewekwa kumtumikia Bwana Mungu wenu lazima auawe. Lazima mwondoe uovu katika Israeli.
13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.
Watu wote watasikia na kuogopa, nao hawatakuwa wenye kudharau tena.
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,”
Wakati utakapoingia katika nchi anayowapa Bwana Mungu wenu kuimiliki na kukaa humo, nanyi mkasema, “Na tumweke mfalme juu yetu kama mataifa yanayotuzunguka,”
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.
kuweni na uhakika wa kumweka mfalme juu yenu ambaye Bwana Mungu wenu atamchagua. Ni lazima atoke miongoni mwa ndugu zenu wenyewe. Msimweke mgeni juu yenu ambaye si ndugu wa Kiisraeli.
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.’
Hata hivyo, kamwe mfalme asijipatie hesabu kubwa ya farasi kwa ajili yake mwenyewe, au kuwafanya watu warudi Misri ili kupata farasi zaidi, kwa maana Bwana amekuambia, “Hamtairudia njia ile tena.”
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.
Kamwe asioe wake wengi, la sivyo moyo wake utapotoka. Kamwe asijilimbikizie kiasi kikubwa cha fedha na dhahabu.
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.
Atakapokuwa amekalia kiti cha ufalme wake, ajiandikie kwenye kitabu nakala ya sheria kwa ajili yake mwenyewe kutoka zile sheria za makuhani ambao ni Walawi.
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.
Atakuwa na nakala hiyo, naye ataisoma siku zote za maisha yake ili kwamba ajifunze kumheshimu Bwana Mungu wake na kufuata kwa uangalifu maneno yote ya sheria hii na amri hizi,
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.
naye asijifikirie kuwa ni bora kuliko ndugu zake na kuipotosha sheria. Ndipo yeye na wazao wake watatawala katika ufalme wake kwa muda mrefu katika Israeli.