Exodus 21
1 “These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
“Nansi imithetho ozayethula phambi kwabo.”
2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything.
“Nxa ungathenga isisebenzi esingumHebheru kumele sikusebenzele okweminyaka eyisithupha. Kodwa emnyakeni wesikhombisa kuzamele usikhulule kungelanhlawulo.
3 If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him.
Nxa sifike sodwa, kumele sikhululwe sihambe sodwa kodwa nxa silomfazi ekufikeni kwasokumele sihambe laye.
4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
Nxa umqhatshi waso angasipha umfazi asizalele amadodana lamadodakazi, owesifazane labantwabakhe bazakuba ngabomqhatshi, njalo indoda izazihambela yodwa ikhululekile.
5 But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’
Kodwa nxa isisebenzi singathi, ‘Ngiyayithanda inkosi yami lomkami labantwabami, njalo kangifuni kukhululwa,’
6 then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
ngakho inkosi yaso kumele isihambise kubahluleli. Izasisa emnyango kumbe emgubazini abesesibhoboza indlebe yaso ngosungulo. Ngakho-ke sizakuba yisisebenzi sayo okwempilo yaso yonke.
7 And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do.
Nxa indoda ingathengisa indodakazi yayo njengesigqili, indodakazi kayingakhululeki njengalokho okwenza ezinye inceku.
8 If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her.
Nxa singathokozisi umnini waso oyabe esikhethile ukuze sibe ngesakhe kumele asiyekele sihlengwe. Akalamvumo yokusithengisa kwabezizwe, ngoba esikhohlisile.
9 And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.
Angasikhethela indodana yakhe kumele asinike amalungelo alingana lawendodakazi yakhe.
10 If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.
Angathatha omunye umfazi akumelanga asincitshe ukudla, izigqoko lamalungelo okwenda.
11 If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to go without monetary payment.
Angayekela ukusipha izinto lezi ezintathu sikhululekile ukuthi sizihambele kungahlawulwanga mali.”
12 Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
“Wonke umuntu otshaya omunye ambulale laye kumele abulawe.
13 If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
Kodwa nxa engakwenzanga ngabomo, uNkulunkulu evumele ukuba kwenzakale, kumele abalekele endaweni engizayiphawula.
14 But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.
Kodwa umuntu angaceba ukubulala omunye ngabomo, msuseni e-alithareni lami liyembulala.
15 Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.
Wonke umuntu ohlasela uyise kumbe unina kumele abulawe.
16 Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.
Wonke umuntu othumba omunye abesemthengisa kumbe aficwe elaye kumele abulawe.
17 Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.
Wonke umuntu othuka uyise kumbe unina kumele abulawe.
18 If men are quarreling and one strikes the other with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed,
Nxa amadoda angaxabana omunye abesetshaya omunye ngelitshe kumbe ngenqindi, angafi kodwa agule alale phansi,
19 then the one who struck him shall go unpunished, as long as the other can get up and walk around outside with his staff. Nevertheless, he must compensate the man for his lost work and see that he is completely healed.
lowo ophose inqindi kasoze anikwe umlandu nxa omunye angavuka abesehambahamba ephethe intonga yakhe; lanxa kunjalo kumele ahlawule indoda elimeleyo ngokulahlekelwa yisikhathi njalo ayelaphise.
20 If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.
Nxa umuntu angatshaya isigqili sakhe sesilisa kumbe esesifazane ngomqwayi, isigqili besesisifa ngenxa yalesisenzo, kumele ajeziswe,
21 However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.
kodwa kasoze ajeziswe nxa isigqili singasila ngemva kwelanga elilodwa kumbe insuku ezimbili, ngoba isigqili siyimpahla yakhe.
22 If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows.
Nxa amadoda alwayo angatshaya umfazi ozithweleyo abesebeletha isikhathi sakhe singakafiki, kodwa engalimalanga kakubi, owonileyo kumele ahlawuliswe lokho okuyabe kubizelwe yindoda yomfazi kwasekuvunywa ngumthethwandaba.
23 But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life—
Kodwa kungangabi lokulimala okubi, kumele impilo ibhadalwe ngempilo,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
ilihlo ngelihlo, izinyo ngezinyo, isandla ngesandla, unyawo ngonyawo.
25 burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.
Ukutshiswa ngokutshiswa, isilonda ngesilonda, ukulimala ngokulimala.
26 If a man strikes and blinds the eye of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the eye.
Nxa umuntu angatshaya isigqili sakhe sesilisa kumbe esesifazane elihlweni alipatshaze, kumele asiyekele isisebenzi sizihambele kube yinhlawulo yelihlo.
27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.
Angatshaya akhumule izinyo lesigqili sesilisa kumbe esesifazane, kumele asiyekele isisebenzi sizihambele kube yinhlawulo yezinyo.
28 If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.
Nxa inkunzi ingahlaba indoda kumbe umfazi afe, leyonkunzi kumele itshaywe ngamatshe ize ife njalo inyama yayo kayingadliwa. Kodwa umnikazi wenkunzi akumelanga etheswe umlandu.
29 But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death.
Kodwa nxa inkunzi ivele ilomkhuba wokuhlaba abantu, njalo umnikazi eseke wakhuzwa kodwa wekela ukuyivalela ibisibulala indoda kumbe umfazi, inkunzi kumele ibulawe ngamatshe lomnikazi abulawe.
30 If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him.
Kodwa kungathiwa kahlawule, angahlenga impilo yakhe ngokuhlawula lokho okuyabe kubiziwe.
31 If the ox gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.
Umthetho lo uyasebenza njalo nxa inkunzi ingahlaba indodana kumbe indodakazi.
32 If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.
Nxa inkunzi ingahlaba isigqili sesilisa kumbe esesifazane, umnikazi kumele ahlawule amashekeli angamatshumi amathathu esiliva kumnini wesigqili, njalo inkunzi kumele ibulawe ngamatshe.
33 If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
Nxa umuntu etshiya umgodi ukhamisile, loba esimba umgodi angawusibekeli kuwele kuwo inkabi ingabe ubabhemi,
34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his.
umninimgodi kahlawule; kahlawule umnikazi, isifuyo esifileyo besesisiba ngesakhe.
35 If a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live one and divide the proceeds; they also must divide the dead animal.
Nxa inkunzi yomuntu ingalimaza eyomunye kuzamele ukuthi bathengise leyo ephilayo, babelane imali lesidumbu saleyo efileyo ngokulinganayo.
36 But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring, yet its owner failed to restrain it, he shall pay full compensation, ox for ox, and the dead animal will be his.
Kodwa nxa kusaziwa ukuthi inkunzi ivele ilomkhuba wokuhlaba ezinye, kodwa umnikazi engayivaleli esibayeni, umnikazi kumele ahlawule isifuyo ngesinye isifuyo, njalo isifuyo esifileyo sizakuba ngesakhe.”
