Exodus 23
1 “You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
Ungawuphathi umbiko wamanga, ungafaki isandla sakho lomubi ukuze ube ngumfakazi wobubi.
2 You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.
Ungalandeli abanengi ngezinto ezimbi, ungafakazi ecaleni ukuze weyamele kwabanengi uliphambule.
3 And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.
Lomyanga ungamzweli ecaleni lakhe.
4 If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.
Uba uhlangana lenkabi yesitha sakho loba ubabhemi waso kuduha, uzakubuyisela lokukubuyisela kuso.
5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.
Uba ubona ubabhemi walowo okuzondayo elele ngaphansi komthwalo wakhe, uyekele ukumkhulula, uzamkhulula lokumkhulula laye.
6 You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits.
Kawuyikuphambula ukwahlulelwa komyanga wakho ecaleni lakhe.
7 Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.
Bana khatshana lendaba yamanga, ungabulali ongelacala lolungileyo, ngoba kangiyikumlungisisa okhohlakeleyo.
8 Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.
Njalo kawuyikwemukela isivalamlomo, ngoba isivalamlomo siphumputhekisa ababonayo, sonakalise amazwi abalungileyo.
9 Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Futhi kawuyikumcindezela owezizwe; ngoba lina liyayazi imizwa yowezizwe, ngoba lalingabezizwe elizweni leGibhithe.
10 For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce,
Njalo iminyaka eyisithupha uzahlanyela isiqinti sakho, ubuthe isivuno saso.
11 but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.
Kodwa ngowesikhombisa uzasilalukisa sibe lifusi, ukuze abayanga besizwe sakho badle, lalokho okuseleyo inyamazana zeganga zikudle. Wenze njalo ngesivini sakho lemihlwathi yakho.
12 For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.
Insuku eziyisithupha uzakwenza umsebenzi wakho, njalo ngosuku lwesikhombisa uphumule, ukuze kuphumule inkabi yakho labobabhemi bakho, kuvuselele-ke indodana yencekukazi yakho lowezizweni.
13 Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.
Lezintweni zonke esengizitshilo kini qaphelani, lebizo labanye onkulunkulu lingaliphathi, kaliyikuzwakala emlonyeni wakho.
14 Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.
Kathathu ngomnyaka uzangigcinela umkhosi.
15 You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread as I commanded you: At the appointed time in the month of Abib you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days, because that was the month you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before Me empty-handed.
Umkhosi wesinkwa esingelamvubelo uzawugcina, insuku eziyisikhombisa udle isinkwa esingelamvubelo njengokukulaya kwami, ngesikhathi esimisiweyo senyanga kaAbhibhi; ngoba kuyo waphuma eGibhithe; kabayikubonakala phambi kwami bengaphethe lutho.
16 You are also to keep the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the produce from what you sow in the field. And keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.
Lomkhosi wesivuno, izithelo zokuqala zomsebenzi wakho, owuhlanyeleyo ensimini; lomkhosi wokubutha ekupheleni komnyaka, lapho usubuthile umsebenzi wakho ensimini.
17 Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD.
Kathathu ngomnyaka bonke abesilisa bakho bazabonakala phambi kweNkosi uJehova.
18 You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with anything leavened, nor may the fat of My feast remain until morning.
Kawuyikunikela igazi lomhlatshelo wami kanye lesinkwa esilemvubelo. Lamafutha omkhosi wami angalali kuze kuse.
19 Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Ikhethelo lezithelo zokuqala zensimu yakho uzaliletha endlini yeNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho. Ungapheki izinyane echagweni lukanina.
20 Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
Khangela, ngithuma ingilosi phambi kwakho ukuze ikulondoloze endleleni, ikuse endaweni engiyilungisileyo.
21 Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.
Uqaphele phambi kwayo, ulalele ilizwi layo; ungayicunuli, ngoba kayiyikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu; ngoba ibizo lami liphakathi kwayo.
22 But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
Kodwa uba ulalela lokulalela ilizwi layo, wenze konke engikutshoyo, sengizakuba yisitha sezitha zakho, ngiphambane labaphambana lawe.
23 For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them.
Ngoba ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwakho, ikungenise kumaAmori lamaHethi lamaPerizi lamaKhanani lamaHivi lamaJebusi. Njalo ngizababhubhisa.
24 You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
Ungakhothameli onkulunkulu babo, ungabakhonzi, ungenzi njengemisebenzi yabo; kodwa ubachithe lokubachitha, ubhidlize lokubhidliza izinsika zabo eziyizithombe.
25 So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you.
Lizakhonza-ke iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu; njalo izabusisa ukudla kwakho lamanzi akho, njalo ngisuse isifo phakathi kwakho.
26 No woman in your land will miscarry or be barren; I will fulfill the number of your days.
Kakuyikuba khona okuphunzayo lokuyinyumba elizweni lakho. Ngizaphelelisa inani lensuku zakho.
27 I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run.
Ngizathumela ukwesabeka kwami phambi kwakho, ngiphambanise bonke abantu ozafika kubo, ngenze izitha zakho zonke zikunike isiphundu.
28 I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.
Ngizathumela olonyovu phambi kwakho abazaxotsha amaHivi, amaKhanani lamaHethi phambi kwakho.
29 I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you.
Kangiyikubaxotsha phambi kwakho ngomnyaka owodwa, hlezi ilizwe libe ngamanxiwa, lenyamazana zeganga zikwandele.
30 Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.
Ngizabaxotsha phambi kwakho kancinyane kancinyane, uze wande, udle ilifa lelizwe.
31 And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
Njalo ngizamisa imingcele yakho kusukela eLwandle oluBomvu kuze kufike elwandle lwamaFilisti, njalo kusukela enkangala kuze kufike emfuleni; ngoba ngizanikela esandleni sakho abakhileyo belizwe; uzabaxotsha phambi kwakho.
32 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.
Ungenzi isivumelwano labo labonkulunkulu babo.
33 They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
Kabayikuhlala elizweni lakho, hlezi bakwenze ukuthi wone kimi; uba ukhonza onkulunkulu babo, ngeqiniso kuzakuba yisifu kuwe.
