Deuteronomy 15
1 At the end of every seven years there is to be a general forgiveness of debt.
“Ekupheleni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa kumele lesule izikwelede.
2 This is how it is to be done: every creditor is to give up his right to whatever he has let his neighbour have; he is not to make his neighbour, his countryman, give it back; because a general forgiveness has been ordered by the Lord.
Nanso indlela elizakuphatha ngayo: Wonke umuntu owake waboleka omunye wakibo wako-Israyeli impahla yakhe kumele esule lesosikwelede. Akusafanelanga ukuthi adinge ukuhlawulwa ngomunye wakhe wako-Israyeli loba umfowabo, ngoba isikhathi sikaThixo sokwesula izikwelede sesimenyezelwe.
3 A man of another nation may be forced to make payment of his debt, but if your brother has anything of yours, let it go;
Lilakho ukuthi lihlawulwe ngabezizweni, kodwa kumele lesule isikwelede umfowenu ayabe elaso kini.
4 But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will certainly give you his blessing in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage;
Kodwa akungabi lomuntu oswelayo phakathi kwenu, ngoba elizweni lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuze libe yilifa lenu, uzalibusisa kakhulu,
5 If only you give ear to the voice of the Lord your God, and take care to keep all these orders which I give you today.
nxa lizalalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu linanzelele njalo ukuthi liyayilandela yonke imilayo yakhe engilethulela yona lamuhla.
6 For the Lord your God will give you his blessing as he has said: you will let other nations have the use of your money, but you will not make use of theirs; you will be rulers over a number of nations, but they will not be your rulers.
Kungenxa yalokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azalibusisa njengokulithembisa kwakhe, njalo lizakweboleka izizwe ezinengi kodwa lina aliyikweboleka lutho kuzo. Lizabusa phezu kwezizwe ezinengi kodwa lina akulasizwe esizalibusa.
7 If in any of your towns in the land which the Lord your God is giving you, there is a poor man, one of your countrymen, do not let your heart be hard or your hand shut to him;
Nxa ekhona ongumyanga phakathi kwabafowenu emadolobheni la uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika wona lasemazweni eliwaphiweyo, lingabi lezinhliziyo ezilukhuni loba ukuba ngabancitshanayo kumfowenu ongumyanga.
8 But let your hand be open to give him the use of whatever he is in need of.
Kuhle ukuthi libe ngabaphanayo limeboleke ngokukhululeka loba yini ayiswelayo.
9 And see that there is no evil thought in your heart, moving you to say to yourself, The seventh year, the year of forgiveness is near; and so looking coldly on your poor countryman you give him nothing; and he will make an outcry to the Lord against you, and it will be judged as sin in you.
Limukani lingagcini umnakano omubi othi: ‘Umnyaka wesikhombisa, umnyaka wokwesulwa kwezikwelede, ususondele,’ ukuze lingabi lomoya omubi ngomfowenu oswelayo lingabe lisamnika lutho. Kungenzeka acele kuThixo ukuba alihlanekele, libe selifunyanwa lilesono.
10 But it is right for you to give to him, without grief of heart: for because of this, the blessing of the Lord your God will be on all your work and on everything to which you put your hand.
Mupheni okunengi njalo lokhu likwenze ngezinhliziyo ezingelamona; kanti-ke ngenxa yalokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalibusisa kuyo yonke imisebenzi yenu lakukho konke elibeka izandla zenu kukho.
11 For there will never be a time when there are no poor in the land; and so I give orders to you, Let your hand be open to your countrymen, to those who are poor and in need in your land.
Kuzahlala kulokhu kulabantu abangabayanga elizweni. Ngakho ngiyalilaya ukuba phanini ngezandla ezivulekileyo kubafowenu kanye lakubo bonke abangabayanga labaswelayo elizweni lenu.”
12 If one of your countrymen, a Hebrew man or woman, becomes your servant for a price and does work for you six years, in the seventh year let him go free.
“Nxa omunye wenu ongumHebheru, owesilisa loba owesifazane, ezithengisile kini, angasebenza iminyaka eyisithupha, ngomnyaka wesikhombisa kumele limkhulule azihambele.
13 And when you make him free, do not let him go away with nothing in his hands:
Mhla limkhulula lingamyekeli ehamba eze engaphethe lutho.
14 But give him freely from your flock and from your grain and your wine: in the measure of the wealth which the Lord your God has given you, you are to give to him.
Mnikeni emihlambini yenu ngomoya wokuphana, lasemabeleni asebhuliwe kanye lewayini eselihluziwe. Mnikeni njengokubusiswa kwenu nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
15 And keep in mind that you yourself were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God made you free: so I give you this order today.
Khumbulani ukuthi laliyizigqili eGibhithe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu walikhulula. Yikho ngilinika umlayo lo lamuhla.
16 But if he says to you, I have no desire to go away from you; because you and your family are dear to him and he is happy with you;
Kodwa nxa isisebenzi senu singathi kini, ‘Angifuni ukusuka lapha,’ ngenxa yokuthi siyalithanda lina labendlu yenu njalo sihlezi kuhle lani,
17 Then take a sharp-pointed instrument, driving it through his ear into the door, and he will be your servant for ever. And you may do the same for your servant-girl.
thathani usungulo libhobozele indlebe yaso emnyango, sihle sibe yisisebenzi senu kokuphela. Lokhu likwenze lasesigqilini sesifazane.
18 Let it not seem hard to you that you have to send him away free; for he has been working for you for six years, which is twice the regular time for a servant: and the blessing of the Lord your God will be on you in everything you do.
Lingakuthathi njengomthwalo onzima ukukhulula izisebenzi zenu, ngoba umsebenzi esiyabe sikwenzele wona eminyakeni eyisithupha uyalingana lomsebenzi ophindwe kabili owenziwa ngoqhatshiweyo. Ngakho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalibusisa kukho konke elikwenzayo.”
19 All the first males to come to birth in your herd and your flock are to be holy to the Lord your God: the first birth of your ox is not to be used for work, the wool of your first lamb is not to be cut.
“Yehlukaniselani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu amazibulo wonke amaduna emihlambini yenu kanye leyezimvu. Lingasebenzisi loba yiliphi izibulo emhlambini loba owezimvu njalo lingagundi uboya bamazibulo ezimvu zenu.
20 But year by year you and all your house are to take a meal of it before the Lord, in the place of his selection.
Ngayo yonke iminyaka lina kanye labendlu yenu lizawadla phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu endaweni azayikhetha yena.
21 But if it has any mark on it, if it is blind or has damaged legs, or if there is anything wrong with it, it may not be offered to the Lord your God.
Nxa inyamazana ilesici, iqhula loba iyisiphofu, loba ilokunye okusolekayo, linganikeli ngayo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
22 It may be used for food in your houses: the unclean and the clean may take of it, as of the gazelle and the roe.
Leyo lizayidlela emadolobheni enu. Bonke abahlanzekileyo labangahlanzekanga ngokomkhuba balakho ukuyidla, kungani badla ithaka lembabala.
23 Only do not take its blood for food, but let it be drained out on the earth like water.
Kodwa lingadli igazi lazo, lichitheleni emhlabathini kungathi lichitha amanzi.”
