< Deuteronomy 12 >
1 These are the precepts and judgments, that you must do in the land, which the Lord the God of thy fathers will give thee, to possess it all the days that thou shalt walk upon the earth.
“Lezi yizo izimiso lemilayo okumele likugcine ngonanzelelo elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu alinika lona ukuba libe ngelenu nxa lilokhu lisahlala kulelolizwe.
2 Destroy all the places in which the nations, that you shall possess, worshipped their gods upon high mountains, and hills, and under every shady tree:
Dilizani ngokupheleleyo zonke izindawo izizwe elizinqobayo ezazikhonzela onkulunkulu bazo khona, ezintabeni eziphakemeyo lasemaqaqeni kanye langaphansi kwezihlahla ezinabileyo.
3 Overthrow their altars, and break down their statues, burn their groves with fire, and break their idols in pieces: destroy their names out of those places.
Dilizani ama-alithare ezizwe, libhidlize amatshe abawakhonzayo litshise izinsika zika-Ashera emlilweni, dilizelani phansi izithombe zabo lihle lichithe licitshe amabizo abo kulezondawo.
4 You shall not do so to the Lord your God:
Lingalandeli izindlela zabo zokukhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
5 But you shall come to the place, which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, and to dwell in it:
Kodwa lizadinga indawo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azayikhetha phakathi kwazo zonke izizwana zenu, ukuze abeke iBizo lakhe lapho, ahlale khona. Kumele liye kuleyondawo;
6 And you shall offer in that place your holocausts and victims, the tithes and firstfruits of your hands and your vows and gifts, the firstborn of your herds and your sheep.
khonapho lilethe iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, lokwetshumi kwenu lezipho zenu eziqakathekileyo, lokho elifunge ukukunikela kanye leminikelo yenu yokuzithandela, amazibulo emihlambi yenu yenkomo leyezimvu.
7 And you shall eat there in the sight of the Lord your God: and you shall rejoice in all things, whereunto you shall put your hand, you and your houses wherein the Lord your God hath blessed you.
Khonapho, phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, lina kanye labantwabenu lizakudla njalo lijabule ngakho konke elike labeka izandla zenu kukho, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ulibusisile.
8 You shall not do there the things we do here this day, every man that which seemeth good to himself.
Lingabokwenza njengalokhu esikwenza lamuhla, ngamunye esenza njengokuthanda kwakhe,
9 For until this present time you are not come to refit, and to the possession, which the Lord your God will give you.
ngoba alikangeni endaweni yokuphumula kanye lelifeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona.
10 You shall pass over the Jordan, and shall dwell in the land which the Lord your God will give you, that you may have rest from all enemies round about: and may dwell without any fear,
Kodwa lizachapha uJodani liyekwakha lihlale elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe yilifa lenu, njalo uzaliphumuza ezitheni zenu elakhelene lazo ukuze lihlale livikelekile.
11 In the place, which the Lord your God shall choose, that his name may be therein. Thither shall you bring all the things that I command you, holocausts, and victims, and tithes, and the firstfruits of your hands: and whatsoever is the choicest in the gifts which you shall vow to the Lord.
Okumayelana lendawo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azayikhetha ibe likhaya leBizo lakhe, kulapho elizaletha konke engililaya ngakho: iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, okwetshumi kwenu lezipho zenu eziqakathekileyo, kanye lazozonke impahla elikhethe ukufunga ngazo kuThixo.
12 There shall you feast before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your menservants and maid-servants, and the Levite that dwelleth in your cities. For he hath no other part and possession among you.
Khona lapho lijabule phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, lina, amadodana lamadodakazi enu, izinceku lezincekukazi zenu, kanye labaLevi abavela emadolobheni enu, abangelasabelo loba ilifa abaliphiwayo libe ngelabo.
13 Beware lest thou offer thy holocausts in every place that thou shalt see:
Limukani linganikeleli iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa ingqe kungaphi elithanda khona.
14 But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes shalt thou offer sacrifices. and shalt do all that I command thee.
Nikelelani kuphela endaweni uThixo azayikhetha phakathi kwezizwana zenu kuthi selilapho linanzelele konke engililaya ngakho.
15 But if thou desirest to eat, and the eating of flesh delight thee, kill, and eat according to the blessing of the Lord thy God, which he hath given thee, in thy cities: whether it be unclean, that is to say, having blemish or defect: or clean, that is to say, sound and without blemish, such as may be offered, as the roe, and the hart, shalt thou eat it:
Ngalokho-ke, selilakho ukuhlaba izifuyo zenu lizibulale njengalokhu okwenziwayo emadolobheni enu njalo lidle yonke leyonyama elifisa ukuyidla, kungani lithaka loba imbabala, kusiya ngesibusiso leso lowo lalowo ayabe ebusiswe ngaso nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Bonke labangahlanzekanga labahlanzekileyo ngokomkhuba bavunyelwe ukuyidla.
16 Only the blood thou shalt not eat, but thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water.
Kodwa lingadli igazi lazo; lilahleni kungathi lichitha amanzi phansi.
17 Thou mayst not eat in thy towns the tithes of thy corn, and thy wine, and thy oil, the firstborn of thy herds and thy cattle, nor any thing that thou vowest, and that thou wilt offer voluntarily, and the firstfruits of thy hands:
Lingakudli emadolobheni enu okwetshumi kwamabele enu kanye lokwewayini elitsha lamafutha, loba amazibulo emihlambi yezifuyo zenu, lakho konke eselifunge lathembisa ukuba lizanikela ngakho, leminikelo yenu yokuzithandela loba izipho eziqakathekileyo.
18 But thou shalt eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou and thy son and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and maidservant, and the Levite that dwelleth in thy cities: and thou shalt rejoice and be refreshed before the Lord thy God in all things, whereunto thou shalt put thy hand.
Kodwa kumele likudle phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu endaweni ezakhethwa nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, lina, amadodana lamadodakazi enu, izinceku lezincekukazi zenu, kanye labaLevi abavela emadolobheni enu, lina labo lizajabula phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngakho konke elikuphatha ngezandla zenu.
19 Take heed thou forsake not the Levite all the time that thou livest in the land.
Linanzelele lingalibali beselikhohlwa abaLevi nxa lilokhu lisahlala elizweni lenu.
20 When the Lord thy God shall have enlarged thy borders, as he hath spoken to thee, and thou wilt eat the flesh that thy soul desireth:
Nxa uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu eseqhelisile ilizwe lenu njengokulethembisa kwakhe, libe seliloyisa ukudla inyama lithi, ‘Ngifisa ukudla inyama,’ kulapho elizakudla khona lize lifike lapho elithanda khona.
21 And if the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, that his name should be there, be far off, thou shalt kill of thy herds and of thy flocks, as I have commanded thee, and shalt eat in thy towns, as it pleaseth thee.
Nxa indawo leyo lapho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu akhetha ukubeka iBizo lakhe ikhatshana kakhulu lani, lingahlaba emihlambini yezifuyo leyezimvu njengokuyiphiwa kwenu nguThixo, njengoba ngililayile, kuthi emadolobheni enu lizidle lezozifuyo njengokuthanda kwenu.
22 Even as the roe and the hart is eaten, so shalt thou eat them: both the clean and unclean shall eat of them alike.
Lidle kungathi lidla ithaka lembabala. Bonke abangahlanzekanga ngokomkhuba labahlanzekileyo bangadla.
23 Only beware of this, that thou eat not the blood, for the blood is for the soul: and therefore thou must not eat the soul with the flesh:
Kodwa linanzelele lingadli igazi, ngoba igazi yiyo impilo ngakho akufanelanga ukuthi lidle impilo lenyama.
24 But thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water,
Lingabokudla igazi; lichitheleni emhlabathini kungathi lilahla amanzi.
25 That it may be well with thee and thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is pleasing in the sight of the Lord.
Lingadli, ukuze kulihambele kuhle lina kanye labantwabenu abezayo, ngoba lizabe lenze okuhle emehlweni kaThixo.
26 But the things which thou hast sanctified and vowed to the Lord, thou shalt take, and shalt come to the place which the Lord shall choose:
Kodwa thathani lokho okugcotshiweyo lalokho elifunge ukukunikela lisuke liye endaweni ezakhethwa nguThixo.
27 And shalt offer thy oblations the flesh and the blood upon the altar of the Lord thy God: the blood of thy victims thou shalt pour on the altar: and the flesh thou thyself shalt eat.
Lethani iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa e-alithareni likaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, konke inyama kanye legazi. Igazi leminikelo yenu lilichithele phansi kwe-alithari likaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, kodwa lingadla inyama yakhona.
28 Observe and hear all the things that I command thee, that it may be well with thee and thy children after thee for ever, when thou shalt do what is good and pleasing in the sight of the Lord thy God.
Linanzelele lilandele iziqondiso zonke engilinika zona, ukuze kulihambele kuhle lina kanye labantwabenu abezayo ngemva kwenu, ngoba lizabe lenze okuhle njalo kulungile emehlweni kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
29 When the Lord thy God shall have destroyed before thy face the nations, which then shalt go in to possess, and when thou shalt possess them, and dwell in their land:
UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzazichitha phambi kwenu zonke izizwe okufanele lizihlasele libe selizemuka okungokwazo. Kodwa nxa selizinqobile lazichitha selihlezi elizweni lazo,
30 Beware lest thou imitate them, after they are destroyed at thy coming in, and lest thou seek after their ceremonies, saying: As these nations have worshipped their gods, so will I also worship.
njalo nxa sezichithiwe phambi kwenu, liqaphele lingahugeki ngokubuza ngabonkulunkulu bazo lisithi, ‘Kanti zona lezizizwe zibakhonza njani onkulunkulu bazo? Lathi sizakwenza okufananayo.’
31 Thou shalt not do in like manner to the Lord thy God. For they have done to their gods all the abominations which the Lord abhorreth, offering their sons and daughters, and burning them with fire.
Lingabokhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngendlela abakhonza ngayo, ngoba ekukhonzeni kwabo onkulunkulu babo, benza konke okunengisayo okungasoze kwamukeleke kuThixo. Baya baze batshise amadodana lamadodakazi abo emlilweni bethi bayanikela kubonkulunkulu babo.
32 What I command thee, that only do thou to the Lord: neither add any thing, nor diminish.
Nanzelelani ukuthi lenza lokho engililaya ngakho, lingengezeleli loba liphungule kulokho.”