Deuteronomy 12
1 These [are] the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live 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 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
Dilizani ngokupheleleyo zonke izindawo izizwe elizinqobayo ezazikhonzela onkulunkulu bazo khona, ezintabeni eziphakemeyo lasemaqaqeni kanye langaphansi kwezihlahla ezinabileyo.
3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.
Dilizani ama-alithare ezizwe, libhidlize amatshe abawakhonzayo litshise izinsika zika-Ashera emlilweni, dilizelani phansi izithombe zabo lihle lichithe licitshe amabizo abo kulezondawo.
4 Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.
Lingalandeli izindlela zabo zokukhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, [even] unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
Kodwa lizadinga indawo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azayikhetha phakathi kwazo zonke izizwana zenu, ukuze abeke iBizo lakhe lapho, ahlale khona. Kumele liye kuleyondawo;
6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:
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 there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.
Khonapho, phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, lina kanye labantwabenu lizakudla njalo lijabule ngakho konke elike labeka izandla zenu kukho, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ulibusisile.
8 Ye shall not do after all [the things] that we do here this day, every man whatsoever [is] right in his own eyes.
Lingabokwenza njengalokhu esikwenza lamuhla, ngamunye esenza njengokuthanda kwakhe,
9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you.
ngoba alikangeni endaweni yokuphumula kanye lelifeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona.
10 But [when] ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and [when] he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;
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 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto 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 And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that [is] within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with 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 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:
Limukani linganikeleli iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa ingqe kungaphi elithanda khona.
14 But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.
Nikelelani kuphela endaweni uThixo azayikhetha phakathi kwezizwana zenu kuthi selilapho linanzelele konke engililaya ngakho.
15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.
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 ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.
Kodwa lingadli igazi lazo; lilahleni kungathi lichitha amanzi phansi.
17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:
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 must 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 thy maidservant, and the Levite that [is] within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.
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 to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.
Linanzelele lingalibali beselikhohlwa abaLevi nxa lilokhu lisahlala elizweni lenu.
20 When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
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 If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
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 roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat [of] them alike.
Lidle kungathi lidla ithaka lembabala. Bonke abangahlanzekanga ngokomkhuba labahlanzekileyo bangadla.
23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood [is] the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.
Kodwa linanzelele lingadli igazi, ngoba igazi yiyo impilo ngakho akufanelanga ukuthi lidle impilo lenyama.
24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.
Lingabokudla igazi; lichitheleni emhlabathini kungathi lilahla amanzi.
25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do [that which is] right in the sight of the LORD.
Lingadli, ukuze kulihambele kuhle lina kanye labantwabenu abezayo, ngoba lizabe lenze okuhle emehlweni kaThixo.
26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the LORD shall choose:
Kodwa thathani lokho okugcotshiweyo lalokho elifunge ukukunikela lisuke liye endaweni ezakhethwa nguThixo.
27 And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh.
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 these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest [that which is] good and right 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 cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzazichitha phambi kwenu zonke izizwe okufanele lizihlasele libe selizemuka okungokwazo. Kodwa nxa selizinqobile lazichitha selihlezi elizweni lazo,
30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
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 so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
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 thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Nanzelelani ukuthi lenza lokho engililaya ngakho, lingengezeleli loba liphungule kulokho.”
