Deuteronomy 21
1 If there be found a slain person in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, [and] it be not known who hath slain him:
“Nxa kungafunyanwa umuntu obuleweyo egangeni, elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe ngelenu, kungaziwa ukuthi ubulewe ngubani,
2 Then shall thy elders and thy judges go forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about the one that is slain.
abakhokheli kanye labehluleli benu bazakuya balinganise umango phakathi kwalowo obuleweyo lamadolobho aseduze.
3 And it shall be, that the city which is the nearest unto the slain person, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer, which hath not been wrought with, which hath not drawn in a yoke;
Kuzakuthi abakhokheli bamadolobho aseduzane lesidumbu leso bathathe ithokazi elingakaze lisetshenziswe futhi okungakaze kugaxwe ijogwe phezu kwalo
4 And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither tilled nor sown, and they shall break there the neck of the heifer in the valley;
balithintele esigodini esingakaze silinywe kumbe kuhlanyelwe ulutho kiso njalo lapho okulesifula esigelezayo khona. Kabephule intamo yalo khonapho esigodini leso.
5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and after their decision shall be done [at] every controversy and every injury;
Abaphristi, amadodana kaLevi, bazasondela, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ubakhethile ukuba benze inkonzo njalo bamemezele izibusiso ebizweni likaThixo bahlulele amacala okuxabana lawokulwa.
6 And all the elders of that city who are nearest unto the slain person shall wash their hands over the heifer, the neck of which is broken in the valley.
Abakhokheli balawo madolobho aseduzane lesidumbu leso bazagezela izandla zabo phezu kwethokazi elephulelwe intamo esigodini,
7 And they shall commence and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, and our eyes have not seen it.
bafakaze bathi: ‘Izandla zethu kazilichithanga leligazi, futhi asibonanga kusenzeka.
8 Grant pardon unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, and lay not innocent blood in the midst of thy people Israel: and the blood shall be forgiven unto them.
Yamukela lindlela yokubuyisana yabantu bakho abako-Israyeli, obahlengileyo, Oh Thixo, ungabeki icala phezu kwabantu bakho ngenxa yegazi lomuntu omsulwa.’ Ngakho ukuchithwa kwegazi kuzahlawulelwa.
9 And thou shalt put away the [guilt of] the innocent blood from the midst of thee, when thou wilt do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
Ngalokho lizazigeza emlandwini wokuchitha igazi elingelacala, njengoba selenzile okuhle emehlweni kaThixo.”
10 When thou goest forth to war against thy enemies, and the Lord thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou takest captives of them;
“Nxa usiya empini ukuyahlasela izitha zakho kuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu anikele izitha zenu ezandleni zenu, lizithumbe,
11 And thou seest among the captives a woman of handsome form, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldst take her to thee for wife:
ungabona owesifazane omuhle njalo akukhange, ungamthatha abe ngumkakho.
12 Then shalt thou bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and let grow her nails;
Uzamusa emzini wakho, aphuce ikhanda lakhe, aqume inzipho zakhe njalo
13 And she shall put off the raiment of her captivity from her, and she shall remain in thy house, and weep for her father and her mother a full month; and after that thou mayest go in unto her, and be her husband, that she may become thy wife.
akhulule izigqoko athunjwe ezigqokile. Kuzakuthi lapho eseqede inyanga eyodwa esemzini wakho elilela uyise lonina, usungamthatha abe ngumkakho,
14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then shalt thou let her go whither she will; but thou shalt nowise sell her for money; thou shalt not make a servant of her, because thou hast humbled her.
kodwa nxa engakuthokozisi, umkhulule ayelapho athanda khona. Ungamthengisi kumbe umphathe njengesigqili, ngoba usumngcolisile.”
15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and the other hated, and they bear him children, both the beloved and the hated; so that the first-born son be hers that is hated:
“Nxa indoda ilabafazi ababili, ithande omunye kodwa omunye ingamthandi, kuthi bobabili bayizalele amadodana kodwa izibulo libe yindodana yomfazi engamthandiyo,
16 Then shall it be, when he divideth as inheritance among his sons what he hath, that he shall not institute the son of the beloved as the first-born before the son of the hated, the firstborn;
nxa ehlela ukwabela amadodana akhe impahla yakhe, akumelanga emuke izibulo lakhe ilungelo lalo aliphe indodana yomfazi amthandayo esikhundleni sezibulo langempela, indodana yomfazi engamthandiyo.
17 But the first-born, the son of the hated woman, shall he acknowledge, to give him a double portion of all that is found in his possession; for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongeth the right of the first birth.
Kufanele itshengisele ukuthi indodana yomfazi ongathandwayo yilo izibulo ngokuyinika isabelo esiphindwe kabili sempahla yayo yonke. Indodana leyo iyisibonakaliso sakuqala samandla kayise. Ilungelo lobuzibulo ngelayo.”
18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, who hearkeneth not to the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and they chastise him, and he will not hearken unto them:
“Nxa indoda ilendodana eyisiqholo njalo engumhlamuki engalaleli uyise lonina nxa beyikhuza,
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
uyise lonina bazayibamba bayise ebadaleni esangweni ledolobho lakibo.
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not hearken to our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
Kumele bafike ebadaleni balelodolobho bathi, ‘Indodana yethu le iyisiqholo njalo ingumhlamuki. Ayisilaleli. Iyisixhwali njalo iyisidakwa.’
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; and thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee; and all Israel shall hear, and be afraid.
Ngakho wonke amadoda akulelodolobho azayitshaya ngamatshe ize ife. Kufanele liqede bonke ububi phakathi kwenu. U-Israyeli wonke uzakuzwa lokhu esabe.”
22 And if a man have committed a sin for which there is a punishment of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
“Nxa umuntu olecala elikhulu ebulawa kuthi isidumbu silengiswe esihlahleni,
23 Then shall his body not remain all night on the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him on that day; [for he that is hanged is a dishonor of God; ] and thou shalt not defile thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
lingaboyekela isidumbu sakhe silenga esihlahleni ubusuku bonke. Kangcwatshwe mhlalokho, ngoba umuntu olengiswa esihlahleni uqalekisiwe nguNkulunkulu. Lingangcolisi ilizwe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona njengelifa.”
