Exodus 23
1 “You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
“Ungahambi ukhuluma izindaba zamanga. Ungahlanganyeli lomuntu omubi ngoba ngufakazi olomona.
2 “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.
Ungenzi okubi ulandela inengi labantu. Nxa ufakaza emthethwandaba, ungaphenduleli iqiniso ngokuvumelana labanengi,
3 You shall not favor a poor man in his cause.
njalo ungazweli umuntu ecaleni ngoba engumyanga.
4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
Ungahlangana lenkomo kumbe ubabhemi wesitha sakho elahlekile, mnqande umbuyisele kumnikazi.
5 If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, don’t leave him, you shall surely help him with it.
Nxa ufica ubabhemi womuntu okuzondayo ewiswe ngumthwalo, ungamtshiyi, umncedise umvuse.
6 “You shall not deny right judgement to your poor people in their lawsuits.
Ahlulela kuhle abayanga bakini emacaleni.
7 “Keep far from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent and righteous: for I will not justify the wicked.
Ungabungeni ubufakazi bamanga, njalo ungabulali muntu ongelacala loba oqotho ngoba kangiyi kumyekela olecala.
8 “You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous.
Lingavumi ukufunjathiswa ngoba ukufunjathiswa kufiphaza ababonayo besebeguqula amazwi omuntu omsulwa.
9 “You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, since you were aliens in the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery].
Ungancindezeli owezizweni, lina ngokwenu liyakwazi ukuthi kunjani ukuba ngabezizweni, njengoba lalingabezizweni eGibhithe.”
10 “For six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in its increase,
“Okweminyaka eyisithupha lizalima amasimu enu livune amabele,
11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the animal of the field shall eat. In the same way, you shall deal with your vineyard and with your olive grove.
kodwa kuzakuthi ngomnyaka wesikhombisa liyekele amasimu enu alaluke engalinywanga. Ngakho abangabayanga phakathi kwenu bazazuza ukudla kuwo, kuthi lezinyamazana zeganga zidle okuseleyo. Lizakwenza njalo okufananayo ngezivini zenu kanye lezihlahla zenu zama-oliva.
12 “Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant, and the alien may be refreshed.
Uzakwenza imisebenzi yakho okwensuku eziyisithupha, kodwa ngosuku lwesikhombisa ungasebenzi, ukuze inkabi yakho lobabhemi wakho kuphumule, kuthi isigqili esazalelwa endlini yakho kanye lowezizweni baphumule.
13 “Be careful to do all things that I have said to you; and don’t invoke the name of other elohim ·deities· or even let them be sh'ma ·heard obeyed· out of your mouth.
Qaphelisisani lenze konke engilitshela khona. Lingamemezi amabizo abanye onkulunkulu; kawangezwakali ephuma ezindebeni zenu.”
14 “You shall observe a feast to me three times a year.
“Kathathu ngomnyaka kufanele lingithakazelele umkhosi.
15 You shall observe the festival of Matzah ·Unleavened bread·. Seven days you shall eat matzah ·unleavened bread·, as I enjoined you, at the time appointed in the first month Aviv ·Ripening grain (of a new crop), 1· (for in it you came out of Egypt [Abode of slavery]), and no one shall appear before me empty.
Lizathakazelela uMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo; okwensuku eziyisikhombisa dlanini isinkwa esingelamvubelo, njengokulilaya kwami. Kwenzeni lokhu ngesikhathi esimisiweyo senyanga ka-Avivi, ngoba ngaleyonyanga yikho elaphuma khona eGibhithe. Kakungabi lamuntu ozakuma phambi kwami engaphathanga lutho.
16 And the festival of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you sow in the field; and the festival of in-gathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in the results of your labors out of the field.
Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuVuna lokolibo kwenu ezilimweni zenu zemasimini. Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuButhelela nxa selibutha izilimo zenu emasimini.
17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before 'Adon Adonai [Lord Yahweh].
Kathathu ngomnyaka amadoda wonke kufanele ayebonakala phambi kukaThixo Wobukhosi.
18 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. The fat of my feast shall not remain all night until the morning.
Linganikeli igazi lomhlatshelo kimi ndawonye laloba yini elemvubelo. Amahwahwa eminikelo yemikhosi yami akumelanga agcinwe kuze kuse.
19 The first of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of Adonai your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk fat.
Lethani okolibo kwenu okuhle kakhulu endlini kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Lingapheki izinyane lembuzi ngochago lukanina.”
20 “Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
“Khangelani, sengithumela ingilosi phambi kwenu ukuze ilivikele endleleni yenu njalo ize ilifikise endaweni engililungisele yona.
21 Pay attention to him, and sh'ma ·hear obey· his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your rebellious breaches of relationships, for my name is in him.
Liyinanzelele ingilosi yami njalo lilalele ekutshoyo. Lingayihlamukeli ngoba kayizukulithethelela nxa lingayihlamukela, njengoba iBizo lami likuyo.
22 But if you sh'ma ·hear obey· sh'ma ·hear obey· his voice, and sh'ma ·hear obey· all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.
Nxa lingalalelisisa ekutshoyo njalo lenze konke engikutshoyo, ngizakuba yisitha sezitha zenu njalo ngizamelana lalabo abamisana lani.
23 For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite [Descendants of Talkers], the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear], the Perizzite [Descendant of Belonging to village], the Canaanite [Descendant of Humbled], the Hivite [Wicked], and the Jebusite [Descendants of Thresher]; and I will cut them off.
Ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwenu ize ilingenise elizweni lama-Amori, lamaHithi, lamaPherizi, lamaKhenani lamaHivi kanye lamaJebusi njalo ngizababhubhisa.
24 You shall not hawa ·bow low, prostrate· to their deities, nor abad ·serve· them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars.
Lingabakhothameli onkulunkulu babo, lingabakhonzi njalo lingalandeli imikhuba yabo. Kufanele libhidlize onkulunkulu babo njalo lidilize amatshe abo abawakhonzayo.
25 You shall serve Adonai your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.
Mkhonzeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, kuzakuthi isibusiso sakhe sibe phezu kokudla laphezu kwamanzi enu. Ngizasusa imikhuhlane phakathi kwenu,
26 No one will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days.
njalo kakho ozaswela loba abe yinyumba ezweni lenu. Ngizaphelelisa insuku zenu.
27 I will send my terror before you, and will confuse all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.
Ngizathumela uchuku lwami phambi kwenu njalo ngisanganise zonke izizwe elizahlangana lazo. Ngizakwenza zonke izitha zenu zifulathele zilibalekele.
28 I will send the hornet before you, which will divorce and drive out the Hivite [Wicked], the Canaanite [Descendant of Humbled], and the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear], from before you.
Ngizathumela olonyovu phambi kwenu ukuze basuse amaHivi, amaKhenani kanye lamaHithi endleleni yenu.
29 I will not divorce them from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the animals of the field multiply against you.
Kodwa angiyikubasusa ngomnyaka munye, ngoba ilizwe lingasala lingasela muntu besekusithi izinyamazana zeganga zande zilikhulele.
30 Little by little I will divorce them from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land.
Ngizabasusa kancanekancane phambi kwenu, lani lize lande lenelise ukuthatha ilizwe.
31 I will set your border from the Sea of Suf [Reed Sea] even to the sea of the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)], and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall divorce them from before you.
Ngizabeka imingcele kusukela oLwandle oluBomvu kusiya oLwandle lwamaFilistiya, njalo kusuka enkangala kusiya emfuleni uYufrathe. Ngakho abantu abahlala kulelolizwe ngizabanikela ezandleni zenu ukuze libadudule.
32 You shall make no covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· with them, nor with their elohim ·deities·.
Lingenzi isivumelwano labo loba labonkulunkulu babo.
33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin ·err (the standard goal)· against me, for if you abad ·serve· their deities, it will surely be a snare to you.”
Kabangahlali lani ezweni lenu, funa balenze lingonele, ngoba ukukhonza kwabo onkulunkulu babo kuzakuba yisifu kini.”
