Deuteronomy 4
1 “Now, you Israeli people, obey all the rules and regulations [DOU] that I will teach you. If you do that, you will remain alive and you will enter and occupy/capture the land that Yahweh, the God whom your ancestors [worshiped], is giving to you.
“Zwana-ke khathesi, Oh Israyeli, izimiso lemithetho engizalifundisa yona. Ilandeleni ukuze liphile njalo libe lakho ukuyalithatha lelolizwe uThixo uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu alinika lona.
2 Do not add anything to what I command you, and do not take anything away from what I tell you. Obey all the commands of Yahweh our God that I am giving to you.
Lingangezeleli kulokho engililaya khona njalo lingaphunguli loba yikuphi kwakhona, kodwa gcinani imilayo kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu engilinika yona.
3 “You have seen what Yahweh did at Baal-Peor [Mountain]. He got rid of all the people who worshiped [the god] Baal there,
Lazibonela ngawenu amehlo okwenziwa nguThixo eBhali-Pheyori. UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu wabatshabalalisa bonke ababekhonza uBhali wasePheyori,
4 but you who faithfully [continued to worship] Yahweh our God are still alive today.
kodwa lina lonke elabambelela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu lilokhu lisaphila lalamuhla lokhu.
5 “Note that I have taught you all the rules and regulations, just like Yahweh our God told me to do. He wants you to obey them [when you are living] in the land that you are about to enter and occupy.
Liyabona sengalifundisa izimiso lemithetho uThixo wami angilaya ngazo, ukuze liyigcine elizweni elingena kulo ukuba lilithathe.
6 Obey them faithfully because, [if you do that], you will show the people of other nations that you are very wise. When they hear about all these laws, they will say, ‘The people of this great nation [of Israel] are certainly very wise [DOU]!’
Lizigcine ngonanzelelo ngoba lokhu kuzaveza obala ukuhlakanipha lokuzwisisa kwenu ezizweni ezizakuzwa ngalezizimiso njalo zitsho zithi, ‘Ngeqiniso lesisizwe esilodumo yisizwe sabantu abahlakaniphileyo njalo abazwisisayo.’
7 Even if other nations are great, there is none [RHQ] of them that has a god who is as near to them as Yahweh our God is to us! Whenever we call out to him [to help us, he answers/helps us]
Yisiphi esinye isizwe esilodumo esilabonkulunkulu baso ababaseduze laso njengoThixo uNkulunkulu wethu oba lathi nxa sikhuleka kuye?
8 And there is no [RHQ] other nation, even if it is a great nation, that has laws that are as just/fair as the laws that I am telling to you today.
Yisiphi esinye isizwe esilezimiso eziqondileyo lemithetho enjengale imithetho engiyethula phambi kwenu lamuhla na?
9 “But be very careful! [DOU, IDM] Do not forget what you [SYN] have seen [God do]. Remember those things as long as you are alive. Tell them to your children and your grandchildren.
Kodwa linanzelele, liqaphelisise ukuze lingakhohlwa izinto elizibonileyo loba zilibaleke ezinhliziyweni zenu ekuphileni kwenu konke. Fundisani abantwabenu ngalezizinto njalo labo babofundisa abantwababo labantwana babantwana abalandela emva kwabo.
10 Tell them about the day that your ancestors stood in the presence of Yahweh our God at Sinai [Mountain], when he said to me, ‘Gather the people together, in order that they can hear what I say. I want them to learn to have an awesome respect for me as long as they are alive, and I want them to teach their children to do that also.’
Khumbulani usuku elema ngalo phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu eHorebhi, lapho athi khona kimi, ‘Buthanisa abantu ukuze bezwe amazwi ami ukuze bakwazi ukungidumisa nxa belokhu besahlala elizweni njalo bafundise abantwababo.’
11 [Tell them that] your ancestors came near the bottom of the mountain, while the mountain burned with a fire that went up to the sky, and the mountain was covered with dark clouds and black [smoke].
Lasondela lema ngaphansi kwentaba ilavuka amalangabi eqonga phezulu, kulamayezi amnyama lomnyama owesabekayo.
12 Then Yahweh spoke to your ancestors out of the middle of the fire. Your ancestors heard him speak, but they did not see him. They only heard his voice.
Ngakho uThixo wakhuluma lani ephakathi komlilo. Lezwa umdumo welizwi kodwa alizange libone lutho; kwaba yilizwi lodwa nje.
13 And he declared to them his agreement. That agreement contained the Ten Commandments that he wants you to obey. He wrote those on two stone tablets.
Wakhupha ilizwi lokubuyisana lesivumelwano sakhe, imiThetho eliTshumi, waselilaya ukuba liyilandele njalo wayiloba ezibhebhedwini zamatshe ezimbili.
14 Yahweh commanded me to teach all the rules and regulations to you, in order that you would obey them in the land that you are about to enter and occupy.”
Kungalesosikhathi lapho uThixo angiqondisa ukuba ngilifundise izimiso lemilayo okuzamele liyilandele ekuchapheni kwenu uJodani lisiya elizweni elizalithumba libe ngelenu.”
15 “On the day that Yahweh spoke to your ancestors at Sinai [Mountain], he was invisible. So, be careful
“Akulalutho loba yisimo bani elasibonayo mhla uThixo ekhuluma lani eHorebhi ephakathi kwelangabi lomlilo. Kunjalo-nje kumele lizinanzelele okuqinileyo,
16 that you do not sin by making for yourselves any idol [of something that can be seen!] not make an idol that resembles any person, either a man or a woman,
ukuze lingaxhwali libe selizenzela isithombe, loba umfanekiso olesimo bani, loba ngesilesimo sesilisa loba esesifazane,
17 or that resembles any animal or any bird
loba yiphi inyamazana emhlabeni loba inyoni endizayo emkhathini,
18 or any (reptile/creature that scurries across the ground) or any fish in the deep ocean.
loba yisiphi isinanakazana esihuquzelayo emhlabathini loba yinhlanzi ngaphansi kwamanzi.
19 And be careful to not look up toward the sky and be tempted to worship anything that you see there—the sun or the moon or the stars. Yahweh our God has given those to [be a blessing to] all people everywhere, [but you must not worship them].
Njalo nxa likhangela phezulu esibhakabhakeni libona ilanga, inyanga kanye lezinkanyezi, zonke ezihlobise zacecisa isibhakabhaka, lingalingeki lizikhothamele beselikhonza izinto uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azibekela izizwe zonke ngaphansi kwezulu.
20 Yahweh has brought your ancestors out of Egypt, where [they were suffering as though] they were in a blazing furnace, in order that they would be people who belong to him, which is what you are today.
Kodwa-ke lina, uThixo walithatha walenyula eziko lokuncibilikisa insimbi, walikhipha eGibhithe, ukuze libe ngabantu belifa lakhe, njengoba linje lamuhla.
21 “But Yahweh was angry with me because of [what] your ancestors [made me do]. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan [River] to enter the good/fertile land that he is giving to you.
UThixo wangithukuthelela ngenxa yenu, wafunga waphelela wathi angiyikuchapha uJodani ngingene elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe yilifa lenu.
22 He said that I must die here in this land and never cross the Jordan [River]. But you will go across it, and you will occupy that land.
Mina ngizafela kulelilizwe; angiyikuchapha uJodani, kodwa lina seliseduze ukuba lichaphe liyelithumba lelolizwe elihle.
23 Be sure that you do not forget the agreement that Yahweh our God made with you. He commanded you to not make any kind of idol, because he has forbidden that.
Nanzelelani ukuthi lingalibali isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wenu asenza lani; lingazenzeli isithombe loba singesesimo bani salokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu akwalileyo.
24 [You must not do that] because Yahweh your God will destroy [anyone who worships idols, ] like [MET] a fire completely destroys things. He [wants people to worship only him, he] (cannot accept/will punish) people who worship anyone or anything else.
Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ungumlilo oqothulayo, uNkulunkulu olobukhwele.
25 “When you have been in the land [of Canaan] for a long time and you have children and grandchildren, do not sin by making an idol that represents anything at all, because Yahweh says that is evil, and if you do that, you will cause him to become angry with you [and punish you].
Ngemva kokuba selike laba labantwana, lesizukulwane njalo selihlale ezweni okwesikhathi eside, lingasuka libe selixhwala beselizenzela loba yisiphi isithombe, lisenza okubi emehlweni kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu limthukuthelisa,
26 Today I am requesting everyone who is in heaven and everyone who is on the earth [MTY] to watch what you are doing. [If you disobey what I am telling you], you will soon all die in the land that you will be crossing the Jordan [River] to occupy. You will not live very long there; Yahweh will completely get rid of many [HYP] of you.
ngibiza izulu lomhlaba ukuthi libe ngufakazi wami ukuze libhujiswe masinyazana lingangeni elizweni elizachapha uJodani ukuze lilithumbe. Aliyikuhlala kulo isikhathi eside kodwa iqiniso yikuthi lizatshabalaliswa.
27 And [the rest of you], Yahweh will force you to go and live among the people of many other nations. Only a few of you will (survive/remain alive) there.
UThixo uzalihlakaza ezizweni, njalo abalutshwana benu yibo abazasinda ezizweni uThixo azalifuqela khona.
28 When you are in those nations, you will worship gods that are made of wood and stone, gods made by humans, gods that cannot see anything or hear anything or eat anything or smell anything.
Khonale lizakhonza onkulunkulu ababunjwe ngabantu ngezigodo langamatshe, abangeke babone loba bezwe loba badle loba bezwe ukunuka.
29 But while you are there, if you will try to know Yahweh your God, and if you try with your entire inner being to know him, he will (answer/reveal himself to) you.
Kodwa nxa likhonale lingadinga uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, lizamfumana nxa limdinga ngezinhliziyo zenu ezipheleleyo langemiphefumulo yenu yonke.
30 In the future, after you have been mistreated there and all those bad things happen to you, you will again worship only Yahweh and obey him.
Nxa selisosizini zonke lezizinto sezilehlela, lapho-ke ngezinsuku ezizayo lizabuyela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu limlalele.
31 Yahweh is a God who acts mercifully. [If you continue to obey him], he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the agreement that he solemnly made with your ancestors.”
Phela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu nguNkulunkulu olomusa; kayikulidela loba alibhubhise loba alibale isivumelwano sakhe asenza labokhokho benu, leso asiqinisa kubo ngesifungo.”
32 “Now think about the past, about the time before you were born, about all the time since God first created people here on the earth. You could search everywhere, in heaven and on the earth. (Has anything like this ever happened that is as great as [what Yahweh did for the Israeli people]?/Certainly nothing has ever happened that is as great [as what Yahweh did for the Israeli people].) [RHQ] (Has anyone ever heard of anything like this?/Certainly no one has ever heard of anything like this.) [RHQ]
“Buzani khathesi ngezinsuku ezedlulayo, kudala lingakabi khona, kusukela ngosuku uNkulunkulu adala ngalo umuntu emhlabeni; buzani kusukela ngapha kwamazulu kusiya ngale kwamazulu. Kambe kukhona yini okukhulu kangaka okwedlula lokhu osekuke kwenzakala loba kwezwakala na?
33 (Has any group ever remained alive after they heard a god speak to them from the middle of a fire, like we did?/Certainly no group has ever remained alive after they heard a god speak to them from the middle of a fire, like we did.) [RHQ]
Sikhona na esinye isizwe esake sezwa uNkulunkulu ekhuluma ephakathi kwelangabi lomlilo, njengalokhu eselikuzwile, saphila na?
34 Certainly no other god has ever tried to take a [huge] group of people from one nation [to another location], like he did for us when he brought us out of Egypt. We saw Yahweh our God use great power [MTY, DOU] when he performed many kinds of [DOU] miracles, and sent plagues, and did many other very terrifying things in Egypt for us, [and rescued us when the army of Egypt tried to fight against us].
Kukhona na unkulunkulu oseke wazama ukuzithathela esinye isizwe phakathi kwesinye, ngokuhlola, ngemilingo yezibonakaliso, lezimangaliso, lezimpi, ngesandla esilamandla langokwelula ingalo, loba izenzo ezinkulu ezesabekayo, njengakho konke uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alenzela khona eGibhithe lizibonela ngamehlo enu?
35 “Yahweh showed all these things to you, in order that you would know that only he is truly God, and that there is no other God.
Lakutshengiswa konke lokhu ukuze lazi ukuthi uThixo unguNkulunkulu; ngaphandle kwakhe kakho omunye futhi.
36 He allowed your ancestors to hear him speak from heaven in order that he could discipline them. Here on the earth he allowed them to see his great fire [on Sinai Mountain], and he spoke to them from the middle of the fire.
Esemazulwini wakwenza ukuthi lilizwe ilizwi lakhe ukuze libe lobuntu. Emhlabeni walitshengisa amalangabi omlilo akhe omkhulu, njalo lawezwa amazwi akhe ephuma emlilweni.
37 Because he loved our ancestors, he chose you Israelis who are their descendants, and by his great power he brought your ancestors out of Egypt.
Ngenxa yokuthi wabathanda okhokho benu wakhetha izizukulwane zabo ezalandela ngemva kwabo, walikhipha eGibhithe ngoBukhona bakhe kanye langamandla akhe amakhulu,
38 [As they advanced], he expelled the people of nations that were greater and more powerful than they were, in order that he could allow them to capture their land and cause it to become yours, which is [what is happening] now.
ukuxotsha zonke izizwe phambi kwenu, izizwe ezilamandla kulezenu lokulingenisa elizweni lazo ukuze aliphe lona libe yilifa lenu, njengoba kunjalo lamuhla.
39 “So today you should (meditate on/think about) the fact that Yahweh is God, that he is/rules in heaven and also on the earth, and that there is no other god.
Yamukelani njalo likugcine ezinhliziyweni zenu lamuhla ukuthi uThixo unguNkulunkulu ezulwini phezulu lasemhlabeni phansi. Kakho omunye.
40 Obey all the rules and regulations that I am giving to you today, in order that things will go well for you and for your descendants, and that you will live a long time in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, [to belong to you] forever.”
Gcinani izimiso zakhe lemilayo yakhe, engilinika yona lamuhla, ukuze kulihambele kahle lina kanye labantwabenu lokuthi liphile isikhathi eside elizweni eliliphiwa nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ukuze libe ngelenu kokuphela.”
41 Then Moses/I set apart three cities that are on the east side of the Jordan [River].
Ngakho uMosi wasekhetha amadolobho amathathu empumalanga yeJodani,
42 If someone accidentally killed another person, a person who had not been his enemy previously, he could escape to one of those cities. He would be safe/protected in one of those cities [because the people there would protect him].
ukuze kuthi wonke oyabe ebulele omunye abalekele khona nxa eyabe ebulele umakhelwane kungekho mona kodwa kube yingozi. Bangabalekela kwelinye lala amadolobho ukuze baphephise impilo zabo.
43 For the tribe of Reuben, Moses/I set apart Bezer [city] in the (plateau/high level) area. For the tribe of Gad, Moses/I set apart Ramoth [city] in the Gilead [area]. For the tribe of Manasseh, Moses/I set apart Golan [city] in the Bashan [region].
Amadolobho lawo kwakuyila: iBhezeri emagcekeni asenkangala, lingelabakoRubheni; iRamothi eGiliyadi, lingelabakoGadi; kanye lelaseGolani eBhashani lona lingelabakoManase.
44 Moses/I gave [God’s] laws to the Israeli people.
Lo ngumthetho owethulwa nguMosi kwabako-Israyeli.
45 They included all the rules and instructions and commands that Moses/I gave to them, after they/we had come out of Egypt,
Lezi kwakuyizilinganiso, izimiso lemithetho eyethulwa nguMosi kubo ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe
46 when they/we were in the valley east of the Jordan [River]. They/We were across from Beth-Peor [town], in the land that [previously] was ruled by Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city]. Moses/I and the other Israelis had defeated his [army] when they/we came out of Egypt.
njalo babesesigodini esiseduzane leBhethi-Pheyori empumalanga yeJodani elizweni likaSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, yena owabusa eHeshibhoni njalo wehlulwa nguMosi labako-Israyeli bephuma eGibhithe.
47 They/We captured Sihon’s land and the land that Og, the king of the Bashan [region], ruled. They were the two kings who ruled the Amor people-group [in the area] east of the Jordan [River].
Bathatha ilizwe lakhe kanye lelizwe lika-Ogi inkosi yaseBhashani, amakhosi ama-Amori womabili empumalanga yeJodani.
48 Their land extended from Aroer [town in the south] along the Arnon [River], as far [north] as Sirion Mountain, which [most people] call Hermon Mountain.
Ilizwe leli lalisuka e-Aroweri emaphethelweni ezindonga zase-Arinoni kusiya entabeni yaseSiyoni (khona kuyiHemoni),
49 It also included all the area east of the Jordan [River] Valley, all the way south to the Dead Sea and east to the slopes of Pisgah [Mountain].
kuhlanganisa layo yonke i-Arabha empumalanga yeJodani kuze kuyefika oLwandle lwe-Arabha, ngaphansi komthezuko wasePhisiga.
