Exodus 23
1 “Do not tell to others (false rumors/untrue reports) about other people. Do not help someone who is guilty by (testifying falsely/lying) [about what happened].
“Usieneze habari za uongo. Usimsaidie mtu mwovu kwa kuwa shahidi mwenye nia ya kudhuru wengine.
2 Do not join a group of people who are planning to do something evil. Do not testify the way the [crowd wants you to], if that will prevent [the judge from deciding the case] justly/fairly.
“Usifuate umati wa watu katika kutenda mabaya. Unapotoa ushahidi kwenye mashtaka, usipotoshe haki ukijumuika na umati wa watu,
3 When a poor person is on trial, do not [testify in] his favor [just] because he is poor [and you feel sorry for him].
nawe usimpendelee mtu maskini katika mashtaka yake.
4 If you see someone’s bull or donkey when it is wandering away [loose], take it back to [its owner, even if the owner] is your enemy.
“Kama ukikutana na maksai au punda wa adui yako anapotea, hakikisha umemrudisha kwake.
5 If you see someone’s donkey that has fallen down [because of its heavy load], help the owner to get the donkey up again, [even if] he is someone who hates you. Do not just walk away [without helping him].
Ukiona punda wa mtu anayekuchukia ameanguka na mzigo wake, usimwache hapo alipoangukia; hakikisha kuwa umemsaidia.
6 Decide the cases of poor people who are on trial [as] fairly [as you decide the cases of other people].
“Usiwanyime haki watu wako walio maskini katika mashtaka yao.
7 Do not accuse people falsely. Do not decide that innocent and righteous [DOU] people should be executed, because I will (punish/not forgive) people who do such an evil thing.
Ujiepushe na mashtaka ya uongo, wala usimuue mtu asiye na hatia au mtu mwaminifu, kwa maana sitamhesabia hana hatia yeye aliye na hatia.
8 Do not accept money that is a bribe, because officials who accept bribes are not able to [MTY] decide what is right to do, and they do not allow innocent people to be treated fairly.
“Usipokee rushwa, kwa kuwa rushwa hupofusha wale waonao, na kupinda maneno ya wenye haki.
9 Do not mistreat foreigners [who live among you]. You know [how people often treat] foreigners, because the Egyptians [did not treat you well when] you were foreigners there.
“Usimwonee mgeni; ninyi wenyewe mnajua jinsi mgeni anavyojisikia, kwa sababu mlikuwa wageni Misri.
10 Plant [seeds] in your ground and gather the harvest for six years.
“Kwa muda wa miaka sita mtapanda mashamba yenu na kuvuna mazao,
11 But during the seventh year you must not plant anything. [If things grow without your planting seeds], allow poor people [to harvest and] eat the crops. If there are still crops (left over/that they do not harvest), allow wild animals to eat them. Do the same thing with your grapevines/vineyards and your olive trees.
lakini katika mwaka wa saba usiilime ardhi wala kuitumia, ili watu walio maskini miongoni mwenu waweze kupata chakula kutoka kwenye hayo mashamba, nao wanyama pori wapate chakula kwa yale mabaki watakayobakiza. Utafanya hivyo katika shamba lako la mizabibu na la mizeituni.
12 [You may] work for six days [each week], but on the seventh day you must rest [and not work]. And on the seventh day you must allow your work animals and your slaves and the foreigners [who live among you] also [to rest and] be refreshed.
“Kwa siku sita fanya kazi zako, lakini siku ya saba usifanye kazi, ili maksai wako na punda wako wapate kupumzika, naye mtumwa aliyezaliwa nyumbani mwako, pamoja na mgeni, wapate kustarehe.
13 Make certain that you obey everything that I have commanded [you to do]. Do not pray to [MTY] other gods. Do not even mention their names.”
“Uzingatie kutenda kila kitu nilichokuambia. Usiombe kwa majina ya miungu mingine, wala usiyaruhusu kusikika kinywani mwako.
14 “Every year you must celebrate three festivals to [honor] me.
“Mara tatu kwa mwaka utanifanyia sikukuu.
15 [The first one] is the Festival of Bread That Has No Yeast. Celebrate it in the month [that is named] Abib. That is the month in which you left Egypt. Celebrate it in the way that I commanded you. And always bring [LIT] an offering when you come to worship me.
“Utaadhimisha Sikukuu ya Mikate Isiyotiwa Chachu; kwa siku saba utakula mikate isiyotiwa chachu kama nilivyokuagiza. Fanya jambo hili kwa wakati uliopangwa katika mwezi wa Abibu, ndio mwezi wa nne, kwa sababu katika mwezi huo ulitoka Misri. “Mtu yeyote asije mbele yangu mikono mitupu.
16 The second one is the Festival of Harvesting. During that festival you must offer to me the first parts/harvest of your crops that grow from the seeds that you planted. The third one is the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters. That will be after you finish harvesting your grain and grapes and fruit.
“Utaadhimisha Sikukuu ya Mavuno kwa malimbuko ya mazao yako uliyopanda katika shamba lako. “Utaadhimisha Sikukuu ya Kukusanya mavuno mwishoni mwa mwaka, unapokusanya mavuno yako toka shambani.
17 Every year, at each of these times, all the men must gather together to worship me, Yahweh God.
“Mara tatu kwa mwaka wanaume wote watakuja mbele za Bwana Mwenyezi.
18 When you sacrifice an animal [and offer it] to me, you must not offer bread that has been baked with yeast. [When you] offer sacrifices, [burn] the fat [from the animals on that same day]. Do not allow any fat to remain until the next morning.
“Msitoe damu ya dhabihu kwangu pamoja na kitu chochote kilicho na chachu. “Mafuta ya mnyama wa sadaka ya sikukuu yangu yasibakizwe mpaka asubuhi.
19 Each year, when you harvest your crops, bring to the place where you worship me, Yahweh God, the first part of what you harvest. When you kill a (young animal/kid [or lamb or calf)], do not [prepare to eat it by] boiling it in its mother’s milk.”
“Utaleta malimbuko bora ya ardhi yako katika nyumba ya Bwana Mungu wako. “Usimchemshe mwana-mbuzi katika maziwa ya mama yake.
20 “Note this: I am going to send an angel ahead of you, to guard you as you travel and to bring you safely to the place that I have prepared [for you]. Pay attention to what he says and obey him. Do not rebel against him, because he will have my authority [MTY] and he will (punish/not forgive) [LIT] you if you rebel against him.
“Tazama, ninamtuma malaika akutangulie mbele yako akulinde njiani na kukuleta mpaka mahali nilipoandaa.
Mtamtii na kusikiliza kile anachokisema. Usiasi dhidi yake; hatakusamehe uasi wako, kwa maana Jina langu limo ndani yake.
22 But if you pay attention to what he says and if you do all that I tell you [to do], I will fight strongly [DOU] against all of your enemies.
Kama ukitii kweli kweli kile asemacho na kufanya yote nisemayo, nitakuwa adui wa adui zako, na nitawapinga wale wakupingao.
23 My angel will go ahead of you, and will take you to where the Amor and Heth and Periz and Canaan and Hiv and Jebus people-groups live, and I will completely get rid of them.
Malaika wangu atatangulia mbele yako na kukuleta katika nchi ya Waamori, Wahiti, Waperizi, Wakanaani, Wahivi na Wayebusi, nami nitawafutilia mbali.
24 Do not bow down before their gods/idols or worship them. And do not do the things [that they think that their gods want] them to do. Completely destroy their gods/idols, and smash to pieces their sacred stones.
Usiisujudie miungu yao, au kuiabudu, wala kufuata desturi yao. Utayabomoa kabisa na kuvunjavunja mawe yao ya ibada vipande vipande.
25 You must worship me, Yahweh God. [If you do that], I will bless your (OR, bless [you by giving you]) food and water, and I will protect you from becoming sick.
Utamwabudu Bwana Mungu wako, na baraka zake zitakuwa juu ya vyakula vyako na maji yako. Nami nitaondoa maradhi miongoni mwako,
26 No women in your land will have (miscarriages/babies that will die after being born prematurely), and no women will be unable to become pregnant. And I will enable you to live a long time.
na hakuna atakayeharibu mimba wala atakayekuwa tasa katika nchi yako. Nami nitakupa maisha makamilifu.
27 I will cause the people who oppose you to become very afraid of me. I will cause the people whom you fight against to become very confused. And then I will cause them to turn around and run away from you.
“Nitapeleka utisho wangu mbele yako na kufadhaisha kila taifa utakalolifikia. Nitafanya adui zako wote wakupe kisogo na kukimbia.
28 I will cause your enemies to become terrified. And I will expel the Hiv, Canaan, and Heth people-groups from your land.
Nitatanguliza manyigu mbele yako kuwafukuza Wahivi, Wakanaani na Wahiti waondoke njiani mwako.
29 I will not expel [all of] them in less than one year. If I did that, your land would become deserted, and there would be very many wild animals ([that would attack you/you would not be able to control]).
Lakini sitawafukuza kwa mara moja, kwa sababu nchi itabaki ukiwa na wanyama pori watakuwa wengi mno kwako.
30 I will expel those people-groups slowly, a few at a time, until the number of your people increases and you are able to live everywhere in the land.
Nitawafukuza kidogo kidogo mbele yako, mpaka uwe umeongezeka kiasi cha kutosha kuimiliki nchi.
31 I will cause the borders of your land to extend from the (Red Sea/Gulf of Aqaba) [in the southeast] to the Mediterranean Sea [in the northwest], and from the [Sinai] Desert [in the southwest] to the [Euphrates] River [in the northeast of the country]. I will enable you [MTY] to expel the people who live there, so that you will expel them as you occupy more of the country.
“Nitaweka mipaka ya nchi yako kuanzia Bahari ya Shamu hadi Bahari ya Wafilisti, na kuanzia jangwani hadi Mto Frati. Nitawatia watu wanaoishi katika nchi hizo mikononi mwako, nawe utawafukuza watoke mbele yako.
32 You must not make any agreement/treaty with those people or with their gods.
Usifanye agano lolote nao wala na miungu yao.
33 Do not allow [those people] to live in your land, in order that they do not cause you to sin against me. If you worship their gods, [you will not be able to escape from worshiping them and sinning against me, just like someone caught] in a trap [is unable to escape] [MET].”
Usiwaache waishi katika nchi yako, la sivyo watakusababisha utende dhambi dhidi yangu, kwa sababu ibada ya miungu yao hakika itakuwa mtego kwako.”
