Deuteronomy 21
1 If [one] shall be found slain 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 thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which [are] around him 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] next to the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer which hath not been wrought with, [and] which hath not drawn in the 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 to a rough valley, which is neither tilled nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there 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 to him, and to bless in the name of the LORD) and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be [tried];
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 [that are] next to the slain [man], shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
Abakhokheli balawo madolobho aseduzane lesidumbu leso bazagezela izandla zabo phezu kwethokazi elephulelwe intamo esigodini,
7 And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen [it].
bafakaze bathi: ‘Izandla zethu kazilichithanga leligazi, futhi asibonanga kusenzeka.
8 Be merciful, O LORD, to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel. And the blood shall be forgiven 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 So shalt thou remove the [guilt of] innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do [that which is] right in the sight 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 hath delivered them into thy hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
“Nxa usiya empini ukuyahlasela izitha zakho kuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu anikele izitha zenu ezandleni zenu, lizithumbe,
11 And [thou] seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire to her, that thou wouldest have her for thy wife:
ungabona owesifazane omuhle njalo akukhange, ungamthatha abe ngumkakho.
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thy house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails:
Uzamusa emzini wakho, aphuce ikhanda lakhe, aqume inzipho zakhe njalo
13 And she shall put off from her the raiment of her captivity, and shall remain in thy house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that, thou shalt go in to her, and be her husband, and she shall be 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 shalt have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money; thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
kodwa nxa engakuthokozisi, umkhulule ayelapho athanda khona. Ungamthengisi kumbe umphathe njengesigqili, ngoba usumngcolisile.”
15 If a man shall have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, [both] the beloved and the hated; and [if] the first-born son be hers that was hated:
“Nxa indoda ilabafazi ababili, ithande omunye kodwa omunye ingamthandi, kuthi bobabili bayizalele amadodana kodwa izibulo libe yindodana yomfazi engamthandiyo,
16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit [that] which he hath, [that] he may not prefer the son of the beloved first-born, before the son of the hated, [which is indeed] the first-born:
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 he shall acknowledge the son of the hated [for] the first-born, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he [is] the beginning of his strength; the right of the first-born [is] his.
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 shall have a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and [who], when they have chastened him, will not hearken to 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 to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place;
uyise lonina bazayibamba bayise ebadaleni esangweni ledolobho lakibo.
20 And they shall say to the elders of his city, This our son [is] stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey 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 may die: so shalt thou remove evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
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 shall have committed a sin worthy of death, and he must be put to death, and thou shalt hang him on a tree:
“Nxa umuntu olecala elikhulu ebulawa kuthi isidumbu silengiswe esihlahleni,
23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged [is] accursed of God; ) that thy land may not be defiled, 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.”
