< Deuteronomy 21 >
1 If someone is found slain in the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it isn’t known who has struck him,
Iwapo mtu amekutwa kauwawa ndani ya nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wako anawapatia kumiliki, kalala shambani, na haijulikani aliyemshambulia;
2 then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure to the cities which are around him who is slain.
basi wazee wenu pamoja na waamuzi wenu wanapaswa kutoka nje, na kupima katika miji ambayo inamzunguka yule aliyeuawa.
3 It shall be that the elders of the city which is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer of the herd, which hasn’t been worked with and which has not drawn in the yoke.
Kisha wazee wa mji ulio karibu na mwili wa marehemu wanapaswa kuchukua mtamba kutoka kwenye kundi la mifugo, ambaye hajawahi kutumikishwa, wala kubebeshwa nira.
4 The elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley.
Kisha wanapaswa kumuongoza mtamba huyo mpaka chini ya bonde litiririkalo maji, bonde ambalo halijawahi kulimwa wala kupandwa, na mle bondeni wanapaswa kuvunja shingo ya mtamba huyo.
5 The priests the sons of Levi shall come near, for them the LORD your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in the LORD’s name; and according to their word shall every controversy and every assault be decided.
Makuhani, uzao wa Lawi, wanapaswa kuja mbele, kwa maana Yahwe Mungu wako amewachagua wamtumikie yeye na kutoa baraka katika jina la Yahwe na kuamua kila mtafaruku na ugomvi kwa neno lao.
6 All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.
Wazee wote wa mji ulio karibu na mtu aliyeuawa wanapaswa kunawa mikono yao juu ya mtamba aliyevunjwa shingo bondeni;
7 They shall answer and say, “Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
na wanapaswa kutoa suhulisho juu ya jambo hilo na kusema, ‘Mikono yetu haijamwaga damu hii, wala macho yetu hayajaona suala hili.
8 Forgive, LORD, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and don’t allow innocent blood among your people Israel.” The blood shall be forgiven them.
Tusamehe watu wako Israeli, Yahwe, ambao umewakomboa, na usiweke hatia juu ya umwagaji damu usio na kosa miongoni mwa watu wako Israeli.’ Kisha umwagaji damu utasamehewa kwao.
9 So you shall put away the innocent blood from among you, when you shall do that which is right in the LORD’s eyes.
Kwa njia hii utaweka mbali umwagaji damu usio na hatia miongoni mwenu, mtakapofanya yaliyo mema machoni pa YAHWE.
10 When you go out to battle against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you carry them away captive,
Utakapokwenda kupigana vita dhidi ya maadui zako na Yahwe Mungu wako atakapokupa ushindi na kuwaweka chini ya mamlaka yako, na ukawachukua mbali kuwa mateka,
11 and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her, and desire to take her as your wife,
kama kati ya mateka ukamwona mwanamke mzuri, nawe ukamtamani na kutaka kujitwalia awe mke wako,
12 then you shall bring her home to your house. She shall shave her head and trim her nails.
basi utamleta nyumbani kwako; atanyoa nywele zake na kukata kucha zake.
13 She shall take off the clothing of her captivity, and shall remain in your house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month. After that you shall go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.
Kisha atazivua nguo alizokuwa amezivaa wakati alipochukuliwa mateka na atabaki nyumbani kwako na kuwaomboleza baba yake na mama yake kwa mwezi mzima. Baada ya hapo unaweza kulala naye na kuwa mume wake, naye atakuwa mke wako.
14 It shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she desires; but you shall not sell her at all for money. You shall not deal with her as a slave, because you have humbled her.
Lakini usipofurahishwa naye, basi unatakiwa kumruhusu aondoke apendaye yeye. Lakini haupaswi kamwe kumuuza kwa fedha, pia haupaswi kumfanya kama mtumwa, kwa sababu umemdhalilisha.
15 If a man has two wives, the one beloved and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated, and if the firstborn son is hers who was hated,
Iwapo mwanamume ana wake wawili na mmoja wao ampenda na mwingine kumchukia, na wote wamekwisha mzalia watoto –wote mwanamke mpendwa na mwanamke achukiwae –
16 then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not give the son of the beloved the rights of the firstborn before the son of the hated, who is the firstborn;
basi katika siku ambayo mwanamume atakapowarithisha mali zake wanawe, hapaswi kumfanya mwana wa mke ampendaye kuwa mzawa wa kwanza kabla ya mwana wa mke amchukiaye, ambaye ndiye mwana wa kwanza.
17 but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
Badala yake, anapaswa kumtambua mwana wa kwanza, mwana wa mke asiyempenda, kwa kumpatia mara mbili ya mali zake; kwa maana huyo mwana ni mwanzo wa nguvu zake; haki za mzawa wa kwanza ni zake.
18 If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and though they chasten him, will not listen to them,
Iwapo mwanamume ana mwana mkaidi na muasi ambaye hatatii sauti ya baba yake au sauti ya mama yake, ambaye, hata baada ya kurekebishwa, hatawasikia;
19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place.
basi baba yake na mama yake wanapaswa kumshika na kumleta mbele ya wazee wa mji na kwenye malango ya mji.
20 They shall tell 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.”
Wanapaswa kuwaambia wazee wa mji, “Huyu mwanetu ni mkaidi na muasi; hataki kusikia sauti zetu; ni mwasherati na pia ni mlevi’.
21 All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall remove the evil from among you. All Israel shall hear, and fear.
Kisha wanaume wote wa mji wanapaswa kumpiga kwa mawe hadi kufa; nanyi mtaondoa uovu miongoni mwenu. Israeli yote itasikia juu ya hili na kuogopa.
22 If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
Iwapo mwanamume kafanya dhambi inayostahili kifo na kisha akauwawa, kwa kunyongwa juu ya mti,
23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. Don’t defile your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance.
basi mwili wake haupaswi kubaki usiku kucha juu ya mti. Badala yake, unapaswa kuhakikisha unamzika siku hiyo; kwa maana yeyote anyongwaye amekwisha laaniwa na Mungu. Tii amri hii ili kwamba usitie najisi nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wako anawapatia kama urithi.