Ndari 35

1 Na rĩrĩ, kũu werũ-inĩ wa Moabi gũkuhĩ na Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani mũrĩmo ũrĩa ũngĩ wa itũũra rĩa Jeriko, Jehova akĩĩra Musa atĩrĩ,

Yahweh spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho and said,

2 “Atha andũ a Isiraeli mahe Alawii matũũra mao ma gũtũũraga kuuma kũrĩ igai rĩrĩa andũ a Isiraeli makegwatĩra. Na macooke mamahe ithaka cia kũrĩithia mahiũ mao gũkuhĩ na matũũra macio.

“Command the people of Israel to give some of their own shares of land to the Levites. They must give them cities to live in and pastureland surrounding those cities.

3 Nao Alawii nĩmakaagĩa na matũũra ma gũtũũra, na magĩe na kũndũ gwa kũrĩithagia ngʼombe ciao, na mbũri, o na ũhiũ ũrĩa ũngĩ wao.

The Levites will have these cities to live in. The pastureland will be for their cattle, their flocks, and all their animals.

4 “Nacio ithaka cia kũrĩithia mahiũ mao iria ithiũrũrũkĩirie matũũra marĩa mũkaahe Alawii, igaatambũrũka buti 1,000 na magana matano kuuma rũthingo-inĩ rwa itũũra.

The pasturelands around the cities that you will give to the Levites must extend from the city walls for one thousand cubits in every direction.

5 Kuuma nja ya itũũra-rĩ, mũthime buti 3,000 mwena wa irathĩro, na buti 3,000 mwena wa gũthini, na buti 3,000 mwena wa ithũĩro, na buti 1,000 mwena wa gathigathini, narĩo itũũra rĩgĩe gatagatĩ. Gĩcunjĩ kĩu kĩa bũrũri nĩkĩo gĩgaatuĩka ũrĩithio wa matũũra macio.

You must measure two thousand cubits from outside the city on the east side, and two thousand cubits to the south side, two thousand cubits to the west side, and two thousand cubits to the north side. This will be the pasturelands for their cities. The cities will be in the center.

6 “Matũũra matandatũ ma macio mũkaahe Alawii magaatuĩka ma kũũrĩrwo, kũrĩa mũndũ ũraganĩte angĩũrĩra. Hamwe na macio matandatũ, mahei matũũra mangĩ mĩrongo ĩna na meerĩ.

Six of the cities that you will give to Levites must serve as cities of refuge. You must provide these as places to which a person who has killed someone can flee. Also provide forty-two other cities.

7 Matũũra mothe marĩa mũkaahe Alawii no nginya magaakorwo marĩ mĩrongo ĩna na manana, hamwe na ithaka cia kũrĩithia mahiũ mao.

The cities that you give to the Levites will total forty-eight. You must give their pasturelands with them.

8 Matũũra marĩa mũkaahe Alawii kuuma kũrĩ bũrũri ũcio andũ a Isiraeli makegwatĩra, makaaheanwo kũringana na ũrĩa igai rĩa o mũhĩrĩga rĩigana: Oyai matũũra maingĩ kuuma kũrĩ mũhĩrĩga ũrĩa ũrĩ na matũũra maingĩ, na muoe matũũra manini kuuma kũrĩ mũhĩrĩga ũrĩa ũrĩ matũũra manini.”

The larger tribes of the people of Israel, the tribes that have more land, must provide more cities. The smaller tribes will provide fewer cities. Each tribe must provide for the Levites according to the share that it has received.”

9 Ningĩ Jehova akĩĩra Musa atĩrĩ:

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

10 “Arĩria andũ a Isiraeli, ũmeere atĩrĩ: ‘Rĩrĩa mũkaaringa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani mũtoonye bũrũri wa Kaanani-rĩ,

“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 nĩmũgathuura matũũra mamwe matuĩke matũũra manene manyu ma kũũrĩrwo, kũrĩa mũndũ ũraganĩte ataciirĩire gwĩka ũguo angĩũrĩra.

then you must choose cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, a place to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee.

12 Macio magaatuĩka kũndũ gwa kũũrĩrwo kuuma kũrĩ mũndũ ũrĩa ũrĩhanagĩria, nĩgeetha mũndũ ũrĩa ũthitangĩirwo kũũragana ndagakue ataambĩte gũciirithio mbere ya kĩrĩndĩ.

These cities must be your refuge from the avenger, so that the accused man will not be killed without first standing trial before the community.

13 Matũũra macio matandatũ mũkaaheana nĩmo magaatuĩka matũũra manyu manene ma kũũrĩrwo.

You must choose six cities as cities of refuge.

14 Heanai matũũra matatũ mwena ũyũ wa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani na matatũ kũu Kaanani matuĩke matũũra manene ma kũũrĩrwo.

You must provide three cities beyond the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan. They will be cities of refuge.

15 Matũũra macio matandatũ magaatuĩka kũndũ gwa kũũrĩrwo nĩ andũ a Isiraeli, na ageni, o na andũ arĩa angĩ matũũraga thĩinĩ wao, nĩgeetha mũndũ ũraganĩte ataciirĩire gwĩka ũguo ooragĩre kuo.

For the people of Israel, for the foreigners, for anyone living among you, these six cities will serve as a refuge to which anyone who kills someone unintentionally can flee.

16 “‘Mũndũ angĩgũtha ũrĩa ũngĩ na kĩndũ gĩa kĩgera, nake ũcio wagũthwo akue-rĩ, ũcio ũgũthanĩte nĩ mũũragani; mũũragani ũcio no nginya ooragwo.

But if an accused man has struck his victim with an instrument of iron, and if his victim dies, then the accused is indeed a murderer. He must certainly be put to death.

17 Kana mũndũ o wothe ũngĩkorwo na ihiga rĩngĩũragana guoko, nake agũthe mũndũ narĩo, mũndũ ũcio akue-rĩ, ũcio ũgũthanĩte nĩ mũũragani; mũũragani ũcio no nginya ooragwo.

If an accused man has struck his victim with a stone in his hand that might kill the victim, and if his victim dies, then the accused is indeed a murderer. He must certainly be put to death.

18 Kana mũndũ o wothe ũngĩkorwo na mũtĩ ũngĩũragana guoko, nake agũthe mũndũ naguo acooke akue-rĩ, ũcio ũgũthanĩte nĩ mũũragani; mũũragani ũcio no nginya ooragwo.

If an accused man has struck his victim with a wooden weapon that might kill the victim, and if the victim dies, then the accused is indeed a murderer. He must certainly be put to death.

19 Mũrĩhanĩria wa thakame no nginya oorage mũũragani ũcio; angĩmũtũnga no nginya amũũrage.

The avenger of blood may put the murderer to death. When he meets him, the avenger of blood must put him to death.

20 Mũndũ o wothe angĩkorwo aciirĩire rũmena na athinĩkanie ũrĩa ũngĩ, kana amũikĩrie kĩndũ akĩendaga nake mũgũthwo akue,

If he strikes another in hatred or throws something at him, while hiding to ambush him, so that the victim dies,

21 kana amũgũthe ngundi arakarĩte amũũrage, mũndũ ũcio no nginya ooragwo; ũcio nĩ mũũragani. Mũrĩhanĩria wa thakame no nginya akooraga mũũragani ũcio rĩrĩa angĩmũtũnga.

or if he strikes him down in hatred with his hand so that the victim dies, then the accused who struck him must surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood may put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 “‘No rĩrĩ, mũndũ angĩkorwo atarĩ na rũmena, na o rĩmwe athinĩkanie mũndũ ũngĩ kana amũikĩrie kĩndũ atekwenda,

But if an accused man suddenly hits a victim without premeditated hate or throws something that hits the victim without lying in wait

23 kana amũgũithĩrie ihiga rĩngĩmũũraga atekũmuona, nake mũndũ ũcio akue, no tondũ ti thũ yake na ningĩ ndaciirĩire kũmũgera ngero-rĩ,

or if he throws a stone that could kill a victim without seeing the victim, then the accused was not the victim's enemy; he was not trying to hurt the victim. But this is what to do if the victim dies anyway.

24 hĩndĩ ĩyo kĩũngano kĩu no nginya kĩmũtuithanie ciira na mũrĩhanĩria wa thakame kũringana na mawatho maya.

In that case, the community must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood on the basis of these rules.

25 Kĩũngano kĩu no nginya kĩgitĩre mũndũ ũcio ũthitangĩirwo kũũragana kuuma kũrĩ mũrĩhanĩria wa thakame, na kĩmũcookie itũũra rĩu inene rĩa kũũrĩrwo rĩrĩa oorĩire. Nake no nginya aikare kuo o nginya rĩrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene agaakua, o ũcio waitĩrĩirio maguta marĩa maamũre.

The community must rescue the accused from the power of the avenger of blood. The community must return the accused to the city of refuge to which he had originally fled. He must live there until the death of the current high priest, the one who was anointed with the holy oil.

26 “‘No rĩrĩ, mũthitangwo ũcio ũraganĩte angĩgaathiĩ nja ya itũũra rĩu inene rĩa kũũrĩrwo rĩrĩa oorĩire,

But if the accused man at any time goes beyond the border of the city of refuge to which he fled,

27 nake mũrĩhanĩria wa thakame amũkore na kũu nja ya itũũra rĩu inene, mũrĩhanĩria ũcio wa thakame no oorage mũndũ ũcio mũthitange, na ndatuĩrwo ihĩtia rĩa kũũragana.

and if the avenger of blood finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and if he kills the accused man, the avenger of blood will not be guilty of murder.

28 Mũndũ ũcio mũthitange no nginya aikare thĩinĩ wa itũũra rĩu rĩake inene rĩa kũũrĩrwo o nginya rĩrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene agaakua; thuutha wa gĩkuũ kĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũcio mũnene, no acooke gĩthaka-inĩ kĩrĩa eegwatĩire.

This is because the accused man should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. After the death of the high priest, the accused may return to the land where he has his own property.

29 “‘Maya nĩmo megũtuĩka mawatho manyu ma kũrũmagĩrĩrwo hĩndĩ ciothe njiarwa-inĩ iria igooka, o kũrĩa mũgaatũũra.

These laws must be statutes for you through all your people's generations in all the places where you live.

30 “‘Mũndũ o wothe angĩũraga mũndũ no nginya akooragwo ta mũũragani, no no nginya hagĩe na ũira wa aira aingĩ. No gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũ ũkooragwo nĩ ũndũ wa ũira wa mũndũ ũmwe.

Whoever kills any person, the murderer must be killed, as testified to by the words of witnesses. But one witness' word alone may not cause any person to be put to death.

31 “‘Mũtikanamũkĩre indo cia gũkũũra muoyo wa mũũragani, ũrĩa wagĩrĩirwo nĩ gũkua. Ti-itherũ ũcio no nginya ooragwo.

Also, you must not accept ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of murder. He must certainly be put to death.

32 “‘Mũtikanamũkĩre indo cia gũkũũra muoyo wa mũndũ o wothe ũrĩa ũũrĩire itũũra inene rĩa kũũrĩrwo, atĩ nĩguo mũmwĩtĩkĩrie acooke agatũũre mũgũnda-inĩ wake mbere ya gĩkuũ kĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene.

You must not accept ransom for the one who has fled to a city of refuge. You must not in this way allow him to reside on his own property until the high priest dies.

33 “‘Mũtikanathaahie bũrũri ũrĩa mũrĩ. Ũiti wa thakame nĩ ũthaahagia bũrũri, na horohio ndĩngĩrutĩrwo bũrũri ũrĩa thakame ĩrĩkĩtie gũitwo, tiga no ĩrutirwo na thakame ya mũndũ ũcio wamĩitire.

Do not pollute in this way the land where you live, because blood from murder pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land when blood has been shed on it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.

34 Mũtikanathaahie bũrũri ũrĩa mũtũũraga na kũrĩa niĩ ndũũraga, nĩ ũndũ niĩ Jehova ndũũraga gatagatĩ ka andũ a Isiraeli.’”

So you must not defile the land in which you live because I am living in it. I, Yahweh, live among the people of Israel.'”