Deotoronomia 19
1 Rehefa aringan’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao ny firenen-tsamy hafa, izay tompon’ ny tany omen’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao anao, ary mandresy azy ianao ka monina ao an-tanànany sy ao an-tranony,
After Yahweh our God has gotten rid of the people-groups from the land that he is giving to you, and after you have expelled them from their cities and you start to live in their houses,
2 dia manokàna tanàna telo ho anao eo afovoan’ ny taninao, izay omen’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao anao holovana.
you must divide into three parts the land that he is giving to you. Then choose a city in each part. You must make good roads [in order that people can get to those cities easily]. Someone who kills another person can escape to one of those cities [to be safe/protected].
3 Amboary ny lalana, ka zarao ho telo toko ny taninao, izay omen’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao holovanao, mba handosiran’ ny mahafaty olona rehetra ao.
4 Ary ny mahafaty olona izay hovelomina, raha mandositra ao, dia ny mahafaty ny namany tsy nahy ka tsy nankahala azy teo aloha
“This is the rule about someone who has killed another person. If someone (accidentally/without planning to) kills another person who was not his enemy, he may escape to one of those cities and be safe/protected there.
5 toy ny olona izay miaraka amin’ ny namany ho any an’ ala hikapa hazo, koa manainga ny famaky hikapa ny hazo ny tànany, dia mitsoaka amin’ ny zarany ny lela-famaky, ary mahavoa ny namany ka mahafaty azy, dia aoka handositra ao amin’ ny anankiray amin’ ireo tanàna ireo izy ka hovelomina;
For example, if two men go into the forest to cut some wood, if the axe head comes off the handle while one of them is chopping down a tree and the axe head strikes and kills the other man, the man [who was using the axe] will be allowed to run to one of those cities and be safe there, [because the people of that city will protect him].
6 fandrao hanenjika ny nahafaty olona ny mpamaly rà, raha mbola mirehitra ny fony, ka hahatratra azy, noho ny halavitry ny alehany, dia hahafaty azy izy; nefa tsy tokony ho faty izy, satria tsy nankahala ny namany teo aloha.
Because he accidentally killed someone, and because the man was not his enemy, he can try to run to one of those cities. If there were only one city, it may be a long distance to that city. Then if the relative of the man who was killed [MTY], the man who is supposed/expected to get revenge, is very angry, he may be able to catch the other person before he arrives at that city.
7 Koa izany no andidiako anao hoe: Manokàna tanàna telo ho anao.
[To prevent that from happening], you must choose three cities, not only one, [in order that someone can get to one of those cities quickly].
8 Ary raha hitarin’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao ny fari-taninao, araka izay nianianany tamin’ ny razanao, ka homeny anao ny tany rehetra izay nolazainy homena ny razanao
“If you do everything that I am today commanding you to do, and if you love Yahweh our God, and if you conduct your lives as he wants you to do, Yahweh our God will give you much more land than you will have when you first occupy it, which is what he promised to do. He will give you all the land which he promised your ancestors that he would give to you. When he gives you that land, you must select three more cities [to which people may escape].
9 (raha hitandrina ianao ka hanaraka izao lalàna rehetra izao, izay andidiako anao anio, ka ho tia an’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao, ary handeha mandrakariva amin’ ny lalany), dia hampianao tanàna telo koa ireny telo ireny;
10 mba tsy hisy rà marina alatsaka eo amin’ ny taninao, izay omen’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao anao ho lovanao, ka tsy ho meloka amin’ ny rà ianao.
Do this in order that people who (are innocent/have killed someone else without planning to) will not die, and you will not be guilty for [allowing] them to be executed, in the land that Yahweh is giving to you.
11 Fa raha misy olona mankahala ny namany ka manotrika azy, ary mitsangana ka mamely mahafaty azy, ary mandositra ho ao amin’ ny anankiray amin’ ireo tanàna ireo,
“But suppose someone hates his enemy and hides and waits for that person [to come along the road]. Then [when he passes by, suddenly] he attacks him and murders him. If the attacker flees to one of those cities [to be protected there],
12 ny loholona amin’ ny tanànany dia haniraka haka azy ao, dia hanolotra azy eo an-tànan’ ny mpamaly rà, mba hovonoiny ho faty izy.
the elders of the city [where the murdered man lived must not protect the attacker. They]. must send someone to the city to which the other man escaped, and bring him to [MTY] the relative who is supposed/expected to get revenge, so that he may execute that man.
13 Tsy hiantra azy ny masonao; fa hesorinao tsy ho eo amin’ ny Isiraely ny heloka ny amin’ ny rà marina, mba hahita soa ianao.
You must not pity those who murder other people! Instead, you must execute them, in order that the people in the land of Israel will not murder [MTY] innocent people, and in order that things will go well for you.”
14 Aza mamindra ny fari-tanin’ ny namanao, izay efa vitan’ ny razana teo amin’ ny zara-taninao, izay azonao eo amin’ ny tany izay omen’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao anao holovanao.
“[When you are living] in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, do not move the markers of your neighbors’ property boundaries which were placed there long ago.”
15 Raha vavolombelona iray monja, dia aoka tsy hitsangana hiampanga olona ny amin’ izay heloka na ota nataony na inona na inona; fa amin’ ny tenin’ ny vavolombelona roa na telo no hanorenana mafy ny teny.
“If someone is accused of committing a crime, one (witness/person who says, ‘I saw him do it’) is not enough. There must be at least two (witnesses/people who say, ‘We saw him do it’). [If there is only one witness], the judge must not believe that what he says is true.
16 Raha misy vavolombelona mampidi-doza mitsangana hiampanga olona ho nanao ratsy,
“If someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him,
17 dia hitsangana eo anatrehan’ i Jehovah izy roa lahy izay miady, dia eo anatrehan’ ny mpisorona sy ny mpitsara amin’ izany andro izany;
both of them must go to the place where the people worship, to [talk to] the priests and judges who are serving at that time.
18 ary raha hadinin’ ny mpitsara mafy izy ka hitany fa vavolombelona mandainga, fa miampanga lainga ny namany,
The judges must (investigate the case carefully/try to find out which one is telling the truth). If [the judges determine that] one of them has accused the other falsely,
19 dia araka izay nokasainy hatao amin’ ny namany no hataonareo aminy; ka dia hofongoranao tsy ho eo aminao ny fanao ratsy.
that person must be punished in the same way that the other one would have been punished [if the judge decided that he (was guilty/had done what is wrong)]. By punishing such people, you will get rid of this evil practice among you.
20 Ary ny olona sisa dia handre izany ka hatahotra ary tsy hanao araka izany ratsy izany eo aminao intsony.
And/Because when that person is punished, everyone will hear what has happened, and they will be afraid, and no one will dare to act that way any more.
21 Dia tsy hiantra azy ny masonao; fa aina no hataonao solon’ ny aina, maso solon’ ny maso, nify solon’ ny nify, tanana solon’ ny tanana, tongotra solon’ ny tongotra.
You must not pity people who are punished like that. The rule should be that a person who has murdered someone else must be executed; one of a person’s eyes must be gouged out if he has gouged out someone else’s eye, one tooth of a person who has knocked out the tooth of another person must be knocked out; one hand of a person who has cut off the hand of another person must likewise be cut off; one foot of a person who has cut off the foot of another person must also be cut off.”
