UDutheronomi 13

1 “Nxa umphrofethi, loba umuntu oboniswa ngamaphupho, angavela phakathi kwenu abesebika imilingo loba isimanga,

If ever you have among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and he gives you a sign or a wonder,

2 kuthi leyomilingo loba lesosimanga ayabe ekhulume ngaso, kubonakale kusenzakala, abesesithi, ‘Asilandeleni abanye onkulunkulu’ (onkulunkulu elingabaziyo) ‘njalo asibakhonzeni,’

And the sign or the wonder takes place, and he says to you, Let us go after other gods, which are strange to you, and give them worship;

3 lingalaleli amazwi alowo mphrofethi loba umuntu wamaphupho. UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzabe elilinga efuna ukubona kumbe liyamthanda yini ngezinhliziyo zenu kanye langemiphefumulo yenu yonke.

Then give no attention to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God is testing you, to see if all the love of your heart and soul is given to him.

4 NguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu okumele limlandele, kanti nguye uqobo okumele limesabe. Gcinani imilayo yakhe njalo limlalele; mkhonzeni libambelele liqine kuye.

But keep on in the ways of the Lord your God, fearing him and keeping his orders and hearing his voice, worshipping him and being true to him.

5 Lowo mphrofethi loba lowomuntu wamaphupho akhe kumele abulawe, ngoba utshumayele wakhuthaza ukuhlamukela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, owalikhupha eGibhithe njalo walihlenga elizweni lobugqili; njalo ngumuntu obezama ukuliphambula endleleni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alilaya ngayo ukuba liyilandele. Kumele lihlambulule ububi phakathi kwenu.

And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams is to be put to death; for his words were said with the purpose of turning you away from the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt and made you free from the prison-house; and of forcing you out of the way in which the Lord your God has given you orders to go. So you are to put away the evil from among you.

6 Nxa umfowenu uqobo, loba indodana loba indodakazi yakho, loba umfazi wakho omthandayo, loba umngane wakho osekhwapheni, angavele akuhuge ensitha, esithi, ‘Asihambe siyekhonza abanye onkulunkulu’ (onkulunkulu lina laboyihlo elingazange libazi,

If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife of your heart, or the friend who is as dear to you as your life, working on you secretly says to you, Let us go and give worship to other gods, strange to you and to your fathers;

7 onkulunkulu babantu elakhelene labo, eduzane loba khatshana, kusukela emaphethelweni esigaba kusiyaphutsha ngale kwaso),

Gods of the peoples round about you, near or far, from one end of the earth to the other;

8 lingamvumeli futhi lingamlaleli. Lingamtshengiseli uzwelo. Lingamphephisi njalo lingamvikeli.

Do not be guided by him or give attention to him; have no pity on him or mercy, and give him no cover;

9 Kumele ngeqiniso abulawe. Isandla senu kumele sibe yiso esikhokhela ukubulawa kwakhe, kulandele zonke ezabanye abantu.

But put him to death without question; let your hand be the first stretched out against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.

10 Mkhandeni ngamatshe limbulale, ngoba uzame ukuliphambula elisusa kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, owalikhupha eGibhithe, walikhupha elizweni lobugqili.

Let him be stoned with stones till he is dead; because it was his purpose to make you false to the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the prison-house.

11 Ngalokho wonke u-Israyeli uzakuzwa esabe, kakho loyedwa phakathi kwenu ozake aphinde enze into enjalo futhi.

And all Israel, hearing of it, will be full of fear, and no one will again do such evil as this among you.

12 Lingezwa kuthiwa kuledolobho elikwenzayo lokhu phakathi kwamadolobho eliwaphiwe nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ukuba lihlale kuwo

And if word comes to you, in one of the towns which the Lord your God is giving you for your resting-place,

13 kulamadoda aphakathi kwenu asedukise abantu balawo madolobho, esithi, ‘Asihambeni siyokhonza abanye onkulunkulu’ (onkulunkulu elingakaze libazi),

That good-for-nothing persons have gone out from among you, turning the people of their town from the right way and saying, Let us go and give worship to other gods, of whom you have no knowledge;

14 kufanele libuzisise, lichwayisise lihlole ngokupheleleyo. Kuthi nxa kuliqiniso njalo kugcwaliseke ukuthi lesisinengiso sikhona phakathi kwenu,

Then let a full search be made, and let questions be put with care; and if it is true and certain that such a disgusting thing has been done among you;

15 kumele lifake inkemba ngeqiniso kulabo bonke abahlala kulelodolobho. Lilichithe litshabalale ngeqiniso, abantu bakhona kanye lezifuyo zakhona.

Then take up arms against the people of that town and give it up to the curse, with all its cattle and everything in it.

16 Buthelelani konke okuthunjiweyo kulelodolobho phakathi enzikini yalo enkundleni yokuhlanganela kwabantu lilithungele litshe lilobe lelodolobho kanye lempahla zalo zonke njengomnikelo wokutshiswa kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Kumele lisale lilunxiwa lelodolobho kokuphela, lingakhiwa kutsha futhi.

And take all the goods into the middle of its open space, burning the town and all its property with fire as an offering to the Lord your God; it is to be a waste for ever; there is to be no more building there.

17 Akungabi lokukodwa kwalokho okusoliweyo okuzafunyanwa ezandleni zenu, ukuze uThixo adedise ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo; alitshengisele umusa wakhe, abe lozwelo kini, andise amanani enu, njengoba wathembisa ngesifungo kubokhokho benu,

Keep not a thing of what is cursed for yourselves: so the Lord may be turned away from the heat of his wrath, and have mercy on you, and give you increase as he said in his oath to your fathers:

18 ngoba lilalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, ligcina imilayo yakhe le engilinika yona lamuhla njalo lisenza okulungileyo emehlweni akhe.”

So long as you give ear to the voice of the Lord your God, and keep all his orders which I give you today, and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.