UDutheronomi 15
1 “Ekupheleni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa kumele lesule izikwelede.
Every seven years you shall make a release.
2 Nanso indlela elizakuphatha ngayo: Wonke umuntu owake waboleka omunye wakibo wako-Israyeli impahla yakhe kumele esule lesosikwelede. Akusafanelanga ukuthi adinge ukuhlawulwa ngomunye wakhe wako-Israyeli loba umfowabo, ngoba isikhathi sikaThixo sokwesula izikwelede sesimenyezelwe.
And this [is] the ordinance of the release: you shall remit every private debt which your neighbour owes you, and you shall not ask payment of it from your brother; for it has been called a release to the Lord your God.
3 Lilakho ukuthi lihlawulwe ngabezizweni, kodwa kumele lesule isikwelede umfowenu ayabe elaso kini.
Of a stranger you shall ask again whatever he has of your, but to your brother you shall remit his debt to you.
4 Kodwa akungabi lomuntu oswelayo phakathi kwenu, ngoba elizweni lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuze libe yilifa lenu, uzalibusisa kakhulu,
For [thus] there shall not be a poor person in the midst of you, for the Lord your God will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you by inheritance, that you should inherit it.
5 nxa lizalalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu linanzelele njalo ukuthi liyayilandela yonke imilayo yakhe engilethulela yona lamuhla.
And if you shall indeed listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep and do all these commandments, as many as I charge you this day,
6 Kungenxa yalokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azalibusisa njengokulithembisa kwakhe, njalo lizakweboleka izizwe ezinengi kodwa lina aliyikweboleka lutho kuzo. Lizabusa phezu kwezizwe ezinengi kodwa lina akulasizwe esizalibusa.
(for the Lord your God has blessed you in the way of which he spoke to you, ) then you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
7 Nxa ekhona ongumyanga phakathi kwabafowenu emadolobheni la uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika wona lasemazweni eliwaphiweyo, lingabi lezinhliziyo ezilukhuni loba ukuba ngabancitshanayo kumfowenu ongumyanga.
And if there shall be in the midst of you a poor [man] of your brethren in one of your cities in the land, which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, neither shall you by any means close up your hand from your brother who is in lack.
8 Kuhle ukuthi libe ngabaphanayo limeboleke ngokukhululeka loba yini ayiswelayo.
You shall surely open your hands to him, and shall lend to him as much as he wants according to his need.
9 Limukani lingagcini umnakano omubi othi: ‘Umnyaka wesikhombisa, umnyaka wokwesulwa kwezikwelede, ususondele,’ ukuze lingabi lomoya omubi ngomfowenu oswelayo lingabe lisamnika lutho. Kungenzeka acele kuThixo ukuba alihlanekele, libe selifunyanwa lilesono.
Take heed to yourself that there be not a secret thing in your heart, an iniquity, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, draws near; and your eye shall be evil to your brother that is in lack, and you shall not give to him, and he shall cry against you to the Lord, and there shall be great sin in you.
10 Mupheni okunengi njalo lokhu likwenze ngezinhliziyo ezingelamona; kanti-ke ngenxa yalokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalibusisa kuyo yonke imisebenzi yenu lakukho konke elibeka izandla zenu kukho.
You shall surely give to him, and you shall lend him as much as he wants, according as he is in need; and you shall not grudge in your heart as you give to him, because on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your works, and in all things on which you shall lay your hand.
11 Kuzahlala kulokhu kulabantu abangabayanga elizweni. Ngakho ngiyalilaya ukuba phanini ngezandla ezivulekileyo kubafowenu kanye lakubo bonke abangabayanga labaswelayo elizweni lenu.”
For the poor shall not fail off your land, therefore I charge you to do this thing, saying, You shall surely open your hands to your poor brother, and to him that is distressed upon your land.
12 “Nxa omunye wenu ongumHebheru, owesilisa loba owesifazane, ezithengisile kini, angasebenza iminyaka eyisithupha, ngomnyaka wesikhombisa kumele limkhulule azihambele.
And if your brother [or sister], a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, be sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall send him out free from you.
13 Mhla limkhulula lingamyekeli ehamba eze engaphethe lutho.
And when you shall send him out free from you, you shall not send him out empty.
14 Mnikeni emihlambini yenu ngomoya wokuphana, lasemabeleni asebhuliwe kanye lewayini eselihluziwe. Mnikeni njengokubusiswa kwenu nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
You shall give him provision for the way from your flock, and from your corn, and from your wine; as the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.
15 Khumbulani ukuthi laliyizigqili eGibhithe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu walikhulula. Yikho ngilinika umlayo lo lamuhla.
And you shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from thence; therefore I charge you to do this thing.
16 Kodwa nxa isisebenzi senu singathi kini, ‘Angifuni ukusuka lapha,’ ngenxa yokuthi siyalithanda lina labendlu yenu njalo sihlezi kuhle lani,
And if he should say to you, I will not go out from you, because he continues to love you and your house, because he is well with you;
17 thathani usungulo libhobozele indlebe yaso emnyango, sihle sibe yisisebenzi senu kokuphela. Lokhu likwenze lasesigqilini sesifazane.
then you shall take an awl, and bore his ear through to the door, and he shall be your servant for ever; and in like manner shall you do to your maidservant.
18 Lingakuthathi njengomthwalo onzima ukukhulula izisebenzi zenu, ngoba umsebenzi esiyabe sikwenzele wona eminyakeni eyisithupha uyalingana lomsebenzi ophindwe kabili owenziwa ngoqhatshiweyo. Ngakho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalibusisa kukho konke elikwenzayo.”
It shall not seem hard to you when they are sent out free from you, because [your servant] has served you six years according to the annual hire of a hireling; so the Lord your God shall bless you in all things whatever you may do.
19 “Yehlukaniselani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu amazibulo wonke amaduna emihlambini yenu kanye leyezimvu. Lingasebenzisi loba yiliphi izibulo emhlambini loba owezimvu njalo lingagundi uboya bamazibulo ezimvu zenu.
Every firstborn that shall be born amongst your kine and your sheep, you shall sanctify the males to the Lord your God; you shall not work with your firstborn calf, and you shall not shear the firstborn of your sheep.
20 Ngayo yonke iminyaka lina kanye labendlu yenu lizawadla phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu endaweni azayikhetha yena.
You shall eat it before the Lord year by year in the place which the Lord your God shall choose, you and your house.
21 Nxa inyamazana ilesici, iqhula loba iyisiphofu, loba ilokunye okusolekayo, linganikeli ngayo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
And if there be in it a blemish, if it be lame or blind, an evil blemish, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.
22 Leyo lizayidlela emadolobheni enu. Bonke abahlanzekileyo labangahlanzekanga ngokomkhuba balakho ukuyidla, kungani badla ithaka lembabala.
You shall eat it in your cities; the unclean in you and the clean shall eat it in like manner, as the doe or the stag.
23 Kodwa lingadli igazi lazo, lichitheleni emhlabathini kungathi lichitha amanzi.”
Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth as water.
