< UDutheronomi 15 >
1 “Ekupheleni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa kumele lesule izikwelede.
At the end of every seven years, you must cancel debts.
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.
This is the manner of the release: Every creditor will cancel that which he has lent to his neighbor; he will not demand it from his neighbor or his brother because Yahweh's cancellation of debts has been proclaimed.
3 Lilakho ukuthi lihlawulwe ngabezizweni, kodwa kumele lesule isikwelede umfowenu ayabe elaso kini.
From a foreigner you may demand it; but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand must release.
4 Kodwa akungabi lomuntu oswelayo phakathi kwenu, ngoba elizweni lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuze libe yilifa lenu, uzalibusisa kakhulu,
However, there should be no poor among you (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land that he gives you as an inheritance to possess),
5 nxa lizalalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu linanzelele njalo ukuthi liyayilandela yonke imilayo yakhe engilethulela yona lamuhla.
if only you diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep all these commandments that I am commanding you today.
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 Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you; you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will 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.
If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land that Yahweh your God is giving you, you must not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother;
8 Kuhle ukuthi libe ngabaphanayo limeboleke ngokukhululeka loba yini ayiswelayo.
but you must surely open your hand to him and surely lend him sufficient for 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.
Be careful not to have a wicked thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is near,' so that you will not be stingy in regard to your poor brother and give him nothing; he might cry out to Yahweh about you, and it would be sin for 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 must surely give to him, and your heart must not be sorry when you give to him, because in return for this Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to.
11 Kuzahlala kulokhu kulabantu abangabayanga elizweni. Ngakho ngiyalilaya ukuba phanini ngezandla ezivulekileyo kubafowenu kanye lakubo bonke abangabayanga labaswelayo elizweni lenu.”
For the poor will never cease to exist in the land; therefore I command you and say, 'You must surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor in your land.'
12 “Nxa omunye wenu ongumHebheru, owesilisa loba owesifazane, ezithengisile kini, angasebenza iminyaka eyisithupha, ngomnyaka wesikhombisa kumele limkhulule azihambele.
If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must let him go free from you.
13 Mhla limkhulula lingamyekeli ehamba eze engaphethe lutho.
When you let him go free from you, you must not let him go empty-handed.
14 Mnikeni emihlambini yenu ngomoya wokuphana, lasemabeleni asebhuliwe kanye lewayini eselihluziwe. Mnikeni njengokubusiswa kwenu nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
You must liberally provide for him out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As Yahweh your God has blessed you, you must give to him.
15 Khumbulani ukuthi laliyizigqili eGibhithe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu walikhulula. Yikho ngilinika umlayo lo lamuhla.
You must remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that Yahweh your God redeemed you; therefore I am commanding you today to do this.
16 Kodwa nxa isisebenzi senu singathi kini, ‘Angifuni ukusuka lapha,’ ngenxa yokuthi siyalithanda lina labendlu yenu njalo sihlezi kuhle lani,
It will happen that if he says to you, 'I will not go away from you,' because he loves you and your house, and because he is well off with you,
17 thathani usungulo libhobozele indlebe yaso emnyango, sihle sibe yisisebenzi senu kokuphela. Lokhu likwenze lasesigqilini sesifazane.
then you must take an awl and thrust it through his ear to a door, and he will be your servant for life. You must do the same with your female servant.
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 must not seem difficult for you to let him go free from you, because he has served you for six years and given twice the value of a hired person. Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you 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.
All the firstborn males in your herd and your flock you must set apart to Yahweh your God. You will do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.
20 Ngayo yonke iminyaka lina kanye labendlu yenu lizawadla phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu endaweni azayikhetha yena.
You must eat the firstborn before Yahweh your God year by year in the place that Yahweh will choose, you and your household.
21 Nxa inyamazana ilesici, iqhula loba iyisiphofu, loba ilokunye okusolekayo, linganikeli ngayo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
If it has any blemish—for example, if it is lame or blind, or has any blemish whatever—you must not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.
22 Leyo lizayidlela emadolobheni enu. Bonke abahlanzekileyo labangahlanzekanga ngokomkhuba balakho ukuyidla, kungani badla ithaka lembabala.
You will eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean persons alike must eat it, as you would eat a gazelle or a deer.
23 Kodwa lingadli igazi lazo, lichitheleni emhlabathini kungathi lichitha amanzi.”
Only you must not eat its blood; you must pour its blood out on the ground like water.