UDutheronomi 17
1 “Lingenzi umhlatshelo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngenkabi loba imvu elesici lesolekayo, ngoba lokho kuyisinengiso kuye.
You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep with any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.
2 Nxa kulendoda loba owesifazane ohlala phakathi kwenu kwelinye lamadolobho eliwaphiwa nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu limfumana esona emehlweni kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu esephula isivumelwano,
If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant
3 njalo ngokwephula imilayo yami esezikhonzela abanye onkulunkulu, ebakhothamela loba ekhonza ilanga loba inyanga loba izinkanyezi zezulu,
and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
4 kube kanti lokhu sekubikiwe kini, kutsho ukuthi kuzamele likuchwayisise ngokupheleleyo. Nxa kuliqiniso njalo sekubonakele ukuthi kuliqiniso lokhu okuyisinengiso okwenzakele ko-Israyeli,
and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel,
5 thathani leyondoda loba owesifazane lowo owenze lesi senzo esibi limuse esangweni ledolobho lenu limkhande ngamatshe aze afe.
you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.
6 Ngobufakazi bababili loba abathathu indoda izabulawa, kodwa kakho ozabulawa ngobufakazi bomuntu oyedwa kuphela.
On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.
7 Akuthi ofakazi labo kube yibo abaqalisayo ukumkhanda, besekulandela bonke abanye abantu. Kumele lisuse ububi phakathi kwenu.”
The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.
8 “Nxa amacala eza phambi kwemithethwandaba yenu enzima ukuwahlulela, loba awokuchitha igazi, ukwephula imithetho loba awokuhlaselwa, athatheni liye lawo endaweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azayikhetha.
If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.
9 Hambani kubaphristi, abangabaLevi, kanye lakumahluleli osesikhundleni okwalesosikhathi. Buzani kibo bona bazalinika isigwebo esifaneleyo.
You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.
10 Lina-ke kumele lenze njengokucebisa kwabo endaweni uThixo azayikhetha. Linanzelele ukuthi lenza lokho kanye abaliqondisa ukuba likwenze.
You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you,
11 Yenzani ngokomthetho njengalokho abalifundisa ngakho lezinqumo abalipha zona. Lingaphambuki kulokho abalitshela khona, liye kwesokudla loba kwesenxele.
according to the terms of law they give and the verdict they proclaim. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from the decision they declare to you.
12 Indoda etshengisela ukudelela iseyisa umahluleli loba umphristi owenza umsebenzi wokukhonza khonapho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu kumele ibulawe. Kumele lisuse bonke ububi phakathi kuka-Israyeli.
But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.
13 Bonke abantu bazakuzwa besabe, bangabe besadelela futhi.”
Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.
14 “Ekungeneni kwenu elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona selilithethe laba ngelenu njalo selihlezi kulo, njalo selisithi, ‘Asibekeni inkosi isibuse ukuze sifanane lezinye izizwe esakhelene lazo,’
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
15 wobani leqiniso lokuthi libeka inkosi ekhethwe nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Kumele abe ngomunye wabafowenu. Lingafaki umuntu wezizweni ukuba alibuse, ongasiye wakini ko-Israyeli.
you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.
16 Inkosi njalo akumelanga izifuyele amabhiza amanengi loba ithume abantu babuyele eGibhithe ukuyazuza amanye khona ngoba uThixo ulitshelile wathi, ‘Lingaphindi liyihambe njalo leyondlela.’
But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’
17 Kayingathathi abafazi abanengi funa inhliziyo yayo idukiswe. Kayingazinothisi ngesiliva langegolide elinengi kakhulu.
He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
18 Nxa isithatha isihlalo sobukhosi bombuso wayo kayithathe umqulu izilobele kulo umthetho lo iwuthatha encwadini yabaphristi abangabaLevi.
When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
19 Umqulu lowo kawuhlale ukuyo, ihlale iwubala zonke insuku zokuphila kwayo ukuze ifunde ukwesaba uThixo uNkulunkulu wayo, ilandele ngokunanzelela wonke amazwi omthetho lo lalezi izimiso,
It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.
20 njalo ukuze ingazenzi ongcono kulabanye abakibo, ingaphambuki emthethweni iye ngakwesokunene loba ngakwesokhohlo. Ngakho yona kanye lezizukulwane zayo bazabusa isikhathi eside embusweni wayo ko-Israyeli.”
Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.
