UDutheronomi 17

1 “Lingenzi umhlatshelo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngenkabi loba imvu elesici lesolekayo, ngoba lokho kuyisinengiso kuye.

Thou shalt not sacrifice to the Lord thy God a sheep, or an ox, wherein there is blemish, or any fault: for that is an abomination to the Lord thy God.

2 Nxa kulendoda loba owesifazane ohlala phakathi kwenu kwelinye lamadolobho eliwaphiwa nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu limfumana esona emehlweni kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu esephula isivumelwano,

When there shall be found among you within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God shall give thee, man or woman that do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, and transgress his covenant,

3 njalo ngokwephula imilayo yami esezikhonzela abanye onkulunkulu, ebakhothamela loba ekhonza ilanga loba inyanga loba izinkanyezi zezulu,

So as to go and serve strange gods, and adore them, the sun and the moon. and all the host of heaven, which I have not commanded:

4 kube kanti lokhu sekubikiwe kini, kutsho ukuthi kuzamele likuchwayisise ngokupheleleyo. Nxa kuliqiniso njalo sekubonakele ukuthi kuliqiniso lokhu okuyisinengiso okwenzakele ko-Israyeli,

And this is told thee, and hearing it thou hast inquired diligently, and found it to be true, and that the abomination is committed in Israel:

5 thathani leyondoda loba owesifazane lowo owenze lesi senzo esibi limuse esangweni ledolobho lenu limkhande ngamatshe aze afe.

Thou shalt bring forth the man or the woman, who have committed that most wicked thing, to the gates of thy city, and they shall be stoned.

6 Ngobufakazi bababili loba abathathu indoda izabulawa, kodwa kakho ozabulawa ngobufakazi bomuntu oyedwa kuphela.

By the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he die that is to be slain. Let no man be put to death, when only one beareth witness against him.

7 Akuthi ofakazi labo kube yibo abaqalisayo ukumkhanda, besekulandela bonke abanye abantu. Kumele lisuse ububi phakathi kwenu.”

The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to kill him, and afterwards the hands of the rest of the people: that thou mayst take away the evil out of the midst of thee.

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 thou perceive that there be among you a hard and doubtful matter in judgment between blood and blood, cause and cause, leprosy and leprosy: and thou see that the words of the judges within thy gates do vary: arise, and go up to the place, which the Lord thy God shall choose.

9 Hambani kubaphristi, abangabaLevi, kanye lakumahluleli osesikhundleni okwalesosikhathi. Buzani kibo bona bazalinika isigwebo esifaneleyo.

And thou shalt come to the priests of the Levitical race, and to the judge, that shall be at that time: and thou shalt ask of them, and they shall shew thee the truth of the judgment.

10 Lina-ke kumele lenze njengokucebisa kwabo endaweni uThixo azayikhetha. Linanzelele ukuthi lenza lokho kanye abaliqondisa ukuba likwenze.

And thou shalt do whatsoever they shall say, that preside in the place, which the Lord shall choose, and what they shall teach thee,

11 Yenzani ngokomthetho njengalokho abalifundisa ngakho lezinqumo abalipha zona. Lingaphambuki kulokho abalitshela khona, liye kwesokudla loba kwesenxele.

According to his law; and thou shalt follow their sentence: neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand.

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 he that will be proud, and refuse to obey the commandment of the priest, who ministereth at that time to the Lord thy God, and the decree of the judge, that man shall die, and thou shalt take away the evil from Israel:

13 Bonke abantu bazakuzwa besabe, bangabe besadelela futhi.”

And all the people hearing it shall fear, that no one afterwards swell with pride.

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 thou art come into the land, which the Lord thy God will give thee, and possessest it, and shalt say: I will set a king over me, as all nations have that are round about:

15 wobani leqiniso lokuthi libeka inkosi ekhethwe nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Kumele abe ngomunye wabafowenu. Lingafaki umuntu wezizweni ukuba alibuse, ongasiye wakini ko-Israyeli.

Thou shalt set him whom the Lord thy God shall choose out of the number of thy brethren. Thou mayst not make a man of another nation king, that is not thy brother.

16 Inkosi njalo akumelanga izifuyele amabhiza amanengi loba ithume abantu babuyele eGibhithe ukuyazuza amanye khona ngoba uThixo ulitshelile wathi, ‘Lingaphindi liyihambe njalo leyondlela.’

And when he is made king, he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor lead back the people into Egypt, being lifted up with the number of his horsemen, especially since the Lord hath commanded you to return no more the same way.

17 Kayingathathi abafazi abanengi funa inhliziyo yayo idukiswe. Kayingazinothisi ngesiliva langegolide elinengi kakhulu.

He shall not have many wives, that may allure his mind, nor immense sums of silver and gold.

18 Nxa isithatha isihlalo sobukhosi bombuso wayo kayithathe umqulu izilobele kulo umthetho lo iwuthatha encwadini yabaphristi abangabaLevi.

But after he is raised to the throne of his kingdom, he shall copy out to himself the Deuteronomy of this law in a volume, taking the copy of the priests of the Levitical tribe,

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,

And he shall have it with him, and shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and keep his words and ceremonies, that are commanded in the law;

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.”

And that his heart be not lifted up with pride over his brethren, nor decline to the right or to the left, that he and his sons may reign a long time over Israel.