UDutheronomi 17
1 “Lingenzi umhlatshelo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngenkabi loba imvu elesici lesolekayo, ngoba lokho kuyisinengiso kuye.
'Thou dost not sacrifice to Jehovah thy God ox or sheep in which there is a blemish — any evil thing; for it [is] the abomination of Jehovah 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 is found in thy midst, in one of thy cities which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, a man or a woman who doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah thy God by transgressing His covenant,
3 njalo ngokwephula imilayo yami esezikhonzela abanye onkulunkulu, ebakhothamela loba ekhonza ilanga loba inyanga loba izinkanyezi zezulu,
and he doth go and serve other gods, and doth bow himself to them, and to the sun, or to the moon, or to any of the host of the heavens, 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 it hath been declared to thee, and thou hast heard, and hast searched diligently, and lo, truth; the thing is established; this abomination hath been done in Israel —
5 thathani leyondoda loba owesifazane lowo owenze lesi senzo esibi limuse esangweni ledolobho lenu limkhande ngamatshe aze afe.
'Then thou hast brought out that man, or that woman, who hath done this evil thing, unto thy gates — the man or the woman — and thou hast stoned them with stones, and they have died.
6 Ngobufakazi bababili loba abathathu indoda izabulawa, kodwa kakho ozabulawa ngobufakazi bomuntu oyedwa kuphela.
By the mouth of two witnesses or of three witnesses is he who is dead put to death; he is not put to death by the mouth of one witness;
7 Akuthi ofakazi labo kube yibo abaqalisayo ukumkhanda, besekulandela bonke abanye abantu. Kumele lisuse ububi phakathi kwenu.”
the hand of the witnesses is on him, in the first place, to put him to death, and the hand of all the people last; and thou hast put away the evil thing out of thy midst.
8 “Nxa amacala eza phambi kwemithethwandaba yenu enzima ukuwahlulela, loba awokuchitha igazi, ukwephula imithetho loba awokuhlaselwa, athatheni liye lawo endaweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azayikhetha.
'When anything is too hard for thee for judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke — matters of strife within thy gates — then thou hast risen, and gone up unto the place on which Jehovah thy God doth fix,
9 Hambani kubaphristi, abangabaLevi, kanye lakumahluleli osesikhundleni okwalesosikhathi. Buzani kibo bona bazalinika isigwebo esifaneleyo.
and hast come in unto the priests, the Levites, and unto the judge who is in those days, and hast inquired, and they have declared to thee the word of judgment,
10 Lina-ke kumele lenze njengokucebisa kwabo endaweni uThixo azayikhetha. Linanzelele ukuthi lenza lokho kanye abaliqondisa ukuba likwenze.
and thou hast done according to the tenor of the word which they declare to thee ([they] of that place which Jehovah doth choose; and thou hast observed to do according to all that they direct thee.
11 Yenzani ngokomthetho njengalokho abalifundisa ngakho lezinqumo abalipha zona. Lingaphambuki kulokho abalitshela khona, liye kwesokudla loba kwesenxele.
'According to the tenor of the law which they direct thee, and according to the judgment which they say to thee thou dost do; thou dost not turn aside from the word which they declare to thee, right or left.
12 Indoda etshengisela ukudelela iseyisa umahluleli loba umphristi owenza umsebenzi wokukhonza khonapho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu kumele ibulawe. Kumele lisuse bonke ububi phakathi kuka-Israyeli.
And the man who acteth with presumption, so as not to hearken unto the priest (who is standing to serve there Jehovah thy God), or unto the judge, even that man hath died, and thou hast put away the evil thing from Israel,
13 Bonke abantu bazakuzwa besabe, bangabe besadelela futhi.”
and all the people do hear and fear, and do not presume any more.
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 comest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, and hast possessed it, and dwelt in it, and thou hast said, Let me set over me a king like all the nations which [are] round about me, —
15 wobani leqiniso lokuthi libeka inkosi ekhethwe nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Kumele abe ngomunye wabafowenu. Lingafaki umuntu wezizweni ukuba alibuse, ongasiye wakini ko-Israyeli.
thou dost certainly set over thee a king on whom Jehovah doth fix; from the midst of thy brethren thou dost set over thee a king; thou art not able to set over thee a stranger, who 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.’
'Only, he doth not multiply to himself horses, nor cause the people to turn back to Egypt, so as to multiply horses, seeing Jehovah hath said to you, Ye do not add to turn back in this way any more.
17 Kayingathathi abafazi abanengi funa inhliziyo yayo idukiswe. Kayingazinothisi ngesiliva langegolide elinengi kakhulu.
And he doth not multiply to himself wives, and his heart doth not turn aside, and silver and gold he doth not multiply to himself — exceedingly.
18 Nxa isithatha isihlalo sobukhosi bombuso wayo kayithathe umqulu izilobele kulo umthetho lo iwuthatha encwadini yabaphristi abangabaLevi.
'And it hath been, when he sitteth on the throne of his kingdom, that he hath written for himself the copy of this law, on a book, from [that] before the priests the Levites,
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 it hath been with him, and he hath read in it all days of his life, so that he doth learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law, and these statutes, to do them;
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.”
so that his heart is not high above his brethren, and so as not to turn aside from the command, right or left, so that he prolongeth days over his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel.
