UDutheronomi 18
1 “Abaphristi abangabaLevi ngempela, isizwana sonke sabaLevi kabangabi lesabelo loba ilifa ndawonye labako-Israyeli. Bazaphila ngemihlatshelo yokudla enikelwa kuThixo, ngoba leli yilo ilifa labo.
“The priests and the Levites, and all who are from the same tribe, shall have no portion or inheritance with the rest of Israel. For they shall eat the sacrifices of the Lord and his oblations.
2 Abayikuba lelifa phakathi kwabafowabo; uThixo uyilifa labo, njengokuthembisa kwakhe.
And they shall receive nothing else from the possession of their brothers. For the Lord himself is their inheritance, just as he said to them.
3 Le yiyo ingxenye yabaphristi ezavela emihlatshelweni yabantu eyenkunzi loba eyemvu: umkhono, inhloko kanye lezangaphakathi.
This shall be the recompense for the priests from the people, and from those who offer victims, whether they will immolate an ox or a sheep. They shall give to the priest the shoulder and the breast,
4 Kufanele libaphe izithelo zakuqala zamabele enu, iwayini elitsha lamafutha, uboya bakuqala ekugundweni kwezimvu zenu,
the first-fruits of grain, wine, and oil, and a portion of the wool from the shearing of the sheep.
5 ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ubakhethile bona kanye lezizukulwane zabo phakathi kwazo zonke izizwana zenu ukuze kube yibo abazakwenza umsebenzi wokukhonza ebizweni likaThixo ngezikhathi zonke.
For the Lord your God himself has chosen him out of all your tribes, so that he may stand and minister to the name of the Lord, him and his sons, forever.
6 Nxa umLevi angasuka kwelinye lamadolobho enu loba kungaphi kwelabako-Israyeli lapho abehlala khona, abeseziletha ngokuzimisela endaweni ezakhethwa nguThixo,
If a Levite departs from one of the cities, throughout all of Israel, in which he lives, and if he wills and desires to go to the place which the Lord will choose,
7 angenza umsebenzi wokukhonza ebizweni likaThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe njengabo bonke abafowabo abangabaLevi abasebenzela khonapho phambi kukaThixo.
he shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, as do all his brothers, the Levites, who will be standing at that time in the sight of the Lord.
8 Uzakwabelana labanye bakhe ngokulinganayo kulokho abakuzuzayo, lanxa yena esezuze imali ekuthengisweni kwempahla yakwabo.”
He shall receive the same portion of food as the rest also receive, besides that which is due to him in his own city, by succession from his fathers.
9 “Lapho selingena elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona, lingabozifundisa ukulingisa izenzo ezinengekayo zezinye izizwe khonale.
When you will have entered into the land which the Lord your God will give to you, be careful that you are not willing to imitate the abominations of those nations.
10 Akungabi lamuntu phakathi kwenu ozakwenza umhlatshelo ngendodana yakhe loba indodakazi yakhe ngomlilo, kangabi ovumisayo loba ochasisa ngemibono, ochasisa imilingo njalo oyenza okuphathelane lobuthakathi,
Do not let there be found among you one who would purify his son or daughter by leading them through fire, nor one who consults seers, nor one who observes dreams or omens. Do not let there be found among you one who practices the occult,
11 ophosayo, loba isanuse loba isangoma loba obuza kwabafileyo.
nor one who uses spells, nor one who consults demonic spirits, nor a diviner, nor one who seeks the truth from the dead.
12 Loba ngubani owenza lezizinto uyisinengiso kuThixo, kanti njalo ngenxa yezenzo lezi ezinengekayo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azazixotsha phambi kwenu lezizizwe.
For the Lord abominates all these things. And, because of these wicked ways, he will destroy them at your arrival.
13 Kumele libemsulwa phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.”
You shall be perfect and without blemish with the Lord your God.
14 “Izizwe elizazithathela ilizwe zilalela okwalabo abathakathayo labavumisayo. Kodwa lina, uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu kalivumeli ukukwenza lokho.
These nations, whose land you shall possess, they listen to soothsayers and diviners. But you have been otherwise instructed by the Lord your God.
15 UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalivusela umphrofethi phakathi kwabafowenu njengami. Libomlalela.
The Lord your God will raise up for you a PROPHET from your nation and from your brothers, similar to me. You shall listen to him,
16 Lokhu yikho elakucela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu eHorebhi mhla wosuku lokuhlangana lapho elathi, ‘Asingalizwa ilizwi likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu njalo singaboni umlilo omkhulu futhi, ngoba singafa.’
just as you petitioned of the Lord your God at Horeb, when the assembly was gathered together, and you said: ‘Let me no longer hear the voice of the Lord my God, and let me no longer see this very great fire, lest I die.’
17 UThixo wathi kimi: ‘Lokho abakutshoyo kuhle.
And the Lord said to me: ‘They have spoken all these things well.
18 Ngizabavezela umphrofethi onjengawe phakathi kwabafowabo; ngizamfunza amazwi ami, yena nguye ozabatshela konke engizamlaya ngakho.
I will raise up a prophet for them, from the midst of their brothers, similar to you. And I will place my words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all the things that I will instruct him.
19 Nxa loba ngubani ongayikulalela amazwi ami azakhulunywa ngumphrofethi ngebizo lami, mina ngokwami yimi engizamelana laye.
But against anyone who is not willing to listen to his words, which he will speak in my name, I will stand forth as the avenger.
20 Kodwa-ke umphrofethi ozenza okhuluma amazwi ami wona kungesiwo engimlaye ngawo ukuba awatsho, loba umphrofethi okhuluma ngebizo labanye onkulunkulu, kumele abulawe.’
But if a prophet, having been corrupted by arrogance, chooses to speak, in my name, things which I did not instruct him to say, or to speak in the name of foreign gods, he shall be put to death.
21 Lingazitshela lokhu lithi, ‘Singakwazi njani ukuthi lelilizwi kaliveli kuThixo na?’
But if, in silent thought, you respond: “How will I be able to recognize a word which the Lord has not spoken?”
22 Nxa lokho okumenyezelwa ngumphrofethi ngebizo likaThixo kungenzakali loba kungagcwaliseki, lokho kuyilizwi eliyabe lingaveli kuThixo. Lowo mphrofethi uyabe ekhuluma ize. Lingamesabi.”
you shall have this sign. If whatever that prophet predicts in the name of the Lord does not happen, then the Lord has not spoken it. Instead, the prophet has formed it through the swelling of his own mind. And for this reason, you shall not fear him.’”
