UDutheronomi 19

1 “Kuzakuthi lapho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu esebhubhise izizwe zelizwe lelo alinika lona, futhi lani selizixotshile njalo lahlala emadolobheni kanye lasezindlini zazo,

When the nations, whose land the Lord your God is giving you, have been cut off by him, and you have taken their place and are living in their towns and in their houses;

2 kulapho-ke eselingazikhethela amadolobho amathathu enkabazwe yelizwe lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe ngelenu.

You are to have three towns marked out in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage.

3 Yakhani imigwaqo eqonda kuwo njalo lehlukanise ilizwe lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinike lona njengelifa lenu libe yizigaba ezintathu, ukuze kuthi loba ngubani obulala umuntu abalekele khona.

You are to make ready a way, and see that the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, is marked out into three parts, to which any taker of life may go in flight.

4 Lesi yisimiso maqondana lomuntu obulala omunye abesebalekela khona ukuze asindise impilo yakhe, lowo obulala umakhelwane wakhe engakunxwanelanga ngomona njalo engamqophanga.

This is to be the rule for anyone who goes in flight there, after causing the death of his neighbour in error and not through hate;

5 Njengokuthi, umuntu angaya egangeni ukuyagamula inkuni lomakhelwane wakhe, kuthi lapho egamula isihlahla ngehloka lakhe, ihloka likhumuke emphinini litshaye umakhelwane wakhe afe. Lowomuntu angabalekela kwelinye lamadolobho lawo ukuze asindise impilo yakhe.

For example, if a man goes into the woods with his neighbour for the purpose of cutting down trees, and when he takes his axe to give a blow to the tree, the head of the axe comes off, and falling on to his neighbour gives him a wound causing his death; then the man may go in flight to one of these towns and be safe:

6 Phela kungenzeka ukuthi umphindiseli wegazi axotshane lombulali ngentukuthelo, amfice nxa umango umude kakhulu, ambulale lanxa lowombulali ubengafanelanga ukufa, ngoba engambulalanga ngabomo langenxa yenzondo umakhelwane wakhe.

For if not, he who has the right of punishment may go running after the taker of life in the heat of his wrath, and overtake him because the way is long, and give him a death-blow; though it is not right for him to be put to death because he was not moved by hate.

7 Yikho-nje ngilaye ukuthi lizehlukanisele amadolobho amathathu.

And so I am ordering you to see that three towns are marked out for this purpose.

8 Nxa uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu angaqhelisa isabelo senu njengokuthembisa kwakhe okhokho benu ngesifungo, aliphe lonke ilizwe abathembisa lona,

And if the Lord your God makes wide the limits of your land, as he said in his oath to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he undertook to give to your fathers;

9 ngoba lilandela ngokunanzelela yonke imithetho engililaya yona lamuhla, ukuthanda uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu lokuhamba kokuphela ngezindlela zakhe, kufanele ukuthi likhethe amanye njalo amadolobho amathathu.

If you keep and do all these orders which I give you today, loving the Lord your God and walking ever in his ways; then let three more towns, in addition to these three, be marked out for you:

10 Kwenzeni lokhu ukuze kungachitheki igazi elingelacala elizweni lenu, lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona njengelifa lenu, njalo lokuthi lingabi lecala lokuchitha igazi.

So that in all your land, which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, no man may be wrongly put to death, for which you will be responsible.

11 Kodwa nxa umuntu emzonda umakhelwane wakhe, amcathamele, amtshaye ambulale, abesebalekela kwelinye lamadolobho la,

But if any man has hate for his neighbour, and waiting for him secretly makes an attack on him and gives him a blow causing his death, and then goes in flight to one of these towns;

12 abakhokheli bedolobho lakibo bazamthumela abantu, bamlande kulelodolobho babuye laye, bamnikele kumphindiseli wegazi ukuba afe.

The responsible men of his town are to send and take him, and give him up to the one who has the right of punishment to be put to death.

13 Lingamzweli isihawu. Kufanele liqede ububi bokuchitha igazi elingelacala ko-Israyeli ukuze kulilungele.

Have no pity on him, so that Israel may be clear from the crime of putting a man to death without cause, and it will be well for you.

14 Lingabosusa izikhonkwane zomngcele wendawo kamakhelwane wenu ezabethelwa ngabalandulelayo kulo ilifa eliliphiwa elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe ngelenu.”

Your neighbour's landmark, which was put in its place by the men of old times, is not to be moved or taken away in the land of your heritage which the Lord your God is giving you.

15 “Ufakazi oyedwa angeke afakaze kwanele ukuthi umuntu olomlandu wokwenza loba licala bani etheswe icala. Indaba ingaqiniswa ngofakazi ababili loba abathathu.

One witness may not make a statement against a man in relation to any sin or wrongdoing which he has done: on the word of two or three witnesses a question is to be judged.

16 Nxa ufakazi wamanga emelana lendoda eyetheswa icala,

If a false witness makes a statement against a man, saying that he has done wrong,

17 amadoda la womabili axabeneyo afanele ukuthi ame phambi kukaThixo phambi kwabaphristi kanye labehluleli abayabe besesikhundleni ngalesosikhathi.

Then the two men, between whom the argument has taken place, are to come before the Lord, before the priests and judges who are then in power;

18 Abahluleli kumele bachwayisise ngokupheleleyo kuthi lapho bangafumana ukuthi ufakazi uqamba amanga, esipha ubufakazi bamanga ngomzalwane wakhe,

And the judges will have the question looked into with care: and if the witness is seen to be false and to have made a false statement against his brother,

19 lizakwenza kuye khonokho abehlose ukukwenza kumzalwane wakhe. Kumele liqede ububi phakathi kwenu.

Then do to him what it was his purpose to do to his brother: and so put away the evil from among you.

20 Abanye bonke abantu bazakuzwa ngalokhu besabe, ngakho akusayikwenziwa futhi phakathi kwenu ububi obunjalo.

And the rest of the people, hearing of it, will be full of fear, and never again do such evil among you.

21 Lingabi lozwelo: ukuphila akwenanwe yikuphila, ilihlo ngelihlo, izinyo ngezinyo, isandla ngesandla, unyawo ngonyawo.”

Have no pity; let life be given for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.