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 LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,

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

you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.

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 shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which the LORD your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.

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

This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbour unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past—

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.

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbour to chop wood and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbour so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

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.

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.

7 Yikho-nje ngilaye ukuthi lizehlukanisele amadolobho amathathu.

Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.

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

If the LORD your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised 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.

and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to these three.

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

This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.

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

But if any man hates his neighbour, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;

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

then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

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

Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you.

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

You shall not remove your neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess.

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

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

16 Nxa ufakazi wamanga emelana lendoda eyetheswa icala,

If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

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

then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;

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

and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,

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

then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from amongst you.

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

Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil amongst you.

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

Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.