UDutheronomi 19
1 “Kuzakuthi lapho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu esebhubhise izizwe zelizwe lelo alinika lona, futhi lani selizixotshile njalo lahlala emadolobheni kanye lasezindlini zazo,
'When Jehovah thy God doth cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, and thou hast succeeded them, and dwelt in their cities, and in their houses,
2 kulapho-ke eselingazikhethela amadolobho amathathu enkabazwe yelizwe lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe ngelenu.
three cities thou dost separate for thee in the midst of thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it.
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.
Thou dost prepare for thee the way, and hast divided into three parts the border of thy land which Jehovah thy God doth cause thee to inherit, and it hath been for the fleeing thither of every man-slayer.
4 Lesi yisimiso maqondana lomuntu obulala omunye abesebalekela khona ukuze asindise impilo yakhe, lowo obulala umakhelwane wakhe engakunxwanelanga ngomona njalo engamqophanga.
'And this [is] the matter of the man-slayer who fleeth thither, and hath lived: He who smiteth his neighbour unknowingly, and is not hating him heretofore,
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.
even he who cometh in with his neighbour into a forest to hew wood, and his hand hath driven with an axe to cut the tree, and the iron hath slipped from the wood, and hath met his neighbour, and he hath died — he doth flee unto one of these cities, and hath lived,
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.
lest the redeemer of blood pursue after the man-slayer when his heart is hot, and hath overtaken him (because the way is great), and hath smitten him — the life, and he hath no sentence of death, for he is not hating him heretofore;
7 Yikho-nje ngilaye ukuthi lizehlukanisele amadolobho amathathu.
therefore I am commanding thee, saying, Three cities thou dost separate to thee.
8 Nxa uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu angaqhelisa isabelo senu njengokuthembisa kwakhe okhokho benu ngesifungo, aliphe lonke ilizwe abathembisa lona,
'And if Jehovah thy God doth enlarge thy border, as He hath sworn to thy fathers, and hath given to thee all the land which He hath spoken to give to thy 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.
when thou keepest all this command to do it, which I am commanding thee to-day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk in His ways all the days — then thou hast added to thee yet three cities 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.
and innocent blood is not shed in the midst of thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee — an inheritance, and there hath been upon thee blood.
11 Kodwa nxa umuntu emzonda umakhelwane wakhe, amcathamele, amtshaye ambulale, abesebalekela kwelinye lamadolobho la,
'And when a man is hating his neighbour, and hath lain in wait for him, and risen against him, and smitten him — the life, and he hath died, and he hath fled unto 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 have sent and taken him from thence, and given him into the hand of the redeemer of blood, and he hath died;
13 Lingamzweli isihawu. Kufanele liqede ububi bokuchitha igazi elingelacala ko-Israyeli ukuze kulilungele.
thine eye hath no pity on him, and thou hast put away the innocent blood from Israel, and it is well with thee.
14 Lingabosusa izikhonkwane zomngcele wendawo kamakhelwane wenu ezabethelwa ngabalandulelayo kulo ilifa eliliphiwa elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe ngelenu.”
'Thou dost not remove a border of thy neighbour, which they of former times have made, in thine inheritance, which thou dost inherit in the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it.
15 “Ufakazi oyedwa angeke afakaze kwanele ukuthi umuntu olomlandu wokwenza loba licala bani etheswe icala. Indaba ingaqiniswa ngofakazi ababili loba abathathu.
'One witness doth not rise against a man for any iniquity, and for any sin, in any sin which he sinneth; by the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, is a thing established.
16 Nxa ufakazi wamanga emelana lendoda eyetheswa icala,
'When a violent witness doth rise against a man, to testify against him apostasy,
17 amadoda la womabili axabeneyo afanele ukuthi ame phambi kukaThixo phambi kwabaphristi kanye labehluleli abayabe besesikhundleni ngalesosikhathi.
then have both the men who have the strife stood before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges who are in those days,
18 Abahluleli kumele bachwayisise ngokupheleleyo kuthi lapho bangafumana ukuthi ufakazi uqamba amanga, esipha ubufakazi bamanga ngomzalwane wakhe,
and the judges have searched diligently, and lo, the witness [is] a false witness, a falsehood he hath testified against his brother:
19 lizakwenza kuye khonokho abehlose ukukwenza kumzalwane wakhe. Kumele liqede ububi phakathi kwenu.
'Then ye have done to him as he devised to do to his brother, and thou hast put away the evil thing out of thy midst,
20 Abanye bonke abantu bazakuzwa ngalokhu besabe, ngakho akusayikwenziwa futhi phakathi kwenu ububi obunjalo.
and those who are left do hear and fear, and add not to do any more according to this evil thing in thy midst;
21 Lingabi lozwelo: ukuphila akwenanwe yikuphila, ilihlo ngelihlo, izinyo ngezinyo, isandla ngesandla, unyawo ngonyawo.”
and thine eye doth not pity — life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
