UDutheronomi 25
1 “Nxa amadoda exabana, ingxabano yawo kumele isiwe emthethwandaba ukuze kuthi abehluleli bakhuphe isinqumo ngaleyondaba, bakhulule omsulwa njalo bamlahle olecala.
If there be a controversy between men, and they call upon the judges: they shall give the prize of justice to him whom they perceive to be just: and him whom they find to be wicked, they shall condemn of wickedness.
2 Nxa olecala kufanele atshaywe, umahluleli uzakuthi kalale acambalale athi katshaywe laye ekhona ngalezonswazi ezilingene lelocala,
And if they see that the offender be worthy of stripes: they shall lay him down, and shall cause him to be beaten before them. According to the measure of the sin shall the measure also of the stripes be:
3 kodwa akufanelanga zedlule ezingamatshumi amane. Nxa etshaywe inswazi ezedlula lapho, umfowenu usezabe esuswe isithunzi emehlweni akho.
Yet so, that they exceed not the number of forty: lest thy brother depart shamefully torn before thy eyes.
4 Ungafaki inkabi yakho isayeke nxa ibhula amabele.
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out thy corn on the floor.
5 Nxa amadodana endoda ehlala kwenye indawo omunye abe esesifa engelandodana, umfelokazi akumelanga ayekwendela kwenye indawo. Umfowabo wendoda kumele amthathe ukuze agcwalise umlandu womfowabo kulowomfelokazi.
When brethren dwell together, and one of them dieth without children, the wife of the deceased shall not marry to another: but his brother shall take her, and raise up seed for his brother:
6 Indodana yakuqala ezazalwa lapho kumele ibizwe ngomfowabo owafayo ukuze ibizo lakhe lingatshabalali ko-Israyeli.
And the first son he shall have of her he shall call by his name, that his name be not abolished out of Israel.
7 Kodwa-ke, indoda nxa ingafuni ukuthatha umfazi womfowabo, kuzamele umfazi lowo aye ebadaleni esangweni ledolobho afike athi, ‘Umfowabo wendoda yami uyala ukuqhuba ibizo lomfowabo ko-Israyeli. Kafuni ukuthi agcwalise umlandu womfowabo.’
But if he will not take his brother’s wife, who by law belongeth to him, the woman shall go to the gate of the city, and call upon the ancients, and say: My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up his brother’s name in Israel: and will not take me to wife.
8 Ngakho abadala balelodolobho lakhe bazambiza bakhulume laye. Nxa angala kokuphela esithi, ‘Angifuni ukumthatha,’
And they shall cause him to be sent for forthwith, and shall ask him. If he answer: I will not take her to wife:
9 umfelokazi lowo uzamqonda phambi kwabadala, bamkhuphe inyathelo elilodwa, amkhafulele emehlweni athi, ‘Lokhu yikho okwenziwa endodeni engafuniyo ukuvusela umfowabo indlu yakhe.’
The woman shall come to him before the ancients, and shall take off his shoe from his foot, and spit in his face, and say: So shall it be done to the man that will not build up his brother’s house:
10 Usendo lwaleyondoda ko-Israyeli luzakwaziwa njengeNdlu engelaNyathelo.
And his name shall be called in Israel, the house of the unshod.
11 Nxa amadoda amabili esilwa kube sekusithi umfazi wenye athelele, ancedise indoda yakhe, abesexhakalaza leyondoda ngamaphambili,
If two men have words together, and one begin to fight against the other, and the other’s wife willing to deliver her husband out of the hand of the stronger, shall put forth her hand, and take him by the secrets,
12 kumele liqume isandla sowesifazane lowo. Lingabi lesihawu kuye lakancane.
Thou shalt cut off her hand, neither shalt thou be moved with any pity in her regard.
13 Ungabokuba lezilinganiso zesisindo ezimbili emgodleni wakho ezehlukeneyo, esinye esinzima lesinye esilula.
Thou shalt not have divers weights in thy bag, a greater and a less:
14 Ungabi lezilinganiso ezimbili ezehlukeneyo endlini yakho, esinye esikhulu lesinye esincinyane.
Neither shall there be in thy house a greater bushel and a less.
15 Kumele libe lezilinganiso eziqondileyo leziqotho loba ngezesisindo loba ngezobukhulu, ukuze libe lempilo ende elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona.
Thou shalt have a just and a true weight, and thy bushel shall be equal and true: that thou mayest live a long time upon the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee.
16 Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uyanengeka ngomuntu owenza lezizinto, yiloba ngubani owenza izinto zobuqili.
For the Lord thy God abhorreth him that doth these things, and he hateth all injustice.
17 Khumbula okwenziwa ngama-Amaleki kuwe endleleni uphuma eGibhithe.
Remember what Amalec did to thee in the way when thou camest out of Egypt:
18 Kwathi lapho usudinwe kakhulu ungaselamandla, akuhlangabeza ohanjweni lwakho, abachitha bonke ababesalela emuva; ayengamesabi uNkulunkulu.
How he met thee: and slew the hindmost of the army, who sat down, being weary, when thou wast spent with hunger and labour, and he feared not God.
19 Mhla uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika ukuphumula kuzozonke izitha zakho ezikuhanqileyo elizweni akunika lona ukuba libe yilifa lakho, uzatshabalalisa nya ibizo lama-Amaleki ngaphansi kwezulu. Ungakhohlwa!”
Therefore when the Lord thy God shall give thee rest, and shall have subdued all the nations round about in the land which he hath promised thee: thou shalt blot out his name from under heaven. See thou forget it not.
