UDutheronomi 25
1 “Nxa amadoda exabana, ingxabano yawo kumele isiwe emthethwandaba ukuze kuthi abehluleli bakhuphe isinqumo ngaleyondaba, bakhulule omsulwa njalo bamlahle olecala.
If there is a controversy between men, and they come to judgment and the judges judge them, then they shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.
2 Nxa olecala kufanele atshaywe, umahluleli uzakuthi kalale acambalale athi katshaywe laye ekhona ngalezonswazi ezilingene lelocala,
It shall be, if the wicked man is worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down and to be beaten before his face, according to his wickedness, by number.
3 kodwa akufanelanga zedlule ezingamatshumi amane. Nxa etshaywe inswazi ezedlula lapho, umfowenu usezabe esuswe isithunzi emehlweni akho.
He may sentence him to no more than forty stripes. He shall not give more, lest if he should give more and beat him more than that many stripes, then your brother will be degraded in your sight.
4 Ungafaki inkabi yakho isayeke nxa ibhula amabele.
You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain.
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.
If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.
6 Indodana yakuqala ezazalwa lapho kumele ibizwe ngomfowabo owafayo ukuze ibizo lakhe lingatshabalali ko-Israyeli.
It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted 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.’
If the man doesn’t want to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel. He will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.”
8 Ngakho abadala balelodolobho lakhe bazambiza bakhulume laye. Nxa angala kokuphela esithi, ‘Angifuni ukumthatha,’
Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak to him. If he stands and says, “I don’t want to take her,”
9 umfelokazi lowo uzamqonda phambi kwabadala, bamkhuphe inyathelo elilodwa, amkhafulele emehlweni athi, ‘Lokhu yikho okwenziwa endodeni engafuniyo ukuvusela umfowabo indlu yakhe.’
then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, and loose his sandal from off his foot, and spit in his face. She shall answer and say, “So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.”
10 Usendo lwaleyondoda ko-Israyeli luzakwaziwa njengeNdlu engelaNyathelo.
His name shall be called in Israel, “The house of him who had his sandal removed.”
11 Nxa amadoda amabili esilwa kube sekusithi umfazi wenye athelele, ancedise indoda yakhe, abesexhakalaza leyondoda ngamaphambili,
When men strive against each other, and the wife of one draws near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him who strikes him, and puts out her hand, and grabs him by his private parts,
12 kumele liqume isandla sowesifazane lowo. Lingabi lesihawu kuye lakancane.
then you shall cut off her hand. Your eye shall have no pity.
13 Ungabokuba lezilinganiso zesisindo ezimbili emgodleni wakho ezehlukeneyo, esinye esinzima lesinye esilula.
You shall not have in your bag diverse weights, one heavy and one light.
14 Ungabi lezilinganiso ezimbili ezehlukeneyo endlini yakho, esinye esikhulu lesinye esincinyane.
You shall not have in your house diverse measures, one large and one small.
15 Kumele libe lezilinganiso eziqondileyo leziqotho loba ngezesisindo loba ngezobukhulu, ukuze libe lempilo ende elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona.
You shall have a perfect and just weight. You shall have a perfect and just measure, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
16 Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uyanengeka ngomuntu owenza lezizinto, yiloba ngubani owenza izinto zobuqili.
For all who do such things, all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to the LORD your God.
17 Khumbula okwenziwa ngama-Amaleki kuwe endleleni uphuma eGibhithe.
Remember what Amalek did to you by the way as you came out of Egypt,
18 Kwathi lapho usudinwe kakhulu ungaselamandla, akuhlangabeza ohanjweni lwakho, abachitha bonke ababesalela emuva; ayengamesabi uNkulunkulu.
how he met you by the way, and struck the rearmost of you, all who were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he didn’t fear 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 it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky. You shall not forget.
