UDutheronomi 26
1 “Nxa usungenile elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akunika lona njengelifa njalo usulithethe wahlala kulo
“And when you will have entered into the land which the Lord your God will give to you to possess, and when you will have obtained it and are living within it:
2 thatha ezinye zezithelo zakuqala zazo, zonke izilimo zomhlabathi welizwe uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akunika lona uzifake esitsheni. Uhambe uye endaweni leyo uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho azayikhetha njengendawo yokuhlala yeBizo lakhe
you shall take the first of all your crops, and place them in a basket, and you shall travel to the place which the Lord your God will choose, so that his name may be invoked there.
3 uthi kumphristi osesikhundleni ngalesosikhathi, ‘Ngiyamemezela lamuhla kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ukuthi sengifikile elizweni uThixo afunga kubokhokho bethu ukuthi uzasinika lona.’
And you shall approach the priest who will be in those days, and you shall say to him: ‘I profess this day, before the Lord your God, that I have entered into the land about which he swore to our fathers that he would give it to us.’
4 Umphristi uzakwamukela isitsha esisezandleni zakho asibeke phansi phambi kwe-alithari likaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho.
And the priest, taking up the basket from your hand, shall place it before the altar of the Lord your God.
5 Ngakho uzakutsho phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uthi: ‘Ubaba wayeluzulani lomʼAramu, wehla waya eGibhithe elabantu abalutshwana bafika bahlala khona baze baba yisizwe esikhulu kakhulu, esilamandla njalo esilabantu abanengi kakhulu.
And you shall say, in the sight of the Lord your God: ‘The Syrian pursued my father, who descended into Egypt, and he sojourned there in a very small number, and he increased into a great and strong nation and into an innumerable multitude.
6 Kodwa amaGibhithe asiphatha ngochuku, asihlupha, asisebenzisa nzima.
And the Egyptians afflicted us, and they persecuted us, imposing upon us the most grievous burdens.
7 Ngakho sakhala kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu, uThixo walizwa ilizwi lethu njalo wabona lokuhlupheka kwethu, ukutshikatshika kwethu kanye lokuncindezelwa kwethu.
And we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers. He heard us, and he looked with favor upon our humiliation, and hardship, and distress.
8 Ngenxa yalokho uThixo wasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe ngesandla esilamandla langengalo eyeluliweyo, ngezenzo ezesabekayo langezibonakaliso kanye lezimangaliso.
And he led us away from Egypt, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with a mighty terror, with signs and wonders.
9 Wasiletha kulindawo njalo wasinika lelilizwe, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju;
And he led us into this place, and he delivered to us the land flowing with milk and honey.
10 khathesi sengiletha izithelo zakuqala zomhlabathi lowo, Oh Thixo, onginike wona.’ Uzabeka isitsha phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho umkhothamele.
And because of this, I now offer the first fruits of the land which the Lord has given to me.’ And you shall leave them in the sight of the Lord your God, and you shall adore the Lord your God.
11 Ngakho wena labaLevi kanye labezizweni abahlala phakathi kwenu lizathokoza ezintweni zonke ezinhle uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akunike zona wena kanye labendlu yakho.
And you shall feast on all the good things which the Lord your God will give to you and to your house: you, and the Levite, and the new arrival who is with you.
12 Kuzakuthi lapho usuqedile ukwahlukanisa okwetshumi kwaso sonke isivuno sakho ngomnyaka wesithathu, okungumnyaka wokwetshumi, wena uzakunika umLevi, owezizweni, intandane kanye lomfelokazi, ukuze badle basuthe emadolobheni akho.
When you will have completed the tithing of all your crops, in the third year of tithes, you shall give it to the Levite, and to the new arrival, and to the orphan, and to the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be satisfied.
13 Tshono futhi kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uthi: ‘Sengikhuphile isabelo esingcwele endlini yami ngasinika umLevi, owezizweni, intandane lomfelokazi, njengokulaya kwakho. Kangeqanga imilayo yakho kumbe ukukhohlwa eminye yayo.
And you shall say, in the sight of the Lord your God: ‘I have taken what was sanctified from my house, and I have given it to the Levite, and to the new arrival, and to the orphan and the widow, just as you have commanded me. I have not transgressed your commandments, nor have I forgotten your precepts.
14 Angizange ngidle lutho lwesabelo esingcwele ngesikhathi sokulila, kumbe ukususa okunye kwakho ngesikhathi ngingongcolileyo, loba ukunikela ingxenye yakho kwabafileyo. Ngikulalele Thixo Nkulunkulu wami; ngenzile konke ongilaye khona.
I have not eaten from these things in my grief, nor have I separated them due to any kind of uncleanness, nor have I expended any of these things in funerals. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and I have done all things just as you have instructed me.
15 Khangela phansi usezulwini, indawo yakho yokuhlala engcwele, ubusise abantu bakho bako-Israyeli kanye lelizwe osinike lona njengesithembiso owasenza ngesifungo kubokhokho bethu, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju.’”
Look with favor from your sanctuary and from your lofty habitation amid the heavens, and bless your people Israel and the land which you have given to us, just as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’
16 “UThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uyakulaya lamuhla ukuba ulandele izimiso kanye lemithetho le; uyigcine ngonanzelelo olukhulu ngenhliziyo yakho yonke kanye langomphefumulo wakho wonke.
Today the Lord your God has instructed you to carry out these commandments and judgments, and to keep and fulfill them, with all your heart and with all your soul.
17 Lamuhla usuvume obala ukuthi uThixo unguNkulunkulu wakho lokuthi uzahamba ezindleleni zakhe, ukuthi uzagcina izimiso zakhe, imilayo, lemithetho yakhe, lokuthi uzamlalela.
Today, you have chosen the Lord to be your God, so that you may walk in his ways, and keep his ceremonies and commandments and judgments, and obey his command.
18 Futhi uThixo ukuvumile lamuhla ukuthi lina lingabantu bakhe, liyisabelo sakhe esiligugu njengokuthembisa kwakhe njalo kumele ligcine yonke imilayo yakhe.
Today, the Lord has chosen you, so that you may be his particular people, just as he has spoken to you, and so that you may keep all his precepts,
19 Umemezele ukuthi uzaliphakamisa ngodumo, ngokwaziwa langenhlonipho phezu kwezizwe zonke azidalayo lokuthi lizakuba ngabantu abangcwele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu njengokuthembisa kwakhe.”
and so that he may cause you to be more exalted than all the nations which he has created, for the sake of his own praise and name and glory, in order that you may be a holy people for the Lord your God, just as he has spoken.”
