UDutheronomi 26
1 “Nxa usungenile elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akunika lona njengelifa njalo usulithethe wahlala kulo
Once you've entered the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own, and you take it over and settle there,
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
take some of the firstfruits of all your crops produced by the land that the Lord your God is giving you and place them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose to live with you,
3 uthi kumphristi osesikhundleni ngalesosikhathi, ‘Ngiyamemezela lamuhla kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ukuthi sengifikile elizweni uThixo afunga kubokhokho bethu ukuthi uzasinika lona.’
and tell the priest in charge at the time, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I now live in the country that the Lord promised our forefathers to give us.”
4 Umphristi uzakwamukela isitsha esisezandleni zakho asibeke phansi phambi kwe-alithari likaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho.
The priest will take the basket from you and place it in front of 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.
Then this is what you are to publicly declare before the Lord your God, “My father was a Aramean who moved from place to place. There were only a few of them when he and his family went to live in Egypt. But they became a large and powerful nation.
6 Kodwa amaGibhithe asiphatha ngochuku, asihlupha, asisebenzisa nzima.
But the Egyptians treated us very badly, oppressing us and forcing us to do hard labor.
7 Ngakho sakhala kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu, uThixo walizwa ilizwi lethu njalo wabona lokuhlupheka kwethu, ukutshikatshika kwethu kanye lokuncindezelwa kwethu.
We cried out for help to the Lord, the God of our forefathers; and the Lord answered us as he saw how much we were suffering, forced to work so hard in such cruelty.
8 Ngenxa yalokho uThixo wasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe ngesandla esilamandla langengalo eyeluliweyo, ngezenzo ezesabekayo langezibonakaliso kanye lezimangaliso.
The Lord led us out of Egypt with his great power and incredible strength and terrifying actions, signs and miracles.
9 Wasiletha kulindawo njalo wasinika lelilizwe, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju;
He brought us here and gave us this country, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10 khathesi sengiletha izithelo zakuqala zomhlabathi lowo, Oh Thixo, onginike wona.’ Uzabeka isitsha phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho umkhothamele.
Look, Lord! I have brought you the firstfruits of the land that you have given me.” You shall place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down in worship before him.
11 Ngakho wena labaLevi kanye labezizweni abahlala phakathi kwenu lizathokoza ezintweni zonke ezinhle uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akunike zona wena kanye labendlu yakho.
Then you, the Levites, and the foreigners who live with you are to celebrate all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your family.
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.
Once you've finished storing up a tenth of all your crops in the third year, (the year of the tithe), you shall give it to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so they will have enough to eat in your towns.
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.
Then you are to make this declaration in the presence of the Lord your God: “I have brought the holy tithe and I have given it to the Levite, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows as you have ordered me to do. I have not broken or forgotten your commandments.
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 any of the holy tithe while in mourning, or taken any of it while I was unclean, or used any of it as an offering for the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God. I have done everything you ordered me to do.
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.’”
Please look down from your home in heaven, and bless your people the Israelites and the country you have given us as you promised 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 orders you to carry out these rules and regulations. Make sure you follow them with all your mind and with all your being.
17 Lamuhla usuvume obala ukuthi uThixo unguNkulunkulu wakho lokuthi uzahamba ezindleleni zakhe, ukuthi uzagcina izimiso zakhe, imilayo, lemithetho yakhe, lokuthi uzamlalela.
Today you have publicly declared that the Lord is your God and that you will follow his ways, keep rules and commandments and regulations, and obey what he says.
18 Futhi uThixo ukuvumile lamuhla ukuthi lina lingabantu bakhe, liyisabelo sakhe esiligugu njengokuthembisa kwakhe njalo kumele ligcine yonke imilayo yakhe.
Today the Lord has announced that you are a special people who belong to him as he promised. He has announced that you are to keep all his commandments.
19 Umemezele ukuthi uzaliphakamisa ngodumo, ngokwaziwa langenhlonipho phezu kwezizwe zonke azidalayo lokuthi lizakuba ngabantu abangcwele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu njengokuthembisa kwakhe.”
He has announced that he will give you greater praise and reputation and honor than any other nation he has made. He has announced that you will be a holy people to the Lord your God, as he promised.
