U-Eksodusi 21
1 “Nansi imithetho ozayethula phambi kwabo.”
Now these [are] the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
2 “Nxa ungathenga isisebenzi esingumHebheru kumele sikusebenzele okweminyaka eyisithupha. Kodwa emnyakeni wesikhombisa kuzamele usikhulule kungelanhlawulo.
If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3 Nxa sifike sodwa, kumele sikhululwe sihambe sodwa kodwa nxa silomfazi ekufikeni kwasokumele sihambe laye.
If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 Nxa umqhatshi waso angasipha umfazi asizalele amadodana lamadodakazi, owesifazane labantwabakhe bazakuba ngabomqhatshi, njalo indoda izazihambela yodwa ikhululekile.
If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
5 Kodwa nxa isisebenzi singathi, ‘Ngiyayithanda inkosi yami lomkami labantwabami, njalo kangifuni kukhululwa,’
And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6 ngakho inkosi yaso kumele isihambise kubahluleli. Izasisa emnyango kumbe emgubazini abesesibhoboza indlebe yaso ngosungulo. Ngakho-ke sizakuba yisisebenzi sayo okwempilo yaso yonke.
Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
7 Nxa indoda ingathengisa indodakazi yayo njengesigqili, indodakazi kayingakhululeki njengalokho okwenza ezinye inceku.
And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
8 Nxa singathokozisi umnini waso oyabe esikhethile ukuze sibe ngesakhe kumele asiyekele sihlengwe. Akalamvumo yokusithengisa kwabezizwe, ngoba esikhohlisile.
If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
9 Angasikhethela indodana yakhe kumele asinike amalungelo alingana lawendodakazi yakhe.
And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
10 Angathatha omunye umfazi akumelanga asincitshe ukudla, izigqoko lamalungelo okwenda.
If he take him another [wife; ] her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
11 Angayekela ukusipha izinto lezi ezintathu sikhululekile ukuthi sizihambele kungahlawulwanga mali.”
And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
12 “Wonke umuntu otshaya omunye ambulale laye kumele abulawe.
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
13 Kodwa nxa engakwenzanga ngabomo, uNkulunkulu evumele ukuba kwenzakale, kumele abalekele endaweni engizayiphawula.
And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver [him] into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
14 Kodwa umuntu angaceba ukubulala omunye ngabomo, msuseni e-alithareni lami liyembulala.
But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
15 Wonke umuntu ohlasela uyise kumbe unina kumele abulawe.
And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
16 Wonke umuntu othumba omunye abesemthengisa kumbe aficwe elaye kumele abulawe.
And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
17 Wonke umuntu othuka uyise kumbe unina kumele abulawe.
And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
18 Nxa amadoda angaxabana omunye abesetshaya omunye ngelitshe kumbe ngenqindi, angafi kodwa agule alale phansi,
And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with [his] fist, and he die not, but keepeth [his] bed:
19 lowo ophose inqindi kasoze anikwe umlandu nxa omunye angavuka abesehambahamba ephethe intonga yakhe; lanxa kunjalo kumele ahlawule indoda elimeleyo ngokulahlekelwa yisikhathi njalo ayelaphise.
If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote [him] be quit: only he shall pay [for] the loss of his time, and shall cause [him] to be thoroughly healed.
20 Nxa umuntu angatshaya isigqili sakhe sesilisa kumbe esesifazane ngomqwayi, isigqili besesisifa ngenxa yalesisenzo, kumele ajeziswe,
And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
21 kodwa kasoze ajeziswe nxa isigqili singasila ngemva kwelanga elilodwa kumbe insuku ezimbili, ngoba isigqili siyimpahla yakhe.
Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he [is] his money.
22 Nxa amadoda alwayo angatshaya umfazi ozithweleyo abesebeletha isikhathi sakhe singakafiki, kodwa engalimalanga kakubi, owonileyo kumele ahlawuliswe lokho okuyabe kubizelwe yindoda yomfazi kwasekuvunywa ngumthethwandaba.
If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart [from her], and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges [determine].
23 Kodwa kungangabi lokulimala okubi, kumele impilo ibhadalwe ngempilo,
And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24 ilihlo ngelihlo, izinyo ngezinyo, isandla ngesandla, unyawo ngonyawo.
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Ukutshiswa ngokutshiswa, isilonda ngesilonda, ukulimala ngokulimala.
Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 Nxa umuntu angatshaya isigqili sakhe sesilisa kumbe esesifazane elihlweni alipatshaze, kumele asiyekele isisebenzi sizihambele kube yinhlawulo yelihlo.
And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.
27 Angatshaya akhumule izinyo lesigqili sesilisa kumbe esesifazane, kumele asiyekele isisebenzi sizihambele kube yinhlawulo yezinyo.
And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.
28 Nxa inkunzi ingahlaba indoda kumbe umfazi afe, leyonkunzi kumele itshaywe ngamatshe ize ife njalo inyama yayo kayingadliwa. Kodwa umnikazi wenkunzi akumelanga etheswe umlandu.
If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox [shall be] quit.
29 Kodwa nxa inkunzi ivele ilomkhuba wokuhlaba abantu, njalo umnikazi eseke wakhuzwa kodwa wekela ukuyivalela ibisibulala indoda kumbe umfazi, inkunzi kumele ibulawe ngamatshe lomnikazi abulawe.
But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
30 Kodwa kungathiwa kahlawule, angahlenga impilo yakhe ngokuhlawula lokho okuyabe kubiziwe.
If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
31 Umthetho lo uyasebenza njalo nxa inkunzi ingahlaba indodana kumbe indodakazi.
Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32 Nxa inkunzi ingahlaba isigqili sesilisa kumbe esesifazane, umnikazi kumele ahlawule amashekeli angamatshumi amathathu esiliva kumnini wesigqili, njalo inkunzi kumele ibulawe ngamatshe.
If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 Nxa umuntu etshiya umgodi ukhamisile, loba esimba umgodi angawusibekeli kuwele kuwo inkabi ingabe ubabhemi,
And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;
34 umninimgodi kahlawule; kahlawule umnikazi, isifuyo esifileyo besesisiba ngesakhe.
The owner of the pit shall make [it] good, [and] give money unto the owner of them; and the dead [beast] shall be his.
35 Nxa inkunzi yomuntu ingalimaza eyomunye kuzamele ukuthi bathengise leyo ephilayo, babelane imali lesidumbu saleyo efileyo ngokulinganayo.
And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead [ox] also they shall divide.
36 Kodwa nxa kusaziwa ukuthi inkunzi ivele ilomkhuba wokuhlaba ezinye, kodwa umnikazi engayivaleli esibayeni, umnikazi kumele ahlawule isifuyo ngesinye isifuyo, njalo isifuyo esifileyo sizakuba ngesakhe.”
Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.
