U-Eksodusi 23
1 “Ungahambi ukhuluma izindaba zamanga. Ungahlanganyeli lomuntu omubi ngoba ngufakazi olomona.
Do not let a false statement go further; do not make an agreement with evil-doers to be a false witness.
2 Ungenzi okubi ulandela inengi labantu. Nxa ufakaza emthethwandaba, ungaphenduleli iqiniso ngokuvumelana labanengi,
Do not be moved to do wrong by the general opinion, or give the support of your words to a wrong decision:
3 njalo ungazweli umuntu ecaleni ngoba engumyanga.
But, on the other hand, do not be turned from what is right in order to give support to a poor man's cause.
4 Ungahlangana lenkomo kumbe ubabhemi wesitha sakho elahlekile, mnqande umbuyisele kumnikazi.
If you come across the ox or the ass of one who is no friend to you wandering from its way, you are to take it back to him.
5 Nxa ufica ubabhemi womuntu okuzondayo ewiswe ngumthwalo, ungamtshiyi, umncedise umvuse.
If you see the ass of one who has no love for you bent down to the earth under the weight which is put on it, you are to come to its help, even against your desire.
6 Ahlulela kuhle abayanga bakini emacaleni.
Let no wrong decisions be given in the poor man's cause.
7 Ungabungeni ubufakazi bamanga, njalo ungabulali muntu ongelacala loba oqotho ngoba kangiyi kumyekela olecala.
Keep yourselves far from any false business; never let the upright or him who has done no wrong be put to death: for I will make the evil-doer responsible for his sin.
8 Lingavumi ukufunjathiswa ngoba ukufunjathiswa kufiphaza ababonayo besebeguqula amazwi omuntu omsulwa.
Take no rewards in a cause: for rewards make blind those who have eyes to see, and make the decisions of the upright false.
9 Ungancindezeli owezizweni, lina ngokwenu liyakwazi ukuthi kunjani ukuba ngabezizweni, njengoba lalingabezizweni eGibhithe.”
Do not be hard on the man from a strange country who is living among you; for you have had experience of the feelings of one who is far from the land of his birth, because you yourselves were living in Egypt, in a strange land.
10 “Okweminyaka eyisithupha lizalima amasimu enu livune amabele,
For six years put seed into your fields and get in the increase;
11 kodwa kuzakuthi ngomnyaka wesikhombisa liyekele amasimu enu alaluke engalinywanga. Ngakho abangabayanga phakathi kwenu bazazuza ukudla kuwo, kuthi lezinyamazana zeganga zidle okuseleyo. Lizakwenza njalo okufananayo ngezivini zenu kanye lezihlahla zenu zama-oliva.
But in the seventh year let the land have a rest and be unplanted; so that the poor may have food from it: and let the beasts of the field take the rest. Do the same with your vine-gardens and your olive-trees.
12 Uzakwenza imisebenzi yakho okwensuku eziyisithupha, kodwa ngosuku lwesikhombisa ungasebenzi, ukuze inkabi yakho lobabhemi wakho kuphumule, kuthi isigqili esazalelwa endlini yakho kanye lowezizweni baphumule.
For six days do your work, and on the seventh day keep the Sabbath; so that your ox and your ass may have rest, together with the son of your servant and the man from a strange land living among you.
13 Qaphelisisani lenze konke engilitshela khona. Lingamemezi amabizo abanye onkulunkulu; kawangezwakali ephuma ezindebeni zenu.”
Take note of all these things which I have said to you, and let not the names of other gods come into your minds or from your lips.
14 “Kathathu ngomnyaka kufanele lingithakazelele umkhosi.
Three times in the year you are to keep a feast to me.
15 Lizathakazelela uMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo; okwensuku eziyisikhombisa dlanini isinkwa esingelamvubelo, njengokulilaya kwami. Kwenzeni lokhu ngesikhathi esimisiweyo senyanga ka-Avivi, ngoba ngaleyonyanga yikho elaphuma khona eGibhithe. Kakungabi lamuntu ozakuma phambi kwami engaphathanga lutho.
You are to keep the feast of unleavened bread; for seven days let your bread be without leaven, as I gave you orders, at the regular time in the month Abib (for in it you came out of Egypt); and let no one come before me without an offering:
16 Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuVuna lokolibo kwenu ezilimweni zenu zemasimini. Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuButhelela nxa selibutha izilimo zenu emasimini.
And the feast of the grain-cutting, the first-fruits of your planted fields: and the feast at the start of the year, when you have got in all the fruit from your fields.
17 Kathathu ngomnyaka amadoda wonke kufanele ayebonakala phambi kukaThixo Wobukhosi.
Three times in the year let all your males come before the Lord God.
18 Linganikeli igazi lomhlatshelo kimi ndawonye laloba yini elemvubelo. Amahwahwa eminikelo yemikhosi yami akumelanga agcinwe kuze kuse.
Do not give the blood of my offering with leavened bread; and do not let the fat of my feast be kept all night till the morning.
19 Lethani okolibo kwenu okuhle kakhulu endlini kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Lingapheki izinyane lembuzi ngochago lukanina.”
The best of the first-fruits of your land are to be taken into the house of the Lord your God. The young goat is not to be cooked in its mother's milk.
20 “Khangelani, sengithumela ingilosi phambi kwenu ukuze ilivikele endleleni yenu njalo ize ilifikise endaweni engililungisele yona.
See, I am sending an angel before you, to keep you on your way and to be your guide into the place which I have made ready for you.
21 Liyinanzelele ingilosi yami njalo lilalele ekutshoyo. Lingayihlamukeli ngoba kayizukulithethelela nxa lingayihlamukela, njengoba iBizo lami likuyo.
Give attention to him and give ear to his voice; do not go against him; for your wrongdoing will not be overlooked by him, because my name is in him.
22 Nxa lingalalelisisa ekutshoyo njalo lenze konke engikutshoyo, ngizakuba yisitha sezitha zenu njalo ngizamelana lalabo abamisana lani.
But if you truly give ear to his voice, and do whatever I say, then I will be against those who are against you, fighting those who are fighting you.
23 Ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwenu ize ilingenise elizweni lama-Amori, lamaHithi, lamaPherizi, lamaKhenani lamaHivi kanye lamaJebusi njalo ngizababhubhisa.
And my angel will go before you, guiding you into the land of the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, and they will be cut off by my hand.
24 Lingabakhothameli onkulunkulu babo, lingabakhonzi njalo lingalandeli imikhuba yabo. Kufanele libhidlize onkulunkulu babo njalo lidilize amatshe abo abawakhonzayo.
Do not go down on your faces and give worship to their gods, or do as they do; but overcome them completely, and let their pillars be broken down.
25 Mkhonzeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, kuzakuthi isibusiso sakhe sibe phezu kokudla laphezu kwamanzi enu. Ngizasusa imikhuhlane phakathi kwenu,
And give worship to the Lord your God, who will send his blessing on your bread and on your water; and I will take all disease away from among you.
26 njalo kakho ozaswela loba abe yinyumba ezweni lenu. Ngizaphelelisa insuku zenu.
All your animals will give birth without loss, not one will be without young in all your land; I will give you a full measure of life.
27 Ngizathumela uchuku lwami phambi kwenu njalo ngisanganise zonke izizwe elizahlangana lazo. Ngizakwenza zonke izitha zenu zifulathele zilibalekele.
I will send my fear before you, putting to flight all the people to whom you come; all those who are against you will go in flight, turning their backs before you.
28 Ngizathumela olonyovu phambi kwenu ukuze basuse amaHivi, amaKhenani kanye lamaHithi endleleni yenu.
I will send hornets before you, driving out the Hivite and the Canaanite and the Hittite before your face.
29 Kodwa angiyikubasusa ngomnyaka munye, ngoba ilizwe lingasala lingasela muntu besekusithi izinyamazana zeganga zande zilikhulele.
I will not send them all out in one year, for fear that their land may become waste, and the beasts of the field be increased overmuch against you.
30 Ngizabasusa kancanekancane phambi kwenu, lani lize lande lenelise ukuthatha ilizwe.
Little by little I will send them away before you, till your numbers are increased and you take up your heritage in the land.
31 Ngizabeka imingcele kusukela oLwandle oluBomvu kusiya oLwandle lwamaFilistiya, njalo kusuka enkangala kusiya emfuleni uYufrathe. Ngakho abantu abahlala kulelolizwe ngizabanikela ezandleni zenu ukuze libadudule.
I will let the limits of your land be from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the waste land to the river Euphrates: for I will give the people of those lands into your power; and you will send them out before you.
32 Lingenzi isivumelwano labo loba labonkulunkulu babo.
Make no agreement with them or with their gods.
33 Kabangahlali lani ezweni lenu, funa balenze lingonele, ngoba ukukhonza kwabo onkulunkulu babo kuzakuba yisifu kini.”
Let them not go on living in your land, or they will make you do evil against me: for if you give worship to their gods, it will certainly be a cause of sin to you.
