U-Eksodusi 23
1 “Ungahambi ukhuluma izindaba zamanga. Ungahlanganyeli lomuntu omubi ngoba ngufakazi olomona.
Thou shalt not receive a vain report: thou shalt not agree with the unjust [man] to become an unjust witness.
2 Ungenzi okubi ulandela inengi labantu. Nxa ufakaza emthethwandaba, ungaphenduleli iqiniso ngokuvumelana labanengi,
Thou shalt not associate with the multitude for evil; thou shalt not join thyself with a multitude to turn aside with the majority so as to shut out judgment.
3 njalo ungazweli umuntu ecaleni ngoba engumyanga.
And thou shalt not spare a poor man in judgment.
4 Ungahlangana lenkomo kumbe ubabhemi wesitha sakho elahlekile, mnqande umbuyisele kumnikazi.
And if thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt turn them back and restore them to him.
5 Nxa ufica ubabhemi womuntu okuzondayo ewiswe ngumthwalo, ungamtshiyi, umncedise umvuse.
And if thou see thine enemy's ass fallen under its burden, thou shalt not pass by it, but shalt help to raise it with him.
6 Ahlulela kuhle abayanga bakini emacaleni.
Thou shalt not wrest the sentence of the poor in his judgment.
7 Ungabungeni ubufakazi bamanga, njalo ungabulali muntu ongelacala loba oqotho ngoba kangiyi kumyekela olecala.
Thou shalt abstain from every unjust thing: thou shalt not slay the innocent and just, and thou shalt not justify the wicked for gifts.
8 Lingavumi ukufunjathiswa ngoba ukufunjathiswa kufiphaza ababonayo besebeguqula amazwi omuntu omsulwa.
And thou shalt not receive gifts; for gifts blind the eyes of the seeing, and corrupt just words.
9 Ungancindezeli owezizweni, lina ngokwenu liyakwazi ukuthi kunjani ukuba ngabezizweni, njengoba lalingabezizweni eGibhithe.”
And ye shall not afflict a stranger, for ye know the heart of a stranger; for ye were yourselves strangers in the land of Egypt.
10 “Okweminyaka eyisithupha lizalima amasimu enu livune amabele,
Six years thou shalt sow thy land, and gather in the fruits of it.
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 thou shalt let it rest, and leave it, and the poor of thy nation shall feed; and the wild beasts of the field shall eat that which remains: thus shalt thou do to thy vineyard and to thine oliveyard.
12 Uzakwenza imisebenzi yakho okwensuku eziyisithupha, kodwa ngosuku lwesikhombisa ungasebenzi, ukuze inkabi yakho lobabhemi wakho kuphumule, kuthi isigqili esazalelwa endlini yakho kanye lowezizweni baphumule.
Six days shalt thou do thy works, and on the seventh day there shall be rest, that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and that the son of thy maid-servant and the stranger may be refreshed.
13 Qaphelisisani lenze konke engilitshela khona. Lingamemezi amabizo abanye onkulunkulu; kawangezwakali ephuma ezindebeni zenu.”
Observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and ye shall make no mention of the name of other gods, neither shall they be heard out of your mouth.
14 “Kathathu ngomnyaka kufanele lingithakazelele umkhosi.
Keep ye a feast to me three times in the year.
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.
Take heed to keep the feast of unleavened bread: seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread, as I charged thee at the season of the month of new [corn], for in it thou camest out of Egypt: thou shalt not appear before me empty.
16 Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuVuna lokolibo kwenu ezilimweni zenu zemasimini. Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuButhelela nxa selibutha izilimo zenu emasimini.
And thou shalt keep the feast of the harvest of first-fruits of thy labours, whatsoever thou shalt have sown in thy field, and the feast of completion at the end of the year in the gathering in of thy fruits out of thy field.
17 Kathathu ngomnyaka amadoda wonke kufanele ayebonakala phambi kukaThixo Wobukhosi.
Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God.
18 Linganikeli igazi lomhlatshelo kimi ndawonye laloba yini elemvubelo. Amahwahwa eminikelo yemikhosi yami akumelanga agcinwe kuze kuse.
For when I shall have cast out the nations from before thee, and shall have widened thy borders, thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven, neither must the fat of my feast abide till the morning.
19 Lethani okolibo kwenu okuhle kakhulu endlini kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Lingapheki izinyane lembuzi ngochago lukanina.”
Thou shalt bring the first-offerings of the first-fruits of thy land into the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a lamb in its mother's milk.
20 “Khangelani, sengithumela ingilosi phambi kwenu ukuze ilivikele endleleni yenu njalo ize ilifikise endaweni engililungisele yona.
And, behold, I send my angel before thy face, that he may keep thee in the way, that he may bring thee into the land which I have prepared for thee.
21 Liyinanzelele ingilosi yami njalo lilalele ekutshoyo. Lingayihlamukeli ngoba kayizukulithethelela nxa lingayihlamukela, njengoba iBizo lami likuyo.
Take heed to thyself and hearken to him, and disobey him not; for he will not give way to thee, for my name is on him.
22 Nxa lingalalelisisa ekutshoyo njalo lenze konke engikutshoyo, ngizakuba yisitha sezitha zenu njalo ngizamelana lalabo abamisana lani.
If ye will indeed hear my voice, and if thou wilt do all the things I shall charge thee with, and keep my covenant, ye shall be to me a peculiar people above all nations, for the whole earth is mine; and ye shall be to me a royal priesthood, and a holy nation: these words shall ye speak to the children of Israel, If ye shall indeed hear my voice, and do all the things I shall tell thee, I will be an enemy to thine enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries.
23 Ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwenu ize ilingenise elizweni lama-Amori, lamaHithi, lamaPherizi, lamaKhenani lamaHivi kanye lamaJebusi njalo ngizababhubhisa.
For my angel shall go as thy leader, and shall bring thee to the Amorite, and Chettite, and Pherezite, and Chananite, and Gergesite, and Evite, and Jebusite, and I will destroy them.
24 Lingabakhothameli onkulunkulu babo, lingabakhonzi njalo lingalandeli imikhuba yabo. Kufanele libhidlize onkulunkulu babo njalo lidilize amatshe abo abawakhonzayo.
Thou shalt not worship their gods, nor serve them: thou shalt not do according to their works, but shalt utterly destroy them, and break to pieces their pillars.
25 Mkhonzeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, kuzakuthi isibusiso sakhe sibe phezu kokudla laphezu kwamanzi enu. Ngizasusa imikhuhlane phakathi kwenu,
And thou shalt serve the Lord thy God, and I will bless thy bread and thy wine and thy water, and I will turn away sickness from you.
26 njalo kakho ozaswela loba abe yinyumba ezweni lenu. Ngizaphelelisa insuku zenu.
There shall not be on thy land one that is impotent or barren. I will surely fulfil the number of thy days.
27 Ngizathumela uchuku lwami phambi kwenu njalo ngisanganise zonke izizwe elizahlangana lazo. Ngizakwenza zonke izitha zenu zifulathele zilibalekele.
And I will send terror before thee, and I will strike with amazement all the nations to which thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies to flee.
28 Ngizathumela olonyovu phambi kwenu ukuze basuse amaHivi, amaKhenani kanye lamaHithi endleleni yenu.
And I will send hornets before thee, and thou shalt cast out the Amorites and the Evites, and the Chananites and the Chettites from thee.
29 Kodwa angiyikubasusa ngomnyaka munye, ngoba ilizwe lingasala lingasela muntu besekusithi izinyamazana zeganga zande zilikhulele.
I will not cast them out in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee.
30 Ngizabasusa kancanekancane phambi kwenu, lani lize lande lenelise ukuthatha ilizwe.
By little [and little] I will cast them out from before thee, until thou shalt be increased and inherit the earth.
31 Ngizabeka imingcele kusukela oLwandle oluBomvu kusiya oLwandle lwamaFilistiya, njalo kusuka enkangala kusiya emfuleni uYufrathe. Ngakho abantu abahlala kulelolizwe ngizabanikela ezandleni zenu ukuze libadudule.
And I will set thy borders from the Red Sea, to the sea of the Phylistines, and from the wilderness to the great river Euphrates; and I will give into your hand those that dwell in the land, and will cast them out from thee.
32 Lingenzi isivumelwano labo loba labonkulunkulu babo.
Thou shalt make no covenant with them and their gods.
33 Kabangahlali lani ezweni lenu, funa balenze lingonele, ngoba ukukhonza kwabo onkulunkulu babo kuzakuba yisifu kini.”
And they shall not dwell in thy land, lest they cause thee to sin against me; for if thou shouldest serve their gods, these will be an offence to thee.
