U-Eksodusi 23
1 “Ungahambi ukhuluma izindaba zamanga. Ungahlanganyeli lomuntu omubi ngoba ngufakazi olomona.
Thou shalt not take up a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
2 Ungenzi okubi ulandela inengi labantu. Nxa ufakaza emthethwandaba, ungaphenduleli iqiniso ngokuvumelana labanengi,
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest [judgment]:
3 njalo ungazweli umuntu ecaleni ngoba engumyanga.
neither shalt thou favour a poor man in his cause.
4 Ungahlangana lenkomo kumbe ubabhemi wesitha sakho elahlekile, mnqande umbuyisele kumnikazi.
If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
5 Nxa ufica ubabhemi womuntu okuzondayo ewiswe ngumthwalo, ungamtshiyi, umncedise umvuse.
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
6 Ahlulela kuhle abayanga bakini emacaleni.
Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
7 Ungabungeni ubufakazi bamanga, njalo ungabulali muntu ongelacala loba oqotho ngoba kangiyi kumyekela olecala.
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
8 Lingavumi ukufunjathiswa ngoba ukufunjathiswa kufiphaza ababonayo besebeguqula amazwi omuntu omsulwa.
And thou shalt take no gift: for a gift blindeth them that have sight, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
9 Ungancindezeli owezizweni, lina ngokwenu liyakwazi ukuthi kunjani ukuba ngabezizweni, njengoba lalingabezizweni eGibhithe.”
And a stranger shalt thou not oppress: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
10 “Okweminyaka eyisithupha lizalima amasimu enu livune amabele,
And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the increase thereof:
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 the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie fallow; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beast of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, [and] with thy 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 thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may have rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
13 Qaphelisisani lenze konke engilitshela khona. Lingamemezi amabizo abanye onkulunkulu; kawangezwakali ephuma ezindebeni zenu.”
And in all things that I have said unto you take ye heed: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
14 “Kathathu ngomnyaka kufanele lingithakazelele umkhosi.
Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me 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.
The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep: seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month Abib (for in it thou camest out from Egypt); and none shall appear before me empty:
16 Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuVuna lokolibo kwenu ezilimweni zenu zemasimini. Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuButhelela nxa selibutha izilimo zenu emasimini.
and the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou sowest in the field: and the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year, when thou gatherest in thy labours out of the field.
17 Kathathu ngomnyaka amadoda wonke kufanele ayebonakala phambi kukaThixo Wobukhosi.
Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
18 Linganikeli igazi lomhlatshelo kimi ndawonye laloba yini elemvubelo. Amahwahwa eminikelo yemikhosi yami akumelanga agcinwe kuze kuse.
Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my feast remain all night until the morning.
19 Lethani okolibo kwenu okuhle kakhulu endlini kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Lingapheki izinyane lembuzi ngochago lukanina.”
The first of the firstfruits of thy ground thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk.
20 “Khangelani, sengithumela ingilosi phambi kwenu ukuze ilivikele endleleni yenu njalo ize ilifikise endaweni engililungisele yona.
Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
21 Liyinanzelele ingilosi yami njalo lilalele ekutshoyo. Lingayihlamukeli ngoba kayizukulithethelela nxa lingayihlamukela, njengoba iBizo lami likuyo.
Take ye heed of him, and hearken unto his voice; provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgression; for my name is in him.
22 Nxa lingalalelisisa ekutshoyo njalo lenze konke engikutshoyo, ngizakuba yisitha sezitha zenu njalo ngizamelana lalabo abamisana lani.
But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
23 Ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwenu ize ilingenise elizweni lama-Amori, lamaHithi, lamaPherizi, lamaKhenani lamaHivi kanye lamaJebusi njalo ngizababhubhisa.
For mine angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: and I will cut them off.
24 Lingabakhothameli onkulunkulu babo, lingabakhonzi njalo lingalandeli imikhuba yabo. Kufanele libhidlize onkulunkulu babo njalo lidilize amatshe abo abawakhonzayo.
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and break in pieces their pillars.
25 Mkhonzeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, kuzakuthi isibusiso sakhe sibe phezu kokudla laphezu kwamanzi enu. Ngizasusa imikhuhlane phakathi kwenu,
And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
26 njalo kakho ozaswela loba abe yinyumba ezweni lenu. Ngizaphelelisa insuku zenu.
There shall none cast her young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill.
27 Ngizathumela uchuku lwami phambi kwenu njalo ngisanganise zonke izizwe elizahlangana lazo. Ngizakwenza zonke izitha zenu zifulathele zilibalekele.
I will send my terror before thee, and will discomfit all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
28 Ngizathumela olonyovu phambi kwenu ukuze basuse amaHivi, amaKhenani kanye lamaHithi endleleni yenu.
And I will send the hornet before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
29 Kodwa angiyikubasusa ngomnyaka munye, ngoba ilizwe lingasala lingasela muntu besekusithi izinyamazana zeganga zande zilikhulele.
I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
30 Ngizabasusa kancanekancane phambi kwenu, lani lize lande lenelise ukuthatha ilizwe.
By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit 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.
And I will set thy border from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness unto the River: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
32 Lingenzi isivumelwano labo loba labonkulunkulu babo.
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
33 Kabangahlali lani ezweni lenu, funa balenze lingonele, ngoba ukukhonza kwabo onkulunkulu babo kuzakuba yisifu kini.”
They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.
