Amanani 35
1 Ngasemagcekeni aseMowabi kusekele umfula uJodani nganeno malungana leJerikho, uThixo wathi kuMosi,
The Lord spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan opposite Jericho. He told him,
2 “Laya abako-Israyeli ukuthi bakhethe elifeni labo amadolobho bawanike abaLevi ukuze bahlale kuwo. Njalo babanike lamadlelo eduze lamadolobho lawo.
“Order the Israelites to provide from their land allocation towns for the Levites to live in and pastures around the towns.
3 Ngalokho bazakuba lamadolobho okuhlala kanye lamadlelo enkomo zabo, imihlambi yezimvu kanye leyezinye izifuyo zabo zonke.
The towns are for them to live in, and the pastures will be for their herds and their flocks—for all their livestock.
4 Amadlelo azingelezele amadolobho elizawanika abaLevi, azakuba zingalo eziyinkulungwane ukuqhela kwawo kusukela emidulini yamadolobho.
The pastures around the towns you give to the Levites are to extend out from the wall a thousand cubits on all sides.
5 Ngempumalanga, ngaphandle kwedolobho, kuzakuba zingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili kube njalo laseningizimu izingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili, entshonalanga izingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili, kufane laseceleni lenyakatho izingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili, idolobho liphakathi laphakathi. Le kuzakuba yindawo yabo yamadlelo emadolobheni.”
Measure two thousand cubits outside the town on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the town in the middle. These areas will be their pastures around the towns.
6 “Phakathi kwamadolobho elizawanika abaLevi, ayisithupha azakuba ngawokuphephela, yikho lapho okuzakuthi umuntu angabulala omunye abalekele khona. Phezu kwalawo, bapheni amanye amadolobho angamatshumi amane lamabili.
Six of the towns you give the Levites are to be sanctuary towns, where a person who kills someone can run for protection. As well as these towns, give the Levites forty-two more.
7 Wonke esehlangene abaLevi bapheni amadolobho angamatshumi amane lasificaminwembili, kuhlanganisa lamadlelo abo.
The total number of towns you are to give the Levites is forty-eight, along with their pastures.
8 Amadolobho eliwanika abaLevi elizweni labako-Israyeli kawabiwe ngokuya ngelifa lesizwana ngasinye: Thathani amadolobho amanengi esizwaneni esilamadolobho amanengi, kodwa lithathe amalutshwana kwesilamalutshwana.”
The towns that you allocate to be given to the Levites from the territory of the Israelites will be more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one. The number will be in proportion to the size of the land allocation of each tribe.”
9 Ngakho uThixo wasesithi kuMosi:
The Lord told Moses,
10 “Khuluma labako-Israyeli njalo ubatshele uthi: ‘Ekuchapheni kwenu uJodani lingena eKhenani,
“Tell the Israelites: ‘When you cross over the Jordan into Canaan,
11 khethani amanye amadolobho abe ngawokuphephela, lapho okuzakuthi nxa umuntu ebulele omunye ngengozi abalekele khona.
choose towns as your sanctuary towns, so a person who kills someone by mistake may run there.
12 Azakuba zindawo zokuphephela ukuzivikela kwabaphindiselayo, ukuze kuthi lowo owetheswa icala lokubulala angafi engakathonisiswa phambi kwebandla.
These towns will be for you places of sanctuary from those seeking revenge, so that the killer will not die until they are tried in court.
13 Amadolobho ayisithupha la elibapha wona azakuba ngamadolobho enu okuphephela.
The towns you choose will be your six sanctuary towns.
14 Bapheni amathathu ngakulelicele lomfula uJodani kuthi amathathu abe ngamadolobho okuphephela eKhenani.
Choose three cities on the other side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge.
15 Amadolobho la ayisithupha azakuba yindawo yokuphephela kwabako-Israyeli, labezizweni kanye labo bonke abantu abahlezi phakathi kwabo, ukuze kuthi loba ngubani obulele omunye ngengozi abalekele khona.
These six cities will be places of sanctuary for the Israelites and for foreigners or settlers among them, so that anyone who kills a person by mistake may run there.
16 Nxa indoda itshaya umuntu ngento eyinsimbi afe, ingumbulali; umbulali kumele abulawe.
But if anyone deliberately hits someone with something made of iron and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
17 Kumbe nxa omunye ephethe ilitshe abesetshaya omunye afe, ungumbulali; umbulali kumele abulawe.
If anyone picks up something made of stone that could be used as a weapon and hits someone with it, and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
18 Njalo nxa omunye ephethe ulutho oluyisigodo abesetshaya omunye afe, ungumbulali; umbulali kumele abulawe.
If anyone picks up something made of wood that could be used as a weapon and hits someone with it, and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
19 Umphindiseli wegazi kumele ambulale umbulali; nxa ehlangana laye, kumele ambulale.
The avenger is to execute the murderer. When he finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
20 Loba ngubani olomona ohlezi eqophile engafuqa omunye loba amjikijele ngolutho oluthile ngabomo kubangele ukufa kwakhe
Similarly, if anyone hates someone and knocks them down or deliberately throws something at them, and they're killed;
21 loba kuthi ngolaka amtshaye ngenqindi afe, lowomuntu kumele abulawe; ungumbulali. Umphindiseli wegazi kumele abulale umbulali nxa ehlangana laye.
or if someone hits another with his hand and they die, the one who hit him must be executed because he is a murderer. When the avenger finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
22 Kodwa nxa kungayisikho ngolaka, umuntu aqabuke esefuqe omunye loba amjikijele ngolutho engaqondile
But if anyone knocks someone else down without meaning to and without hating them, or throws something at them not meaning to hurt them,
23 loba engamboni, amgxobe ngelitshe elingambulala, afe, ngakho njengoba engasisositha sakhe njalo engaqondanga ukumlimaza,
or carelessly drops a heavy stone that kills them, but not as an enemy or intending to harm them,
24 ibandla kumele lahlulele phakathi kwakhe lomphindiseli wegazi kulandelwa lezi zimiso.
then the community must judge between the killer and the avenger following these regulations.
25 Ibandla kumele livikele owetheswa icala lokubulala kumphindiseli wegazi njalo abuyiselwe edolobheni lokuphephela azabe ebalekele kulo. Kumele ahlale khonale kuze kufe umphristi omkhulu, owagcotshwa ngamafutha angcwele.
The court is to protect the killer from being attacked by the avenger and must return him to the sanctuary town that he ran to, and he must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with holy oil.
26 Kodwa lowo owetheswa icala angaba ngaphandle kwedolobho lokuphephela lelo ayabe ebalekele kulo
But if the killer ever leaves the limits of sanctuary town where they ran to,
27 kuthi umphindiseli wegazi amfumane ngaphandle kwalelodolobho, umphindiseli wegazi angambulala lowo owetheswe icala kodwa angabi lacala lokubulala.
and the avenger finds him them outside his sanctuary town and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of murder,
28 Owetheswe icala kumele ahlale edolobheni lakhe lokuphephela kuze kufe umphristi omkhulu; uzaze abuyele emzini wakhe kuphela nxa umphristi omkhulu esefile.
because the killer has to stay in his sanctuary town until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest are they allowed to return to the land they own.
29 Le kumele kube yimithetho yesimiso kini lakuzizukulwane ezizayo, loba kungaphi lapho elizahlala khona.
These regulations apply to all future generations wherever you live.
30 Loba ngubani obulala umuntu kumele abulawe njengombulali ngobufakazi balabo abayabe bebonile kuphela. Kodwa akungabikho loyedwa ozabulawa ngobufakazi bofakazi oyedwa.
If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be executed based on the evidence given by witnesses, plural. No one is to be executed based on the evidence given by a single witness.
31 Lingemukeli inhlawulo yokuhlenga impilo yombulali, yena kumele afe, loba kutheni kabulawe.
You are not to accept payment instead of executing a murderer who has been found guilty—they must be executed.
32 Lingemukeli inhlawulo yokuhlenga loba ngubani obalekele edolobheni lokuphephela libe selimvumela ukuba abuyele ukuyahlala emzini wakhe umphristi omkhulu engakafi.
Also you are not allowed to accept payment for a person who runs to a sanctuary town and permit them to return and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.
33 Lingalingcolisi ilizwe lelo elihlala kulo. Ukuchitha igazi kungcolisa ilizwe, njalo indlela yokubuyisana ingeke yenzelwe lapho okuchithwe khona igazi, ngaphandle kwegazi lalowo olichithileyo.
Don't pollute the land where you live because bloodshed pollutes the land, and the land where blood is shed can't be purified except by the blood of the one who shed it.
34 Lingalingcolisi ilizwe elihlezi kilo kanye lalapho engihlala khona, ngoba Mina, Thixo, ngihlala phakathi kwabako-Israyeli.’”
Don't make the land impure where you live because I live there too. I am the Lord, and I live with the Israelites.”
