UDutheronomi 14
1 Lingabantwana beNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu. Kaliyikuzisika, lingenzi impabanga phakathi laphakathi kwamehlo enu ngenxa yabafileyo.
“We are people who belong to Yahweh our God. So, when people die, do not show that you are grieving by gashing/cutting yourselves or by shaving the hair on your foreheads [like the other people-groups do].
2 Ngoba uyisizwe esingcwele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho; leNkosi ikukhethile ukuthi ube yisizwe esikhethekileyo kuyo, ngaphezu kwezizwe zonke ezisebusweni bomhlaba.
We belong to Yahweh alone. Yahweh chose us from all the other people-groups on the earth to be his special people.
3 Ungadli loba yikuphi okunengekayo.
“Do not eat anything that [Yahweh] detests.
4 Yilezi inyamazana elingazidla: Inkabi, imvu, lembuzi,
The animals [whose meat] you are permitted to eat are cattle, sheep, goats,
5 indluzele, lomziki, lomziki olempondo ezilembaxambaxa, lembuzi yeganga, lomtshwayeli, lenkabi yeganga, legogo,
deer, gazelles, wild goats, antelopes, and mountain sheep.
6 layo yonke inyamazana edabula isondo, edabula okudabukileyo kube zinklagu ezimbili, eyetshisayo phakathi kwezinyamazana; leyo lingayidla.
Those are animals that have split hoofs and that also (chew their cuds/regurgitate their food [from their stomachs] to chew it again).
7 Kodwa lezi kaliyikuzidla kuzo ezetshisayo, lakuzo ezidabula isondo elidabukileyo: Ikamela lomvundla lembila, ngoba ziyetshisa kodwa kazidabulanga isondo; zingcolile kini.
But there are other animals that chew their cuds that you must not eat. Those are camels, rabbits, and rock badgers. They chew their cuds, but their hooves are not split. So they are not acceptable for you to eat.
8 Lengulube, ngoba idabula isondo kodwa kayetshisi; ingcolile kini. Lingadli okwenyama yazo, lingathinti izidumbu zazo.
Do not eat pigs. They are unacceptable for you to eat; their hooves are split, but they do not chew cud. Do not eat the meat of those animals; do not even touch their dead bodies.
9 Lezi lingazidla kuzo zonke ezisemanzini: Zonke ezilempiko lamaxolo lingazidla.
You are permitted to eat any fish that has scales and fins.
10 Kodwa loba yikuphi okungelampiko lamaxolo lingakudli; kungcolile kini.
But anything else [that lives in the water] that does not have scales and fins, you must not eat, because [if you eat them], you will become unacceptable [to Yahweh].
11 Zonke inyoni ezihlambulukileyo lingazidla.
“You are permitted to eat the flesh of any bird that is acceptable [to Yahweh].
12 Kodwa yilezi elingayikudla kuzo: Ukhozi lelinqe lengqungqulu edla inhlanzi,
But eagles, vultures, black vultures,
13 lomzwazwa, lohelwane, lelinqe ngohlobo lwalo,
buzzards, all kinds of kites,
14 lalo lonke iwabayi ngohlobo lwalo,
all kinds of crows,
15 lesikhova, lomandukulo, lenkanku, lokhozi ngohlobo lwalo,
ostriches, seagulls,
16 isikhova esincinyane, lesikhova esikhulu, lesikhova esimhlophe,
owls, hawks, falcons,
17 lewunkwe, lelinqe elikhulu, letshayamanzi,
pelicans, vultures that eat dead animals, cormorants,
18 lengabuzane, lehemu ngohlobo lwalo, lemvenduna, lolulwane.
storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats, you must not eat.
19 Lazo zonke izibungu ezilempiko zingcolile kini; kazingadliwa.
“All insects with wings [and which walk on the ground] are unacceptable [to Yahweh]; do not eat them.
20 Zonke izinyoni ezihlambulukileyo lingazidla.
But other insects with wings [and which hop along the ground] are acceptable to eat.
21 Lingabokudla langcuba; ungayinika owemzini ophakathi kwamasango akho ukuthi ayidle, loba uyithengise kowezizwe; ngoba uyisizwe esingcwele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho. Ungapheki izinyane lembuzi ngochago lukanina.
“Do not eat any animal that has died naturally, [because its blood has not been drained out]. You may allow foreigners who live among you to eat those things or you may sell them to other foreigners. But you belong to Yahweh our God; [and those who belong to him are not permitted to eat the meat of animals whose blood has not been drained out]. “You must not cook a young sheep or goat in its mother’s milk.”
22 Uzanikela ngoqotho okwetshumi kwesithelo sonke senhlanyelo yakho, insimu ekuthelayo iminyaka ngeminyaka.
“Once each year you must set apart (a tithe/10 percent) of all the crops that are produced/harvested in your fields.
23 Njalo uzakudla phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, endaweni ezayikhetha ukuthi ibeke ibizo layo khona, okwetshumi kwamabele akho, okwewayini lakho elitsha, lokwamafutha akho, lamazibulo enkomo zakho lawezimvu zakho, ukuze ufunde ukuyesaba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho insuku zonke.
Take those things to the place that Yahweh our God will choose [for you to worship him]. There eat the tithes of your grain, your wine, your [olive] oil, and the meat of the firstborn male animals of your cattle and your sheep. Do this in order that you may learn to always revere Yahweh, [the one who has blessed you by giving you these things].
24 Uba-ke indlela inde kakhulu kuwe, uze wehluleke ukukuthwala, ngoba ikhatshana kakhulu lawe indawo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ezayikhetha ukuthi ibeke ibizo layo khona, lapho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ikubusisile,
If the place that Yahweh has chosen [for you to worship him] is very far from your home, with the result that you are not able to take there the tithes [of your crops] with which Yahweh has blessed you, do this:
25 uzakuguqula-ke kube yimali, ubophele imali esandleni sakho, uye endaweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ezayikhetha,
Sell [IDM] the tithes of your crops, wrap the money carefully [in a cloth], and take it with you to the place of worship that Yahweh has chosen.
26 uthenge ngaleyomali loba kuyini umphefumulo wakho okufisayo, izinkabi loba izimvu loba iwayini loba okunathwayo okulamandla, loba kuyini umphefumulo wakho okufisayo; udle khona phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, uthabe wena lendlu yakho.
There, [with that money], you may buy whatever you want to—beef or lamb or wine or fermented drinks. And there, in the presence of Yahweh, you and your families should eat [and drink] those things and be happy.
27 LomLevi ophakathi kwamasango akho, ungamdeli, ngoba kalasabelo lelifa kanye lawe.
But be sure to not neglect/forget [to help] the descendants of Levi who live in your towns, because they will not own any land.
28 Ekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu uzakhupha konke okwetshumi kwezithelo zakho ngalowomnyaka, ukugcine phakathi kwamasango akho.
“At the end of every three years, bring a tithe of all your crops that have been produced/harvested in that year and store it in your towns.
29 LomLevi, lokhu engelasabelo lelifa kanye lawe, lowemzini, lentandane, lomfelokazi, abaphakathi kwamasango akho, bazakuza, badle, basuthe, ukuze iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ikubusise emsebenzini wonke wesandla sakho owenzayo.
That food is for the descendants of Levi, because they do not have their own land, and for foreigners [who live among you], and for orphans and widows who live in your towns. They are permitted to come [to where the food is stored] and take what they need. Do that in order that Yahweh our God will bless you in everything that you do.”
