UDutheronomi 17

1 Ungahlabeli iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho inkabi kumbe imvu okukuyo isici, loba yiyiphi into embi, ngoba kuyisinengiso eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho.

“You shall not immolate to the Lord your God a sheep or an ox, in which there is a blemish or any defect at all; for this is an abomination to the Lord your God.

2 Uba kutholakala phakathi kwakho, loba phakathi kwaliphi lamasango akho, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika wona, owesilisa loba owesifazana owenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ngokweqa isivumelwano sayo,

When there will have been found among you, within one of your gates which the Lord your God will give to you, a man or a woman who is doing evil in the sight of the Lord your God, and who is transgressing his covenant,

3 abesesiyakhonza abanye onkulunkulu, abakhothamele, loba ilanga kumbe inyanga, kumbe enye yebutho lamazulu, engingakulayanga,

so as to go and serve foreign gods and adore them, such as the sun and the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not instructed,

4 ube usukubikelwa, ukuzwe, uzakubuzisisa, khangela-ke, kuliqiniso, indaba iqinisekile, lesosinengiso senziwe koIsrayeli,

and when this will have been reported to you, and, upon hearing it, if you have inquired diligently and have found it to be true, that the abomination is being done in Israel:

5 uzayikhupha leyondoda kumbe lowo owesifazana, abenze leyonto embi, emasangweni akho, leyondoda kumbe lowo owesifazana, ubakhande ngamatshe baze bafe.

you shall lead forward the man or the woman who has perpetrated this most wicked thing to the gates of your city, and they shall be stoned to death.

6 Ngomlomo wabafakazi ababili loba wabafakazi abathathu ofanele ukufa uzabulawa; kayikubulawa ngomlomo womfakazi oyedwa.

By the mouth of two or three witnesses, he who is to be put to death shall perish. Let no one be killed with only one person speaking testimony against him.

7 Isandla sabafakazi sizakuba ngesokuqala phezu kwakhe ukumbulala, lemva kwalokho isandla sabo bonke abantu. Ngalokhu uzakhupha ububi phakathi kwakho.

First, the hands of the witnesses shall be upon him who will be put to death, and lastly, the hands of the remainder of the people shall be sent forth. So may you take away the evil from your midst.

8 Uba kulodaba olulukhuni kakhulu kuwe ekwahluleleni, phakathi kwegazi legazi, phakathi kwesahlulelo lesahlulelo, laphakathi kokutshaya lokutshaya, indaba zokuphikisana emasangweni akho, khona uzasukuma uye endaweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ezayikhetha,

If you have perceived that there is among you a difficult and doubtful matter of judgment, between blood and blood, cause and cause, leprosy and leprosy, and if you will have seen that the words of the judges within your gates vary: rise up and ascend to the place which the Lord your God will choose.

9 uze kubapristi abangamaLevi lakumahluleli ozakuba ekhona ngalezonsuku, uzabuza; babesebekutshela isinqumo sesahlulelo.

And you shall approach the priests of the Levitical stock, and the judge, who shall be among them at that time, and you shall inquire of them, and they will reveal to you the truth of the judgment.

10 Njalo uzakwenza njengokwesinqumo abazakutshela sona kuleyondawo iNkosi ezayikhetha; njalo unanzelele ukwenza njengakho konke abazakufundisa khona.

And you shall accept whatever they will say, those who preside in the place which the Lord will choose, and whatever they will teach you,

11 Njengokomthetho abazakufundisa wona, lanjengokwesahlulelo abazakutshela sona, uzakwenza. Kawuyikuphambuka kusinqumo abazakutshela sona, uye ngakwesokunene kumbe ngakwesokhohlo.

in accord with his law, and you shall follow their sentence. Neither shall you turn aside to the right or to the left.

12 Lendoda eyenza ngokuziqhenya ukuze ingalaleli umpristi omi ukukhonza khona iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, kumbe umahluleli, leyondoda izakufa. Ngalokhu uzakhupha ububi koIsrayeli.

But whoever will be arrogant, unwilling to obey the order of the priest who ministers at that time to the Lord your God, and the decree of the judge, that man shall die. And so shall you take away the evil from Israel.

13 Njalo bonke abantu bazakuzwa, besabe, bangaphindi ukuziqhenya.

And when the people hear about this, they shall be afraid, so that no one, from that time on, will swell with pride.

14 Lapho usufikile elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukuthi udle ilifa lalo, uhlale kilo, ubususithi: Ngizazimisela inkosi njengazo zonke izizwe ezingizingelezeleyo;

When you will have entered into the land which the Lord your God will give to you, and you possess it, and you live in it, and you say, ‘I will appoint a king over me, just as all the surrounding nations have done,’

15 umbeke lokumbeka abe yinkosi phezu kwakho, yena iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ezamkhetha. Evela phakathi kwabafowenu umbeke abe yinkosi phezu kwakho; kawulakumbeka owezizweni phezu kwakho ongesumfowenu.

you shall appoint him whom the Lord your God will choose from among the number of your brothers. You cannot make a man of another people king, one who is not your brother.

16 Kodwa angazandiseli amabhiza, njalo angababuyiseli abantu eGibhithe ukuze andise amabhiza, ngoba iNkosi ithe kini: Kalisayikubuyela futhi ngaleyondlela.

And when he will have been appointed king, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor lead the people back into Egypt, having been exalted by the number of his horsemen, especially since the Lord has instructed you never to return along the same way.

17 Futhi angazandiseli abafazi, ukuze inhliziyo yakhe ingaphambuki; njalo angazandiseli kakhulu isiliva legolide.

He shall not have many wives, who might allure his mind, and he shall not have immense weights of silver and gold.

18 Kuzakuthi esehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wakhe, uzazibhalela impinda yalumlayo egwalweni, okuvela kulokho okuphambi kwabapristi abangamaLevi.

Then, after he has been seated upon the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself the Deuteronomy of this law in a volume, using a copy from the priests of the Levitical tribe.

19 Njalo luzakuba laye, njalo abale kulo insuku zonke zempilo yakhe, ukuze afunde ukuyesaba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe, agcine wonke amazwi alumlayo lezimiso lezi, akwenze,

And he shall have it with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep his words and ceremonies, which are instructed in the law.

20 ukuze inhliziyo yakhe ingaziphakamisi phezu kwabafowabo, lokuze angaphambuki emthethweni aye ngakwesokunene loba ngakwesokhohlo, ukuze elule izinsuku embusweni wakhe, yena labantwana bakhe, phakathi kukaIsrayeli.

And so may his heart not become exalted with arrogance over his brothers, nor turn aside to the right or to the left, so that he and his sons may reign for a long time over Israel.”