< UDutheronomi 19 >

1 Lapho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho isiqumile izizwe, olizwe lazo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunike lona, osusidla ilifa lazo, osuhlala emizini yazo lezindlini zazo,
When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,
2 imizi emithathu uzazehlukanisela yona phakathi kwelizwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukudla ilifa lalo.
then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
3 Uzazilungisela indlela, wehlukanise umngcele welizwe lakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukudla ilifa lalo, ube lezigaba ezintathu, ukuze wonke umbulali abalekele khona.
You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.
4 Lalolu ludaba lombulali ongabalekela khona ukuze aphile: Lowo otshaya umakhelwane wakhe kungeyisikho ngabomo, obengamzondi mandulo,
Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:
5 njengongena egangeni lomakhelwane wakhe ukuyagamula izihlahla, lesandla sakhe sitshaya ngehloka ukugamula isihlahla, lensimbi ikhumuke emphinini, imtshaye umakhelwane wakhe aze afe, yena uzabalekela komunye waleyomizi ukuze aphile.
If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.
6 Hlezi umphindiseli wegazi axotshane lombulali, inhliziyo yakhe isatshisa, amfice ngoba indlela inde, amtshaye ambulale, lanxa bekungelasigwebo sokufa kuye, ngoba ebengamzondi mandulo.
Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.
7 Ngalokhu ngiyalilaya ngisithi: Uzazehlukanisela imizi emithathu.
This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.
8 Uba-ke iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iqhelisa umngcele wakho, njengokufunga kwayo kuboyihlo, ikunika ilizwe lonke eyakhuluma ngalo ukubanika oyihlo,
And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,
9 uba ugcina yonke limithetho ukuyenza engikulaya yona lamuhla, ukuthanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, lokuhamba endleleni zayo izinsuku zonke, khona uzazengezelelela eminye imizi emithathu ngaphandle kwaleyo emithathu.
and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.
10 Ukuze kungachithwa igazi elingelacala phakathi kwelizwe lakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukuba yilifa, ube lecala legazi phezu kwakho.
Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
11 Kodwa uba umuntu elenzondo kumakhelwane wakhe, amcathamele, amvukele, amtshaye okokufa aze afe, abalekele komunye walimizi,
If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
12 khona abadala bomuzi wakhe bazathumela bamthathe lapho, bamnikele esandleni somphindiseli wegazi ukuthi afe.
the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.
13 Ilihlo lakho lingamhawukeli, kodwa uzakhupha igazi elingelacala koIsrayeli, ukuze kukulungele.
You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.
14 Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane somngcele womakhelwane wakho abendulo abasibethelayo elifeni lakho, ozakudla ilifa lalo elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukudla ilifa lalo.
You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
15 Umfakazi oyedwa kayikusukumela umuntu loba ngabuphi ububi loba ngasiphi isono, loba kusiphi isono one ngaso. Ngomlomo wabafakazi ababili kumbe ngomlomo wabafakazi abathathu udaba lungaqiniswa.
A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
16 Uba kusukuma umfakazi wamanga amelane lomuntu emfakazela ngokubi,
If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,
17 khona abantu bobabili, abalokuxabana, bazakuma phambi kweNkosi, phambi kwabapristi labahluleli abazakuba bekhona ngalezonsuku.
both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
18 Labahluleli bazachwayisisa; khangela-ke umfakazi ngumfakazi wamanga, ufakaze amanga ngomfowabo,
The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,
19 khona lizakwenza kuye lokho abehlose ukukwenza kumfowabo; ngalokhu uzakhupha ububi phakathi kwakho.
you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.
20 Lalabo abaseleyo bazakuzwa, besabe, kusukela lapho bangabe besenza ububi obunjengalobu phakathi kwakho.
Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.
21 Lelihlo lakho lingabi lesihawu; impilo ngempilo, ilihlo ngelihlo, izinyo ngezinyo, isandla ngesandla, unyawo ngonyawo.
You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

< UDutheronomi 19 >