UDutheronomi 19
1 Lapho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho isiqumile izizwe, olizwe lazo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunike lona, osusidla ilifa lazo, osuhlala emizini yazo lezindlini zazo,
After the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he's giving you, and after 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 choose three sanctuary towns in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
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 build roads to these towns. Divide the country the Lord is giving you into three sections. This way anyone who kills someone else can easily run to these towns for protection.
4 Lalolu ludaba lombulali ongabalekela khona ukuze aphile: Lowo otshaya umakhelwane wakhe kungeyisikho ngabomo, obengamzondi mandulo,
This is what is to happen when a person accidentally kills someone else without meaning to, and runs to one of these sanctuary towns to save their life.
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.
For example, if a man goes to cut wood in the forest with his friend and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the head flies off the handle and hits and kills his friend, he may run to one of these towns 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 in his anger might chase after the man and catch up with him and kill him, if it's a long distance. The man would be killed even though he didn't deserve to die, because he hadn't meant to cause any harm.
7 Ngalokhu ngiyalilaya ngisithi: Uzazehlukanisela imizi emithathu.
This is the reason why I'm giving this order to choose three sanctuary towns.
8 Uba-ke iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iqhelisa umngcele wakho, njengokufunga kwayo kuboyihlo, ikunika ilizwe lonke eyakhuluma ngalo ukubanika oyihlo,
Should the Lord your God expand your territory, as he promised your forefathers, and give you all the land he said he would,
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 are careful to keep all these commandments I'm giving you today, loving the Lord your God and always following his ways, then you are to choose three additional three sanctuary towns.
10 Ukuze kungachithwa igazi elingelacala phakathi kwelizwe lakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukuba yilifa, ube lecala legazi phezu kwakho.
In this way the blood of innocent people won't not be shed in the country the Lord your God is giving you to own and you won't be responsible for the death of innocent people who aren't guilty of losing their lives.
11 Kodwa uba umuntu elenzondo kumakhelwane wakhe, amcathamele, amvukele, amtshaye okokufa aze afe, abalekele komunye walimizi,
On the other hand, if a man hates someone, hides in wait, and attacks and kills them, and then the killer runs to one of the sanctuary towns,
12 khona abadala bomuzi wakhe bazathumela bamthathe lapho, bamnikele esandleni somphindiseli wegazi ukuthi afe.
the elders of his home town must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger to be killed.
13 Ilihlo lakho lingamhawukeli, kodwa uzakhupha igazi elingelacala koIsrayeli, ukuze kukulungele.
Show him no mercy. You are to eliminate from Israel the guilt of shedding the blood of the innocent, and then all will be well.
14 Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane somngcele womakhelwane wakho abendulo abasibethelayo elifeni lakho, ozakudla ilifa lalo elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukudla ilifa lalo.
Don't move your neighbor's boundary marker. It was placed there by your ancestors to mark the land allotment you will receive in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
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.
The evidence given by a single witness is not enough to prove a sin or a crime against someone, never mind what offense they are alleged to have committed. The facts must be confirmed by the evidence given by two or three witnesses.
16 Uba kusukuma umfakazi wamanga amelane lomuntu emfakazela ngokubi,
If someone falsely accuses another person of a crime,
17 khona abantu bobabili, abalokuxabana, bazakuma phambi kweNkosi, phambi kwabapristi labahluleli abazakuba bekhona ngalezonsuku.
both those involved must come to be judged in the presence of the Lord by the priests and judges who are then in office.
18 Labahluleli bazachwayisisa; khangela-ke umfakazi ngumfakazi wamanga, ufakaze amanga ngomfowabo,
The judges shall conduct a full investigation, and if the accuser proves to be a liar who has made false accusations
19 khona lizakwenza kuye lokho abehlose ukukwenza kumfowabo; ngalokhu uzakhupha ububi phakathi kwakho.
then you must punish the accuser in the same way they wanted to punish their victim. You must eliminate this 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. Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid, and won't ever do anything so evil.
21 Lelihlo lakho lingabi lesihawu; impilo ngempilo, ilihlo ngelihlo, izinyo ngezinyo, isandla ngesandla, unyawo ngonyawo.
Don't show any mercy. The rule is life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.
