UDutheronomi 21

1 Uba kutholakala obuleweyo elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukudla ilifa lalo, elele egangeni, kungaziwa ukuthi ngubani omtshayileyo,

If, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you come across the dead body of a man in the open country, and you have no idea who has put him to death:

2 abadala bakho labahluleli bakho bazaphuma, balinganise ukuya emizini ezingelezele obuleweyo.

Then your responsible men and your judges are to come out, and give orders for the distance from the dead body to the towns round about it to be measured;

3 Kuzakuthi-ke umuzi oseduze lobuleweyo, abadala balowomuzi bazathatha ithokazi enkomeni, okungasetshenzwanga ngalo, elingadonsanga ejogweni.

And whichever town is nearest to the body, the responsible men of that town are to take from the herd a young cow which has never been used for work or put under the yoke;

4 Labadala balowomuzi balehlisele ithokazi esigodini esilamanzi angacitshiyo, esingalinywanga lesingahlanyelwanga, bephule intamo yethokazi lapho esigodini.

And they are to take the cow into a valley where there is flowing water, and which is not ploughed or planted, and there the neck of the cow is to be broken:

5 Abapristi, amadodana kaLevi, bazasondela-ke; ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ibakhethile ukuyikhonza lokubusisa ebizweni leNkosi, langomlomo wabo kuzaqunywa konke ukuxabana lakho konke ukutshaya.

Then the priests, the sons of Levi, are to come near; for they have been marked out by the Lord your God to be his servants and to give blessings in the name of the Lord; and by their decision every argument and every blow is to be judged:

6 Labo bonke abadala balowomuzi oseduze lobuleweyo bazagezela izandla zabo phezu kwethokazi elephulwe intamo esigodini,

And all the responsible men of that town which is nearest to the dead man, washing their hands over the cow whose neck was broken in the valley,

7 baphendule bathi: Izandla zethu kazichithanga leligazi, lamehlo ethu kawakubonanga.

Will say, This death is not the work of our hands and our eyes have not seen it.

8 Benzele inhlawulo yokuthula abantu bakho uIsrayeli owamhlengayo, Nkosi, ungabeki igazi elingelacala phakathi kwesizwe sakho uIsrayeli. Legazi bazalithethelelwa.

Have mercy, O Lord, on your people Israel whom you have made free, and take away from your people the crime of a death without cause. Then they will no longer be responsible for the man's death.

9 Ngalokhu wena uzakhupha igazi elingelacala phakathi kwakho nxa usenza okulungileyo emehlweni eNkosi.

So you will take away the crime of a death without cause from among you, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

10 Lapho uphuma impi ukumelana lezitha zakho, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho isizinikele esandleni sakho, usuthumbe abathunjwa bazo,

When you go out to war against other nations, and the Lord your God gives them up into your hands and you take them as prisoners;

11 ubusubona phakathi kwabathunjiweyo owesifazana omuhle, umfise, ukuthi ungamthatha abe ngumkakho,

If among the prisoners you see a beautiful woman and it is your desire to make her your wife;

12 uzamngenisa phakathi komuzi wakho, njalo aphuce ikhanda lakhe, aqume inzipho zakhe,

Then take her back to your house; and let her hair and her nails be cut;

13 akhulule izembatho zokuthunjwa kwakhe, ahlale emzini wakho abeselilela uyise lonina inyanga yonke. Emva kwalokho ubusungena kuye, ube yindoda yakhe, laye abe ngumkakho.

And let her take off the dress in which she was made prisoner and go on living in your house and weeping for her father and mother for a full month: and after that you may go in to her and be her husband and she will be your wife.

14 Kuzakuthi-ke, uba ungathokozi ngaye, uzamyekela ahambe njengokuthanda kwakhe; kodwa ungamthengisi lokumthengisa ngemali, ungamphathi njengesigqili, ngoba usumthobisile.

But if you have no delight in her, you are to let her go wherever she will; you may not take a price for her as if she was your property, for you have made use of her for your pleasure.

15 Uba indoda ilabafazi ababili, omunye eyintandokazi lomunye eyisaliwakazi, njalo bamzalele abantwana, intandokazi lesaliwakazi, uba izibulo libe yindodana yesaliwakazi,

If a man has two wives, one greatly loved and the other hated, and the two of them have had children by him; and if the first son is the child of the hated wife:

16 kuzakuthi, mhla esenza amadodana akhe ukuthi adle ilifa lalokho alakho, kangayenzi indodana yentandokazi ibe lizibulo phambi kwendodana yesaliwakazi, elizibulo.

Then when he gives his property to his sons for their heritage, he is not to put the son of his loved one in the place of the first son, the son of the hated wife:

17 Kodwa izibulo indodana yesaliwakazi uzalivuma ngokulinika isabelo esiphindwe kabili sakho konke okuficwayo kuye, ngoba liyikuqala kwamandla akhe; ilungelo lobuzibulo ngelalo.

But he is to give his first son his birthright, and twice as great a part of his property: for he is the first-fruits of his strength and the right of the first son is his.

18 Uba indoda ilendodana elenkani lengezwayo, engalaleli ilizwi likayise kumbe ilizwi likanina, sebeyijezisile, njalo ingabalaleli,

If a man has a son who is hard-hearted and uncontrolled, who gives no attention to the voice of his father and mother, and will not be ruled by them, though they give him punishment:

19 khona uyise lonina bazayibamba, bayikhuphele ebadaleni bomuzi wayo, lesangweni lendawo yayo,

Then let his father and mother take him to the responsible men of the town, to the public place;

20 bathi ebadaleni bomuzi wayo: Lindodana yethu ilenkani, kayizwa, kayilaleli ilizwi lethu; iyisiminzi lesidakwa.

And say to them, This son of ours is hard-hearted and uncontrolled, he will not give attention to us; he gives himself up to pleasure and strong drink.

21 Khona wonke amadoda omuzi wayo azayikhanda ngamatshe ize ife; ngalokho uzakhupha ububi phakathi kwakho; njalo uIsrayeli wonke uzakuzwa, esabe.

Then he is to be stoned to death by all the men of the town: so you are to put away the evil from among you; and all Israel, hearing of it, will be full of fear.

22 Njalo uba kuzakuba lesono emuntwini esifanele ukufa, abulawe, uzamphanyeka esihlahleni.

If a man does a crime for which the punishment is death, and he is put to death by hanging him on a tree;

23 Isidumbu sakhe singahlali esihlahleni ubusuku bonke, kodwa lizamngcwaba lokumngcwaba ngalolosuku (ngoba ophanyekiweyo uqalekisiwe nguNkulunkulu), ukuze lingangcoliswa ilizwe lakho, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukuba yilifa.

Do not let his body be on the tree all night, but put it to rest in the earth the same day; for the man who undergoes hanging is cursed by God; so do not make unclean the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage.