UDutheronomi 21

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

And if one be found slain with the sword in the land, which the Lord thy God gives thee to inherit, having fallen in the field, and they do not know who has smitten [him];

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

thine elders and thy judges shall come forth, and shall measure the distances of the cities round about the slain man:

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

and it shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not laboured, and which has not borne a yoke.

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

And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer into a rough valley, which has not been tilled and is not sown, and they shall slay the heifer in the valley.

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

And the priests the Levites shall come, because the Lord God has chosen them to stand by him, and to bless in his name, and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be [decided].

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

And all the elders of that city who draw nigh to the slain man shall wash their hands over the head of the heifer which was slain in the valley;

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

and they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, 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.

Be merciful to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, that innocent blood may not be charged on thy people Israel: and the blood shall be atoned for to them.

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

And thou shalt take away innocent blood from among you, if thou shouldest do that which is good and pleasing before the Lord thy God.

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

And if when thou goest out to war against thine enemies, the Lord thy God should deliver them into thine hands, and thou shouldest take their spoil,

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

and shouldest see among the spoil a woman beautiful in countenance, and shouldest desire her, and take her to thyself for a wife,

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

and shouldest bring her within thine house: then shalt thou shave her head, and pare her nails;

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

and shalt take away her garments of captivity from off her, and she shall abide in thine house, and shall bewail her father and mother the days of a month; and afterwards thou shalt go in to her and dwell with her, and she shall be thy wife.

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

And it shall be if thou do not delight in her, thou shalt send her out free; and she shall not by any means be sold for money, thou shalt not treat her contemptuously, because thou hast humbled her.

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

And if a man have two wives, the one loved and the other hated, and both the loved and the hated should have born him [children], and the son of the hated should be first-born;

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

then it shall be that whensoever he shall divide by inheritance his goods to his sons, he shall not be able to give the right of the first-born to the son of the loved one, having overlooked the son of the hated, which is the first-born.

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

But he shall acknowledge the first-born of the hated one to give to him double of all things which shall be found by him, because he is the first of his children, and to him belongs the birthright.

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

And if any man has a disobedient and contentious son, who hearkens not to the voice of his father and the voice of his mother, and they should correct him, and he should not hearken to them;

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

then shall his father and his mother take hold of him, and bring him forth to the elders of his city, and to the gate of the place:

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

and they shall say to the men of their city, This our son is disobedient and contentious, he hearkens not to our voice, he is a reveler and a drunkard.

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

And the men of his city shall stone him with stones, and he shall die; and thou shalt remove the evil one from yourselves, and the rest shall hear and fear.

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

And if there be sin in any one, [and] the judgment of death [be upon him], and he be put to death, and ye hang 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.

his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but ye shall by all means bury it in that day; for every one that is hanged on a tree is cursed of God; and ye shall by no means defile the land which the Lord thy God gives thee for an inheritance.