UDutheronomi 21

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

“When one is found slain, fallen in a field on the ground which your God YHWH is giving to you to possess it, [and] it is not known who has struck him,

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

then your elderly and yours [of those] judging have gone out and measured to the cities which [are] around the slain one,

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

and it has been, the city which [is] near to the slain one, even [the] elderly of that city have taken a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked with, which has not drawn in a yoke,

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

and [the] elderly of that city have brought down the heifer to a hard valley, which is not tilled nor sown, and have beheaded the heifer there 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, sons of Levi, have come near—for your God YHWH has fixed on them to serve Him and to bless in the Name of YHWH, and by their mouth is every strife and every stroke—

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

and all [the] elderly of that city, who are near to the slain one, wash their hands over the heifer which is beheaded in the valley,

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

and they have answered and said, Our hands have not shed this blood, and our eyes have not seen—

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

receive atonement for Your people Israel, whom You have ransomed, O YHWH, and do not permit innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel; and the blood has been pardoned to them,

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

and you put away the innocent blood out of your midst, for you do that which [is] right in the eyes of YHWH.

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

When you go out to battle against your enemies, and your God YHWH has given them into your hand, and you have taken captive its captivity,

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

and have seen a woman of beautiful form in the captivity, and have delighted in her, and have taken [her] to yourself for a wife,

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

then you have brought her into the midst of your household, and she has shaved her head, and prepared 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 turned aside the raiment of her captivity from off her, and has dwelt in your house, and lamented her father and her mother [for] a month of days, and afterward you go in to her and have married her, and she has been to you for a wife.

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

And it has been, if you have not delighted in her, that you have sent her away at her desire, and surely you do not sell her for money; you do not tyrannize over her, because that you have humbled her.

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

When a man has two wives, one loved and the other hated, and they have borne sons to him (the loved one and the hated one), and the firstborn son has been to the hated one,

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

then it has been, in the day of his causing his sons to inherit that which he has, he is not able to declare firstborn the son of the loved one, in the face of the son of the hated one—the firstborn.

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

But the firstborn, son of the hated one, he acknowledges, to give to him a double portion of all that is found with him, for he [is] the beginning of his strength; to him [is] the right of the firstborn.

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

When a man has a son apostatizing and being rebellious—he is not listening to the voice of his father and to the voice of his mother, and they have disciplined him, and he does not listen to them—

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

then his father and his mother have laid hold on him, and they have brought him out to [the] elderly of his city, and to the gate of his place,

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

and have said to [the] elderly of his city, Our son—this one—is apostatizing and being rebellious; he is not listening to our voice—a glutton and drunkard.

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

Then all the men of his city have stoned him with stones and he has died, and you have put away the evil out of your midst, and all Israel hears and fears.

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

And when there is a sin in a man [with] a judgment of death, and he has been put to death, and you have hanged 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 corpse does not remain on the tree, for you certainly bury him in the day—for he who is hanged [becomes] a curse of God—and you do not defile your ground which your God YHWH is giving to you [for] an inheritance.”