UDutheronomi 25
1 Uba kukhona ukuxabana phakathi kwabantu, baye esahlulelweni, ukuthi babahlulele, bazalungisisa olungileyo, balahle olecala.
“If there is a case between persons, and they apply to the judges, they shall give the palm of justice to the one whom they perceive to be just, and they shall condemn of impiety the one who is impious.
2 Kuzakuthi-ke uba olecala efanele ukutshaywa, umahluleli uzamlalisa phansi, atshaywe phambi kwakhe, njengokulingene icala lakhe, ngokwenani.
But if they see that the one who has sinned is worthy of stripes, they shall prostrate him and cause him to be beaten before them. According to the measure of the sin, so shall the measure of the stripes be.
3 Angatshaywa imivimvinya engamatshumi amane, angengezeleli, hlezi nxa esedlule ukumtshaya okwedlula le ngemivimvinya eminengi, kuze kuthi umfowenu ayangeke emehlweni akho.
Even so, these shall not exceed the number of forty. Otherwise, your brother may depart, having been wounded shamefully before your eyes.
4 Ungayifaki isayeke inkabi nxa ibhula.
You shall not muzzle an ox as it is treading out your crops in the field.
5 Uba izelamani zihlala ndawonye, lomunye wazo esifa, engelandodana, umfazi wofileyo kangendeli kowemzini ongaphandle; umfowabo wendoda yakhe uzangena kuye, amthathe abe ngumkakhe, enze kuye imfanelo yomfowabo wendoda.
When brothers are living together, and one of them dies without children, the wife of the deceased shall not marry another. Instead, his brother shall take her, and he shall raise up offspring for his brother.
6 Kuzakuthi-ke izibulo alizalayo lizakuma ebizweni lomfowabo ofileyo, ukuze ibizo lakhe lingacitshwa koIsrayeli.
And the first son from her, he shall call by his brother’s name, so that his name will not be abolished from Israel.
7 Uba umuntu engathandi ukuthatha umkamfowabo, umkamfowabo uzakwenyukela esangweni kubadala athi: Umfowabo wendoda yami uyala ukuvusela umfowabo ibizo koIsrayeli; kafuni ukwenza kimi imfanelo yomfowabo wendoda.
But if he is not willing to take his brother’s wife, who by law must go to him, the woman shall go to the gate of the city, and she shall call upon those greater by birth, and she shall say: ‘The brother of my husband is not willing to raise up his brother’s name in Israel; nor will he join with me.’
8 Abadala bomuzi wakhe bazambiza-ke, bakhulume laye. Uba eqinisa esithi: Kangithandi ukumthatha;
And immediately, they shall summon him to be sent, and they shall question him. If he responds, ‘I am not willing to accept her as a wife,’
9 umkamfowabo uzasondela-ke kuye phambi kwamehlo abadala, akhuphe inyathela lakhe enyaweni lwakhe, amkhafulele ebusweni, aphendule, athi: Kuzakwenziwa njalo kulowomuntu ongayakhiyo indlu yomfowabo.
then the woman shall approach him in the sight of the elders, and she shall remove his shoe from his foot, and she shall spit in his face, and she shall say: ‘So shall it be done to the man who was not willing to build up his brother’s house.’
10 Lebizo lakhe lizakuthiwa koIsrayeli: Indlu yolenyathela elakhutshwayo.
And his name shall be called in Israel: The House of the Unshod.
11 Nxa amadoda esilwa, omunye lomunye, kusondele umfazi wenye ukuthi ayikhulule indoda yakhe esandleni soyitshayayo, elule isandla sakhe ayibambe ngamaphambili,
If two men have a conflict between themselves, and one begins to do violence to the other, and if the other’s wife, wanting to rescue her husband from the hand of the stronger one, extends her hand and grasps him by his private parts,
12 usiqume isandla sakhe, ilihlo lakho lingabi lasihawu.
then you shall cut off her hand. Neither shall you weep over her with any mercy.
13 Ungabi lamatshe okulinganisa ehlukeneyo esikhwameni sakho, elikhulu lelincinyane.
You shall not have differing weights, greater and lesser, in your bag.
14 Ungabi lama-efa ehlukeneyo endlini yakho, esikhulu lesincinyane.
Neither shall there be in your house a greater and a lesser measure.
15 Woba lelitshe lokulinganisa elipheleleyo lelilungileyo, woba le-efa epheleleyo lelungileyo, ukuze insuku zakho zelulwe elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona.
You shall have a just and a true weight, and your measure shall be equal and true, so that you may live for a long time upon the land, which the Lord your God will give to you.
16 Ngoba wonke owenza izinto ezinje, wonke owenza ukungalungi, uyisinengiso eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho.
For the Lord your God abominates him who does these things, and he loathes all injustice.
17 Khumbula lokho uAmaleki akwenza kuwe endleleni ekuphumeni kwenu eGibhithe,
Remember what Amalek did to you, along the way, when you were departing from Egypt:
18 ukuthi wakuhlangabeza endleleni, watshaya phakathi kwakho ababebuthakathaka emva kwakho, usudiniwe usuphele amandla; kanti kamesabanga uNkulunkulu.
how he met you and cut down the stragglers of the troops, who were sitting down, exhausted, when you were consumed by hunger and hardship, and how he did not fear God.
19 Ngakho kuzakuthi, nxa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho isikuphumuzile kuzo zonke izitha zakho inhlangothi zonke, elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona libe yilifa ukudla ilifa lalo, uzakwesula ukukhunjulwa kukaAmaleki ngaphansi kwamazulu; ungakhohlwa.
Therefore, when the Lord your God will give you rest, and you will have subdued all the surrounding nations, in the land which he has promised to you, you shall delete his name from under heaven. Take care not to forget this.”
