UDutheronomi 4
1 Khathesi-ke, Israyeli, zwana izimiso lezahlulelo engilifundisa zona, ukuzenza, ukuze liphile, lingene lidle ilifa lelizwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu waboyihlo elinika lona.
“And now, O Israel, listen to the precepts and judgments which I am teaching to you, so that, by doing these, you may live, and you may enter and possess the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, will give to you.
2 Kaliyikwengezelela elizwini engililaya lona, lingaphunguli lutho kulo, ukuze ligcine imilayo yeNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu engililaya yona.
You shall not add to the word which I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it. Preserve the commandments of the Lord your God which I am teaching to you.
3 Amehlo enu abonile iNkosi eyakwenzayo ngenxa kaBhali-Peyori; ngoba wonke umuntu owalandela uBhali-Peyori, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu yambhubhisa phakathi kwenu;
Your eyes have seen all that the Lord has done against Baal-peor, in what manner he has crushed all of his worshippers from among you.
4 kodwa lina elanamathela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu liyaphila lonke lamuhla.
But you who adhere to the Lord your God are all still alive, to the present day.
5 Bonani, ngilifundisile izimiso lezahlulelo, njengokungilaya kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wami, ukuthi lenze njalo phakathi kwelizwe eliya kulo ukudla ilifa lalo.
You know that I have taught you precepts as well as justices, just as the Lord my God has commanded me. And so shall you do in the land that you will possess.
6 Ngakho zigcineni, lizenze; ngoba lokhu kuyinhlakanipho yenu lokuqedisisa kwenu emehlweni ezizwe ezizakuzwa zonke lezizimiso zithi: Isibili lesisizwe esikhulu singabantu abahlakaniphileyo labaqedisisayo.
And you shall observe and fulfill these in practice. For this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, so that, upon hearing all these precepts, they may say: ‘Lo, a wise and understanding people, a great nation.’
7 Ngoba yisiphi isizwe esikhulu esilabonkulunkulu abaseduze laso njengeNkosi uNkulunkulu ekumbizeni kwethu konke?
Neither is there any other nation so great, which has its gods so near to them, as our God is present to all our petitions.
8 Futhi yisiphi isizwe esikhulu esilezimiso lezahlulelo ezilungileyo njengalumlayo wonke engiwubeka phambi kwenu lamuhla?
For what other nation is there so renowned as to have ceremonies, and just judgments, and the entire law that I will set forth today before your eyes?
9 Kuphela ziqaphele, ugcine kakhulu umphefumulo wakho, hlezi ukhohlwe izinto amehlo akho azibonileyo, njalo hlezi zisuke enhliziyweni yakho, zonke izinsuku zempilo yakho. Njalo uzazise abantwana bakho labantwana babantwana bakho,
And so, guard yourself and your soul carefully. You should not forget the words that your eyes have seen, and do not let them be cut away from your heart, throughout all the days of your life. You shall teach them to your sons and to your grandsons,
10 ukuthi ngosuku owema ngalo phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eHorebe, lapho iNkosi yathi kimi: Ngibuthanisela abantu ngibe sengibazwisa amazwi ami, ukuze bafunde ukungesaba zonke izinsuku abazaziphila emhlabeni, bafundise njalo abantwana babo.
from the day on which you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord spoke to me, saying: ‘Gather the people to me, so that they may listen to my words, and may learn to fear me, throughout all the time that they are alive on earth, and so that they may teach their children.’
11 Laselisondela, lema ngaphansi kwentaba, lentaba yayivutha umlilo kwaze kwaba phakathi kwamazulu, lomnyama, amayezi, lomnyama onzima.
And you approached the base of the mountain, which was burning even toward heaven. And there was a darkness upon it, and a cloud, and a mist.
12 INkosi yasikhuluma kini iphakathi komlilo; lezwa ilizwi lamazwi, kodwa kalibonanga simo; ilizwi kuphela.
And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of fire. You heard the voice of his words, but you did not see any form at all.
13 Yamemezela kini isivumelwano sayo, eyalilaya ukuthi lisenze, imilayo elitshumi; njalo yayibhala ezibhebheni zamatshe ezimbili.
And he revealed his covenant to you, which he instructed you to carry out, and the ten words which he wrote on two tablets of stone.
14 INkosi yasingilaya ngalesosikhathi ukuthi ngilifundise izimiso lezahlulelo, ukuze lizenze elizweni elidlulela kulo ukudla ilifa lalo.
And he commanded me, at that time, that I should teach you the ceremonies and judgments which you must carry out, in the land that you shall possess.
15 Ngakho-ke qaphelani kakhulu ngenxa yemiphefumulo yenu. Ngoba kalibonanga lasimo ngosuku iNkosi ikhuluma kini eHorebe iphakathi komlilo,
And so, guard your souls carefully. You saw no likeness on the day that the Lord God spoke to you on Horeb from the midst of fire.
16 hlezi lizone, lizenzele isithombe esibaziweyo, isimo saloba yiwuphi umfanekiso, isifanekiso sowesilisa loba sowesifazana,
Otherwise, perhaps being deceived, you might have made a graven image, or an image of male or female,
17 isifanekiso saloba yiyiphi inyamazana esemhlabeni, isifanekiso saloba yiyiphi inyoni elempiko ephapha emazulwini,
a likeness of any of the beasts, which are upon the earth, or of birds, which fly under heaven,
18 isifanekiso saloba yikuphi okuhuquzelayo emhlabeni, isifanekiso saloba yiyiphi inhlanzi esemanzini ngaphansi komhlaba.
or of reptiles, which move across the earth, or of fish, which abide in the waters under the earth.
19 Futhi hlezi uphakamisele amehlo akho emazulwini, lapho ubona ilanga lenyanga lezinkanyezi, ibutho lonke lamazulu, uyengwe, ukukhothamele, ukukhonze, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekwabele izizwe zonke ngaphansi kwamazulu wonke.
Otherwise, perhaps lifting up your eyes to heaven, you might look upon the sun and the moon and all the stars of heaven, and being deceived by error, you might adore and worship these things, which the Lord your God created for the service of all the nations, which are under heaven.
20 Kodwa lina iNkosi yalithatha, yalikhupha esithandweni sensimbi, eGibhithe, ukuze libe kuyo ngabantu belifa, njengalamuhla.
But the Lord has taken you up, and led you away from the iron furnaces of Egypt, in order to have a people of inheritance, just as it is to the present day.
21 Futhi iNkosi yangithukuthelela ngenxa yenu, yafunga ukuthi kangiyikuchapha iJordani, lokuthi kangiyikungena kulelolizwe elihle iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona libe yilifa.
And the Lord became angry against me because of your words, and he swore that I would not cross over the Jordan, nor enter into the excellent land, which he will give to you.
22 Ngoba ngizafela kulelilizwe, ngingachaphi iJordani; kodwa lina lizachapha, lidle ilifa lalelolizwe elihle.
Behold, I shall die on this soil. I shall not cross over the Jordan. You shall cross it, and you shall possess the singular land.
23 Ziqapheleni hlezi likhohlwe isivumelwano seNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu eyasenza lani, lizenzele isithombe esibaziweyo, umfanekiso waloba yikuphi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekwenqabele khona.
Be careful, lest you at some time forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he has formed with you, and lest you make for yourselves a graven likeness of those things which the Lord has prohibited to be made.
24 Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ingumlilo oqothulayo, uNkulunkulu olobukhwele.
For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
25 Lapho uzala abantwana labantwana babantwana, njalo selihlale elizweni isikhathi eside, uba lisonakala, lenze isithombe esibaziweyo, umfanekiso waloba yikuphi, lenze okubi emehlweni eNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ukuze liyithukuthelise,
When you will have conceived sons and grandsons while abiding in the land, and if, having been deceived, you make for yourselves any likeness, accomplishing evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to wrath,
26 ngibiza amazulu lomhlaba lamuhla ukuze kufakaze kumelene lani ukuthi lizabhubha lokubhubha masinyane lisuka elizweni elichapha iJordani ukuya kilo ukuze libe yilifa lenu; kaliyikwelula insuku zenu phezu kwalo, ngoba lizabhujiswa lokubhujiswa.
I call heaven and earth as witnesses this day, that you shall quickly perish from the land, which, when you have crossed over the Jordan, you will possess. You will not live in it for a long time; instead, the Lord will destroy you.
27 Njalo iNkosi izalichithachitha phakathi kwezizwe, lisale libalutshwana ngenani phakathi kwezizwe, lapho iNkosi ezalixotshela khona.
And he will scatter you among all the nations, and few of you will remain among those nations, to which the Lord will lead you.
28 Lapho lizakhonza onkulunkulu, umsebenzi wezandla zabantu, izigodo lamatshe, abangaboniyo, abangezwayo, abangadliyo, labanganukiyo.
And there, you will serve gods which were fabricated by the hands of men: gods of wood and of stone, who neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29 Kodwa lilapho liyidinge iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, uzayithola uba uyidinga ngenhliziyo yakho yonke langomphefumulo wakho wonke.
And when you will seek the Lord your God in that place, you shall find him, if only you seek him with all your heart, and in all the tribulation of your soul.
30 Lapho usekuhluphekeni, lezizinto zonke zikwehlela, ekupheleni kwezinsuku, uzaphendukela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho, ulalele ilizwi layo;
After all these things which have been foretold have found you, in the end time, you shall return to the Lord your God, and you will hear his voice.
31 ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho inguNkulunkulu olomusa, kayiyikukutshiya, kayiyikukubhubhisa, kayiyikukhohlwa isivumelwano saboyihlo, eyasifunga kubo.
For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not abandon you, nor will he entirely destroy you, nor will he forget the covenant, which he swore to your fathers.
32 Ngoba buza-ke ngensuku zamandulo ezazingaphambi kwakho, kusukela osukwini uNkulunkulu adala ngalo umuntu emhlabeni, kusukela komunye umkhawulo wamazulu kuze kube komunye umkhawulo wamazulu, ukuthi kwake kwaba khona yini into enje njengale into enkulu, kumbe kwezwakala enjengayo yini?
Inquire concerning the days of antiquity, which were before you, from the day when God created man upon the earth, from one end of heaven to another, if anything similar has ever occurred, or whether any such thing has ever been known,
33 Abantu bake bezwa yini ilizwi likaNkulunkulu likhuluma livela phakathi komlilo, njengalokhu ulizwile wena, waphila?
that a people would hear the voice of God, speaking from the midst of fire, just as you have heard it, and live,
34 Futhi uNkulunkulu wake wazama yini ukuyazithathela isizwe phakathi kwesizwe, ngezilingo, ngezibonakaliso, langezimangaliso, langempi, langesandla esilamandla, langengalo eyeluliweyo, langezesabiso ezinkulu, njengakho konke iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu eyalenzela khona eGibhithe phambi kwamehlo akho?
whether God has acted so as to enter and take for himself a nation from the midst of the nations, by means of tests, signs, and wonders, by means of fighting, and a strong hand, and an outstretched arm, and terrible visions, in accord with all the things which the Lord your God has accomplished for you in Egypt, in the sight of your eyes.
35 Wena wakutshengiswa, ukuze wazi ukuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu; kakho omunye ngaphandle kwakhe.
So may you know that the Lord himself is God, and there is no other beside him.
36 Esemazulwini wakuzwisa ilizwi lakhe ukukufundisa; lemhlabeni wakutshengisa umlilo wakhe omkhulu, lamazwi akhe wawezwa evela phakathi komlilo.
He has caused you to hear his voice from heaven, so that he might teach you. And he showed you his exceedingly great fire on earth, and you heard his words from the midst of the fire.
37 Njalo ngoba wabathanda oyihlo, wakhetha inzalo yabo emva kwabo, wakukhupha eGibhithe ebusweni bakhe ngamandla akhe amakhulu,
For he loved your fathers, and he chose their offspring after them. And he led you away from Egypt, advancing before you with his great power,
38 ukuxotsha elifeni izizwe ezinkulu lezilamandla kulawe phambi kwakho, ukukungenisa, ukukupha ilizwe lazo, libe yilifa, njengalamuhla.
so as to wipe away, upon your arrival, nations, very great and stronger than you, and so as to lead you in, and to present to you their land as a possession, just as you discern in the present day.
39 Ngakho yazi lamuhla, ukukhumbule enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi iNkosi inguNkulunkulu emazulwini phezulu, lemhlabeni phansi; kakho omunye.
Therefore, know on this day and consider in your heart, that the Lord himself is God in heaven above, and on earth below, and there is no other.
40 Ngakho uzagcina izimiso zakhe lemilayo yakhe engikulaya yona lamuhla, ukuze kukulungele labantwana bakho emva kwakho, lokuze welule izinsuku phezu kwelizwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona, zonke izinsuku.
Keep his precepts and commandments, which I am teaching to you, so that it may be well with you, and with your sons after you, and so that you may remain for a long time upon the land, which the Lord your God will give to you.”
41 Khona uMozisi wehlukanisa imizi emithathu nganeno kweJordani ngasempumalanga,
Then Moses set aside three cities, across the Jordan toward the eastern region,
42 ukuthi abalekele kuyo umbulali obulele umakhelwane wakhe kungeyisikho ngabomo, obengamzondi mandulo, ukuze abalekele komunye waleyomizi aphile;
so that anyone might flee to these if he has killed his neighbor unwillingly, who was not his enemy a day or two earlier, and so that he would be able to escape to one of these cities:
43 iBezeri enkangala elizweni lamagceke, elabakoRubeni; leRamothi eGileyadi, elabakoGadi; leGolani eBashani, elabakoManase.
Bezer in the wilderness, which is situated in the plains of the tribe of Ruben; and Ramoth in Gilead, which is in the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, which is in the tribe of Manasseh.
44 Njalo yilo umlayo uMozisi awubeka phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
This is the law, which Moses set forth before the sons of Israel.
45 Lobu yibufakazi lezimiso lezahlulelo uMozisi akukhuluma ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe,
And these are the testimonies and ceremonies as well as judgments, which he spoke to the sons of Israel, when they departed from Egypt,
46 nganeno kweJordani, esigodini maqondana leBeti-Peyori, elizweni likaSihoni inkosi yamaAmori, owayehlala eHeshiboni, uMozisi labantwana bakoIsrayeli abamtshayayo ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe.
across the Jordan, in the valley opposite the shrine of Peor, in the land of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses struck down. Accordingly, the sons of Israel, having departed from Egypt,
47 Basebesidla ilifa lelizwe lakhe lelizwe likaOgi inkosi yeBashani, amakhosi amabili amaAmori, ayenganeno kweJordani ngasempumalanga,
possessed his land, and the land of Og, the king of Bashan, the land of the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun:
48 kusukela eAroweri esekhunjini lwesifula seArinoni, kuze kufike entabeni yeSiyoni, eyiHermoni,
from Aroer, which is situated above the bank of the torrent Arnon, as far as Mount Zion, which is also called Hermon,
49 lamagceke wonke nganeno kweJordani ngasempumalanga, kuze kube selwandle lwamagceke, ngaphansi kweAshidodi-Pisiga.
the entire plain across the Jordan, from its eastern region, as far as the sea of the wilderness, and even to the base of Mount Pisgah.
