UDutheronomi 4
1 Khathesi-ke, Israyeli, zwana izimiso lezahlulelo engilifundisa zona, ukuzenza, ukuze liphile, lingene lidle ilifa lelizwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu waboyihlo elinika lona.
Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and to the ordinances which I teach you, to do them, that you may live and go in and possess the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, gives 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 command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command 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 what the LORD did because of Baal Peor; for the LORD your God has destroyed all the men who followed Baal Peor from among you.
4 kodwa lina elanamathela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu liyaphila lonke lamuhla.
But you who were faithful to the LORD your God are all alive today.
5 Bonani, ngilifundisile izimiso lezahlulelo, njengokungilaya kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wami, ukuthi lenze njalo phakathi kwelizwe eliya kulo ukudla ilifa lalo.
Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do so in the middle of the land where you go in to possess it.
6 Ngakho zigcineni, lizenze; ngoba lokhu kuyinhlakanipho yenu lokuqedisisa kwenu emehlweni ezizwe ezizakuzwa zonke lezizimiso zithi: Isibili lesisizwe esikhulu singabantu abahlakaniphileyo labaqedisisayo.
Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who shall hear all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
7 Ngoba yisiphi isizwe esikhulu esilabonkulunkulu abaseduze laso njengeNkosi uNkulunkulu ekumbizeni kwethu konke?
For what great nation is there that has a god so near to them as the LORD our God is whenever we call on him?
8 Futhi yisiphi isizwe esikhulu esilezimiso lezahlulelo ezilungileyo njengalumlayo wonke engiwubeka phambi kwenu lamuhla?
What great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you today?
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,
Only be careful, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your children and your children’s children—
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.
the day that you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, “Assemble the people to me, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.”
11 Laselisondela, lema ngaphansi kwentaba, lentaba yayivutha umlilo kwaze kwaba phakathi kwamazulu, lomnyama, amayezi, lomnyama onzima.
You came near and stood under the mountain. The mountain burned with fire to the heart of the sky, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.
12 INkosi yasikhuluma kini iphakathi komlilo; lezwa ilizwi lamazwi, kodwa kalibonanga simo; ilizwi kuphela.
The LORD spoke to you out of the middle of the fire: you heard the voice of words, but you saw no form; you only heard a voice.
13 Yamemezela kini isivumelwano sayo, eyalilaya ukuthi lisenze, imilayo elitshumi; njalo yayibhala ezibhebheni zamatshe ezimbili.
He declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments. He wrote them on two stone tablets.
14 INkosi yasingilaya ngalesosikhathi ukuthi ngilifundise izimiso lezahlulelo, ukuze lizenze elizweni elidlulela kulo ukudla ilifa lalo.
The LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it.
15 Ngakho-ke qaphelani kakhulu ngenxa yemiphefumulo yenu. Ngoba kalibonanga lasimo ngosuku iNkosi ikhuluma kini eHorebe iphakathi komlilo,
Be very careful, for you saw no kind of form on the day that the LORD spoke to you in Horeb out of the middle of the fire,
16 hlezi lizone, lizenzele isithombe esibaziweyo, isimo saloba yiwuphi umfanekiso, isifanekiso sowesilisa loba sowesifazana,
lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself a carved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17 isifanekiso saloba yiyiphi inyamazana esemhlabeni, isifanekiso saloba yiyiphi inyoni elempiko ephapha emazulwini,
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky,
18 isifanekiso saloba yikuphi okuhuquzelayo emhlabeni, isifanekiso saloba yiyiphi inhlanzi esemanzini ngaphansi komhlaba.
the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water 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.
and lest you lift up your eyes to the sky, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the army of the sky, you are drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole sky.
20 Kodwa lina iNkosi yalithatha, yalikhupha esithandweni sensimbi, eGibhithe, ukuze libe kuyo ngabantu belifa, njengalamuhla.
But the LORD has taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as it is today.
21 Futhi iNkosi yangithukuthelela ngenxa yenu, yafunga ukuthi kangiyikuchapha iJordani, lokuthi kangiyikungena kulelolizwe elihle iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona libe yilifa.
Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in to that good land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance;
22 Ngoba ngizafela kulelilizwe, ngingachaphi iJordani; kodwa lina lizachapha, lidle ilifa lalelolizwe elihle.
but I must die in this land. I must not go over the Jordan, but you shall go over and possess that good 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 forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you.
24 Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ingumlilo oqothulayo, uNkulunkulu olobukhwele.
For the LORD your God is a devouring 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 father children and children’s children, and you have been long in the land, and then corrupt yourselves, and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the LORD your God’s sight to provoke him to anger,
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 to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from off the land which you go over the Jordan to possess it. You will not prolong your days on it, but will utterly be destroyed.
27 Njalo iNkosi izalichithachitha phakathi kwezizwe, lisale libalutshwana ngenani phakathi kwezizwe, lapho iNkosi ezalixotshela khona.
The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will lead you away.
28 Lapho lizakhonza onkulunkulu, umsebenzi wezandla zabantu, izigodo lamatshe, abangaboniyo, abangezwayo, abangadliyo, labanganukiyo.
There you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29 Kodwa lilapho liyidinge iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, uzayithola uba uyidinga ngenhliziyo yakho yonke langomphefumulo wakho wonke.
But from there you shall seek the LORD your God, and you will find him when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
30 Lapho usekuhluphekeni, lezizinto zonke zikwehlela, ekupheleni kwezinsuku, uzaphendukela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho, ulalele ilizwi layo;
When you are in oppression, and all these things have come on you, in the latter days you shall return to the LORD your God and listen to 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 fail you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them.
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?
For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and from the one end of the sky to the other, whether there has been anything as great as this thing is, or has been heard like it?
33 Abantu bake bezwa yini ilizwi likaNkulunkulu likhuluma livela phakathi komlilo, njengalokhu ulizwile wena, waphila?
Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the middle of the fire, as you have heard, 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?
Or has God tried to go and take a nation for himself from among another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
35 Wena wakutshengiswa, ukuze wazi ukuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu; kakho omunye ngaphandle kwakhe.
It was shown to you so that you might know that the LORD is God. There is no one else besides him.
36 Esemazulwini wakuzwisa ilizwi lakhe ukukufundisa; lemhlabeni wakutshengisa umlilo wakhe omkhulu, lamazwi akhe wawezwa evela phakathi komlilo.
Out of heaven he made you to hear his voice, that he might instruct you. On earth he made you to see his great fire; and you heard his words out of the middle of the fire.
37 Njalo ngoba wabathanda oyihlo, wakhetha inzalo yabo emva kwabo, wakukhupha eGibhithe ebusweni bakhe ngamandla akhe amakhulu,
Because he loved your fathers, therefore he chose their offspring after them, and brought you out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt;
38 ukuxotsha elifeni izizwe ezinkulu lezilamandla kulawe phambi kwakho, ukukungenisa, ukukupha ilizwe lazo, libe yilifa, njengalamuhla.
to drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today.
39 Ngakho yazi lamuhla, ukukhumbule enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi iNkosi inguNkulunkulu emazulwini phezulu, lemhlabeni phansi; kakho omunye.
Know therefore today, and take it to heart, that the LORD himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else.
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.
You shall keep his statutes and his commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD your God gives you for all time.
41 Khona uMozisi wehlukanisa imizi emithathu nganeno kweJordani ngasempumalanga,
Then Moses set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise,
42 ukuthi abalekele kuyo umbulali obulele umakhelwane wakhe kungeyisikho ngabomo, obengamzondi mandulo, ukuze abalekele komunye waleyomizi aphile;
that the man slayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally and didn’t hate him in time past, and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:
43 iBezeri enkangala elizweni lamagceke, elabakoRubeni; leRamothi eGileyadi, elabakoGadi; leGolani eBashani, elabakoManase.
Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.
44 Njalo yilo umlayo uMozisi awubeka phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
This is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel.
45 Lobu yibufakazi lezimiso lezahlulelo uMozisi akukhuluma ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe,
These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt,
46 nganeno kweJordani, esigodini maqondana leBeti-Peyori, elizweni likaSihoni inkosi yamaAmori, owayehlala eHeshiboni, uMozisi labantwana bakoIsrayeli abamtshayayo ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe.
beyond the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel struck when they came out of Egypt.
47 Basebesidla ilifa lelizwe lakhe lelizwe likaOgi inkosi yeBashani, amakhosi amabili amaAmori, ayenganeno kweJordani ngasempumalanga,
They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise;
48 kusukela eAroweri esekhunjini lwesifula seArinoni, kuze kufike entabeni yeSiyoni, eyiHermoni,
from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, even to Mount Zion (also called Hermon),
49 lamagceke wonke nganeno kweJordani ngasempumalanga, kuze kube selwandle lwamagceke, ngaphansi kweAshidodi-Pisiga.
and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah.
