UDutheronomi 1
1 La ngamazwi uMozisi awakhuluma kuIsrayeli wonke nganeno kweJordani enkangala, egcekeni eliqondene leSufi, phakathi kweParani leTofeli leLabani leHazerothi leDizahabi.
In this book is written what Moses/I said to the Israeli people. He/I told them these things when they/we were in the desert, on the east side of the Jordan [River]. They/We had set up our tents near [a place named] Suph, between Paran [town on the one side of the river] and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab [towns on the other side of the river].
2 Kulensuku ezilitshumi lanye kusukela eHorebe ngendlela yentaba yeSeyiri kusiya eKadeshi-Bhaneya.
To walk from Sinai [Mountain] to the Kadesh-Barnea [oasis], people usually travel for only eleven days, going by way of the hilly area named Edom.
3 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wamatshumi amane, ngenyanga yetshumi lanye, ngolokuqala lwenyanga, uMozisi wakhuluma kubantwana bakoIsrayeli njengakho konke iNkosi eyamlaya ngakho kubo,
Forty years after (the Israelis/we) left Egypt, in the middle of January, Moses/I told the Israeli people everything that Yahweh had commanded him/me to tell them.
4 esemtshayile uSihoni inkosi yamaAmori owayehlala eHeshiboni, loOgi inkosi yeBashani owayehlala eAshitarothi eEdreyi.
This was after they/we had defeated Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city], and Og, the king of the Bashan [region] who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei [towns].
5 Nganeno kweJordani, elizweni lakoMowabi, uMozisi waqala ukuchasisa lumlayo esithi:
Moses/I told them these things while the people were in the Moab region, on the east side of the Jordan [River]. He/I (explained to them/enabled them to understand) God’s laws. This is what he/I said to them:
6 INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu yakhuluma kithi eHorebe isithi: Selihlale isikhathi eseneleyo kulintaba.
“Yahweh our God said to us when we were at Sinai [Mountain], ‘You have stayed for a very long time at [the bottom of] this mountain.
7 Phendukani lisuke, liye entabeni yamaAmori, lendaweni ezakhelene lawo, egcekeni, entabeni, lesihotsheni, leningizimu, lekhunjini lolwandle, ilizwe lamaKhanani, leLebhanoni, kuze kube semfuleni omkhulu, umfula iYufrathi.
So now continue traveling. Go to the hilly area where the Amor people-group lives and to the nearby areas—to the Jordan [River] Valley, to the hilly region, to the western (foothills/hills at the bottom of the mountains), to the desert area to the south, to the [Mediterranean] Seacoast, to all of Canaan land, to the Lebanon [Mountains], and [northeast] to the great Euphrates River.
8 Bonani, ngibeke ilizwe phambi kwenu. Ngenani, lidle ilifa lelizwe iNkosi eyalifungela oyihlo, oAbrahama, uIsaka, loJakobe, ukubanika lona lenzalo yabo emva kwabo.
Note that I will give that land to you. I, Yahweh, promised to your ancestors Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that I would give it to them and to their descendants. So now go and occupy it.’”
9 Njalo ngakhuluma kini ngalesosikhathi ngisithi: Kangilakulithwala ngingedwa.
Moses/I also said to the people, “When [we were still at Sinai Mountain], I told your ancestors ‘It is a very big burden/responsibility for me to govern all of you. So I cannot do it by myself.
10 INkosi uNkulunkulu wenu ilandisile, khangelani-ke, lamuhla linjengenkanyezi zamazulu ngobunengi.
Yahweh our God has caused us Israelis to now become as numerous as the stars in the sky.
11 INkosi, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo, kayandise kini, njengoba linjalo, ngokuphindwe kankulungwane, ilibusise, njengokukhuluma kwayo kini.
And I hope/desire that Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped], will cause us to become 1,000 times as numerous as we are now and that he will bless us just like he promised to do.
12 Ngingedwa ngingathwala njani ubunzima benu lomthwalo wenu lenkani yenu?
But I certainly cannot [RHQ] (solve/deal with) all of your complaints/problems.
13 Zithatheleni amadoda ahlakaniphileyo, azwisisayo, laziwayo ezizweni zenu, ngiwabeke-ke abe zinhloko zenu.
So choose some men from your tribes who are wise and who have good sense and who are respected. Then I will appoint them to be your leaders.’
14 Laselingiphendula lisithi: Ilizwi olikhulumileyo lilungile ukulenza.
Your ancestors replied, ‘What you have suggested is good for us to do.’
15 Ngasengithatha inhloko zezizwe zenu, amadoda ahlakaniphileyo, aziwayo, ngawabeka aba zinhloko phezu kwenu, induna zezinkulungwane, lenduna zamakhulu, lenduna zamatshumi amahlanu, lenduna zamatshumi, leziphathamandla zezizwe zenu.
So I took the wise and respected men [that your ancestors chose] from your tribes, and I appointed them to be your leaders. I appointed some to (rule/have authority) over 1,000 people, some to have authority over 100 people, some to have authority over 50 people, and some to have authority over ten people. I also appointed other officers from throughout your tribes.
16 Ngasengilaya abahluleli benu ngalesosikhathi ngisithi: Zwanini okuphakathi kwabafowenu, lahlulele ngokulunga phakathi komuntu lomfowabo lowezizweni okuye.
I instructed/told your leaders, ‘Listen to the disputes that occur among your people. Judge each dispute, including disputes between close relatives and quarrels between your people and people from other countries who live among you.
17 Lingakhangeli ubuso ekwahluleleni, zwanini omncinyane njengomkhulu; lingesabi ubuso bomuntu, ngoba ukwahlulela kungokukaNkulunkulu. Lendaba elukhuni kini lizayiletha kimi, besengiyizwa.
You must (be impartial/not favor one person more than another); you must treat poor people and important people equally. You must not worry about what anyone will think [about how you decide matters], because you will decide matters as God [wants you to]. If any quarrel/dispute is very difficult and you are unable to decide it, bring it to me, and I will decide.’
18 Langalesosikhathi ngalilaya zonke izinto elifanele ukuzenza.
At that time I also told you other things that you should do.”
19 Sasesisuka eHorebe, sahamba kuyo yonke leyonkangala enkulu leyesabekayo elayibonayo ngendlela yentaba yamaAmori, njengokusilaya kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, saze safika eKadeshi-Bhaneya.
“Then, just like Yahweh our God commanded us, we left Sinai [Mountain] and went through that huge desert that was very (dangerous/difficult to travel through), on the road to the hilly area where the Amor people-group live. We arrived at Kadesh-Barnea.
20 Ngasengisithi kini: Selifikile entabeni yamaAmori iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ezasinika yona.
I said to your ancestors, ‘We have now come to the hilly area where the Amor people-group live. This is part of the area that Yahweh our God, the one whom our ancestors [worshiped], is giving to us.
21 Bona, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ilinikile ilizwe phambi kwakho; yenyuka udle ilifa lalo, njengokutsho kweNkosi uNkulunkulu waboyihlo kuwe; ungesabi, ungadideki.
Note that Yahweh our God is giving this land to us. So go and occupy it as he commanded. Do not be (at all/even a little bit) afraid.’
22 Laselisondela kimi lonke lathi: Asithume amadoda phambi kwethu ukuze asihlolele ilizwe, abuyise ilizwi kithi, indlela esizakwenyuka ngayo, lemizi esizangena kuyo.
But all of your ancestors came to me and said, ‘Before we go, we should [first] send some men there to explore the land, in order that they can return and tell us which will be the best road to go there and what kind of towns are there.’
23 Lendaba yayinhle emehlweni ami; ngakho ngathatha kini amadoda alitshumi lambili, indodanye ngesizwe.
I thought that it would be good to do that, so I chose twelve men, one man from each tribe.
24 Wona aphenduka, enyukela entabeni aze afika esihotsheni seEshikoli, asihlola.
They went up into the hilly area as far as Eshcol Valley, and they explored all that area.
25 Asethatha okwezithelo zelizwe esandleni sabo, azehlisela kithi; abuyisa ilizwi kithi athi: Ilizwe lihle iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu esinika lona.
They picked some of the fruit that they found there and brought it to us. They reported that the land that Yahweh our God was giving to us is very good/fertile.”
26 Kanti kalifunanga ukwenyuka, kodwa lavukela umlomo weNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu,
“But your ancestors refused to go [and conquer that land]. They rebelled against what Yahweh our God had commanded them to do, and they would not go into that land.
27 langunguna emathenteni enu lathi: Ngoba iNkosi yayisizonda, yasikhupha elizweni leGibhithe ukusinikela esandleni samaAmori ukusibhubhisa.
Your ancestors [stayed] in their tents and complained saying ‘Yahweh hates us. So he has brought us here from Egypt just to allow the Amor people-group to destroy us.
28 Sizakwenyukela ngaphi? Abafowethu benze inhliziyo yethu iphele amandla besithi: Abantu bakhulu bade kulathi; imizi mikhulu, ibiyelwe ngemithangala efika emazulwini; futhi-ke sibonile khona amadodana amaAnaki.
(Why should we go there?/We do not want to go there.) [RHQ] The men whom we sent there have caused us to become very discouraged/afraid. They have told us that the people there are much stronger and taller than we are and that there are extremely high [HYP] walls around their towns. Also they reported that they saw [giants there that are] descendants of Anak.’
29 Ngasengisithi kini: Lingatshaywa luvalo, libesabe.
Then I said to your ancestors, ‘Do not be afraid (at all/even a little bit) [DOU] of those people!
30 INkosi uNkulunkulu wenu ehamba phambi kwenu, yona izalilwela njengakho konke eyalenzela khona eGibhithe phambi kwamehlo enu,
Yahweh our God will go ahead of you, and he will fight for you, just like you saw him do for you in Egypt
31 lenkangala, lapho obone khona ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho yakuthwala njengendoda ithwala indodana yayo, endleleni yonke elahamba ngayo laze lafika kulindawo.
and in the desert. You saw how he brought you safely here, like a man would carry his son. [SIM]’
32 Kodwa ngalelilizwi kalikholwanga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu
[I reminded them that] he always went ahead of them while they traveled [in the desert]. He directed them by [a pillar of] fire during the night and a [pillar of] cloud during the day. He showed them places to set up their tents. But in spite of what I said, your ancestors would not trust Yahweh our God.
33 eyahamba phambi kwenu endleleni, ukulidingela indawo ukuze limise inkamba, ngomlilo ebusuku, ukulitshengisa indlela elizahamba ngayo, langeyezi emini.
34 Kwathi iNkosi isizwile ilizwi lamazwi enu, yathukuthela yafunga yathi:
Yahweh heard what they said, and he became angry. He solemnly declared,
35 Isibili kakho kulamadoda alesisizukulwana esibi ozabona ilizwe elihle engafunga ukulinika oyihlo,
‘Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, will enter the land. He has obeyed me completely. So I will give to him and to his descendants [some of] the land that he explored. He is the only one of all you people who will enter that land. None of these evil people will ever see that good land which I solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.’
36 ngaphandle kukaKalebi indodana kaJefune; yena uzalibona. Njalo ngizanika kuye ilizwe anyathela kulo, lakubantwana bakhe, ngoba ulandele iNkosi ngokupheleleyo.
37 Lami iNkosi yangithukuthelela ngenxa yenu, isithi: Lawe kawuyikungena khona.
But because of [what] your ancestors [did], Yahweh was also angry with me. He said to me, ‘You also will not enter that land.
38 UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni oma phambi kwakho, yena uzangena khona; mqinise, ngoba yena uzakwenza uIsrayeli adle ilifa lalo.
Joshua, the son of Nun, who is your helper, will enter it. Encourage him, because he is the one who will enable you Israeli people to occupy that land.’
39 Labantwanyana benu elalisithi bazakuba yimpango, labantwana benu, abangaziyo lamuhla okuhle lokubi, bona bazangena khona; lakubo ngizalinika, bona-ke bazakudla ilifa lalo.
Then Yahweh said to all of us, ‘You said that your children would be captured by your enemies. Because they are very young, they do not yet know what is good and what is evil. But they are the ones to whom I will give that land, and they will enter it and occupy it.
40 Kodwa lina ziphendukeleni, lisuke liye enkangala, indlela yoLwandle oluBomvu.
But as for you, turn around and go back into the desert, toward the (Red Sea/Gulf of Aqaba).’
41 Laseliphendula lisithi kimi: Sonile eNkosini; thina sizakwenyuka siyekulwa, njengakho konke iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu eyasilaya khona. Selihlomile, ngulowo lalowo isikhali sakhe sempi, lacabanga ukuthi kulula ukwenyukela entabeni.
Then your ancestors replied, ‘We have sinned; we have disobeyed Yahweh. So we will go and attack [the people who live in] that land, just like Yahweh our God commanded us to do.’ And each of their men put on his weapons, and they thought that it would be easy to invade the hilly region.
42 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Tshono kubo: Lingenyuki, lingalwi, ngoba kangikho phakathi kwenu, hlezi litshaywe phambi kwezitha zenu.
But Yahweh said to me, ‘Tell them, “Do not go up there and attack those people, because I will not go with you. If you go, your enemies will defeat you.”’
43 Ngasengikhuluma kini, kodwa kalilalelanga, lavukela umlomo weNkosi, laqholoza lenyukela entabeni.
So I told that to your ancestors, but they would not heed what I said. They [again] rebelled against what Yahweh commanded them to do. Their soldiers proudly/arrogantly marched up into that hilly region.
44 Kwathi amaAmori ayehlala entabeni leyo aphuma ukumelana lani, alixotsha njengokwenziwa zinyosi, alihlakaza eSeyiri, kwaze kwaba seHorma.
Then the men of the Amor people-group who lived in that region came out [of their towns] and attacked those soldiers. They pursued your ancestors’ soldiers like [a swarm of] bees pursues people, and they pursued them [south] from the Edom area and defeated them at Hormah [city].
45 Laselibuya, lakhala inyembezi phambi kweNkosi, kodwa iNkosi kayilizwanga ilizwi lenu, kayibekanga indlebe kini.
So your ancestors went back [to Kadesh-Barnea] and cried out to request Yahweh [to help them], but he did not heed them. He did not pay any attention to them [DOU].
46 Laselihlala eKadeshi insuku ezinengi, njengensuku elahlala ngazo.
So we stayed there at Kadesh-Barnea for a long time.”
