U-Eksodusi 22
1 Uba umuntu eseba inkabi loba imvu, ayihlabe kumbe ayithengise, uzahlawula inkabi ezinhlanu ngenkabi, lezimvu ezine ngemvu.
Yahweh also said, “If someone steals a bull or a sheep, and then slaughters it [to sell it or to sacrifice it] or sells its [meat to someone else], he must pay five bulls for the bull [that he stole], and [he must pay] four sheep for the sheep [that he stole].
2 Uba isela lificwa lifohlela, litshaywe lize life, kakulacala legazi kuye.
If a thief is caught while he is breaking into someone else’s house [at night], if [the one who catches him] kills the thief, he is not guilty of murdering him.
3 Uba ilanga seliphumile phezu kwalo, ulecala legazi. Lifanele ukubhadala lokubhadala; uba lingelalutho, limele lithengiswe ngenxa yokweba kwalo.
But if that happens during the daytime, [the one who killed the thief] is guilty of murdering him. The thief must pay for what he stole. If he has no [animals with which to pay for the one that he stole], he must be sold to [become someone’s else’s slave and the money must be used] to pay for what he stole.
4 Uba okwebiweyo kuficwa lokuficwa esandleni salo kuphila, loba inkabi loba ubabhemi kumbe imvu, lizabuyisela kuphindwe kabili.
If the thief still has the animal when he is caught, whether it is a bull or a donkey or a sheep, and it is still alive, the thief must give back [the stolen animal as well as giving] two [additional] animals for each one that he stole.
5 Nxa umuntu edlisa insimu kumbe isivini, angenise izifuyo zakhe zidle ensimini yomunye, uzabuyisela ngokuhle kwensimu yakhe langokuhle kwesivini sakhe.
If someone allows his animals to (graze/eat the grass) in his field or in his vineyard, and if they stray away and eat the crops in another person’s field, the owner of the animals must pay [the owner of those crops] by giving him the best crops from his own field or vineyard.
6 Uba kuqhamuka umlilo, ulumathe emeveni kuze kutshe inqumbi yamabele loba amabele amileyo loba insimu, othungele umlilo uzahlawula lokuhlawula.
Suppose someone starts a fire in his own field, and the fire spreads through the grass and starts burning in someone else’s field, and the fire burns grain that is growing or grain that is already [cut and] stacked. Then the person who started the fire must pay completely for the damage.
7 Uba umuntu enika umakhelwane wakhe imali loba impahla ukuze akulondoloze, njalo kwebiwe endlini yalowomuntu, uba isela litholwa lizabuyisela kuphindwe kabili.
Suppose someone gives to another person some money or other valuable goods and asks him to guard them [in his house for a while]. If those things are stolen from that person’s house, if the thief is caught, he must pay back twice [as much as he stole].
8 Uba isela lingatholwa, umninindlu uzasondezwa kubahluleli ukuthi kafakanga yini isandla sakhe empahleni kamakhelwane wakhe.
But if the thief is not caught, the owner of the house [from which the things were stolen] must stand before the judges, so that the judges can determine whether [the owner of the house] was the one who took the other man’s goods [and sold them to someone else].
9 Ngalo lonke udaba lwecala, ngenkabi, ngobabhemi, ngemvu, ngesembatho, ngakho konke okulahlekileyo, umuntu atsho ngakho ukuthi ngokwakhe, udaba lwabo bobabili luzakuza kubahluleli; lowo abahluleli abamlahlayo uzabuyisela kuphindwe kabili kumakhelwane wakhe.
If two people argue about which one of them owns a bull or a donkey or a sheep or some clothing, or something else that has been lost, the two people who each claim/say that the item belongs to them must stand before the judges. The one whom the judges declare is lying must pay back [to the real owner] twice as many bulls or donkeys or sheep or pieces of clothing.
10 Uba umuntu enikela kumakhelwane wakhe ubabhemi loba inkabi loba imvu kumbe isifuyo nje ukuthi akulondoloze, besekusifa loba kulimala kumbe kuthunjwe, kungelamuntu obonayo,
Suppose someone gives his donkey or bull or sheep or some other animal to someone else and asks him to take care of it [for a while], and the animal dies or is injured or is stolen while no one is watching.
11 isifungo seNkosi sizakuba phakathi kwabo bobabili, ukuthi kelulanga isandla empahleni kamakhelwane wakhe; njalo umniniyo uzasemukela, kayikubuyisela.
Then the person [who was taking care of the animal] must (swear/solemnly declare), knowing that God is listening, that he did not steal the animal. If he did not steal it the owner of the animal must accept/believe that the other person is telling the truth, and the other person will not have to pay anything back to the owner.
12 Kodwa uba yebiwe lokwebiwa kuye, uzamhlawula umniniyo.
But if the animal was stolen [while he was supposed to be taking care of it], the man who promised to take care of it must pay back the owner for the animal.
13 Uba idatshuliwe lokudatshulwa, kayilethe ibe yibufakazi, kayikubuyisela edatshuliweyo.
If [he says that] the animal was killed by wild animals, he must bring back the remains of the animal that was killed and show it to the animal’s owner. If he does that, he will not have to pay anything for the animal.
14 Uba-ke umuntu eseboleka ulutho kumakhelwane wakhe, beselulimala loba lusifa umninilo engelalo, uzahlawula lokuhlawula.
If someone borrows an animal, and if that animal is hurt or dies when its owner is not there, the one who borrowed it must pay the owner for the animal.
15 Uba umninilo elalo, kayikuhlawula; uba beluqhatshiwe, lulande ukuqhatshwa kwalo.
But if that happens when the owner of the animal is there, the one who borrowed it will not have to pay back anything. If the man who borrowed it only rented it, the money that he paid to rent it will be enough to pay for the animal [dying or being injured].”
16 Uba-ke indoda iyenga intombi emsulwa engakhombanga, ilale layo, izayilobola lokuyilobola ibe ngumkayo.
“If a man persuades a girl/woman to have sex with him, a girl/woman who (is a virgin/has never had sex with any man) and who is not engaged to be married, he must pay the bride price for her and marry her.
17 Uba uyise esala lokwala ukumnika yona, uzabhadala imali njengelobolo lezintombi ezimsulwa.
But if her father refuses to allow her to marry him, he must pay to the woman’s father the amount of money that is equal to the amount of bride price money that men pay for virgins.
18 Lingayekeli umthakathikazi ukuthi aphile.
You must execute any woman who (practices sorcery/is a shaman).
19 Wonke olala lenyamazana uzabulawa lokubulawa.
You must execute any person who has sex with an animal.
20 Ohlabela onkulunkulu ngaphandle kweNkosi kuphela uzatshabalaliswa.
You [must offer sacrifices] only to Yahweh. You must execute anyone who offers a sacrifice to any [other] god.
21 Njalo ungamcindezeli owezizwe, ungamhluphi, ngoba lalingabezizwe elizweni leGibhithe.
You must not mistreat a foreigner [who comes to live among you]. Do not forget that you were previously foreigners in Egypt.
22 Lingacindezeli lawuphi umfelokazi kumbe intandane.
You must not mistreat any widow or any orphan.
23 Uba ubacindezela lokubacindezela, yebo, uba bekhala lokukhala kimi, ngizakuzwa lokuzwa ukukhala kwabo,
If you mistreat them and they cry out to me [for help], I will hear them.
24 ulaka lwami luzavutha, ngilibulale ngenkemba, labomkenu babe ngabafelokazi labantwana benu intandane.
And I will be angry with you, and I will cause you to be killed in a war [MTY]. Your wives will become widows, and your children will no longer have fathers.
25 Uba useboleka abantu bami imali abangabayanga abalawe, ungaziphathi njengombolekisi kubo, ungabeki inzalo phezu kwabo.
If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest on the money.
26 Uba uthatha lokuthatha isembatho sikamakhelwane wakho sibe yisibambiso, sibuyisele kuye lingakatshoni ilanga;
If he gives you his cloak to guarantee [that he will pay the money back], you must give the cloak back to him before the sun goes down,
27 ngoba siyisigubuzelo sakhe sodwa, siyisembatho sakhe esikhumbeni sakhe; uzalala phakathi kwani? Kuzakuthi-ke lapho ekhala kimi, ngizamuzwa, ngoba ngilomusa.
because he needs it to keep him warm [during the night]. (That is the only covering that poor people have when they sleep at night./What else will he cover himself with during the night?) [RHQ] [If you do not act mercifully toward him by returning his cloak], when he cries out to me asking for my help, I will help him, because I [always act] mercifully.
28 Lingathuki onkulunkulu, lingaqalekisi induna yabantu bakini.
Do not (revile/speak evil about) me, and do not (curse/ask me to do harmful things to) any ruler of your people.
29 Lingaphuzisi isivuno senu esigcweleyo lomhluzi wenu wezithelo. Uzangipha izibulo emadodaneni akho.
(Do not withhold from/Give) me the best parts of the grain that you harvest and of the olive oil and the wine that you produce.
30 Wenze njalo ngenkabi yakho langemvu yakho; kuzakuba lonina insuku eziyisikhombisa; ngosuku lwesificaminwembili unginike khona.
You must dedicate your firstborn sons to me. Similarly, your firstborn [male] cattle and sheep belong to me. After those animals are born, allow them to stay with their mothers for seven days. On the eighth day, offer them to me [as a sacrifice].
31 Lizakuba ngabantu abangcwele kimi; ngakho lingadli inyama edatshulwe egangeni yizilo, iphoseleni inja.
You are people who are (completely dedicated to/set apart for) me. [And I detest] the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals. Therefore you should not eat such meat. Instead, throw it where the dogs [can eat it].”
