Amanani 35
1 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi emagcekeni akoMowabi, eJordani eJeriko, isithi:
And the Lord also spoke these things to Moses in the plains of Moab, above the Jordan, opposite Jericho:
2 Laya abantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuthi banike amaLevi okwelifa lemfuyo yabo imizi yokuhlala; futhi linike amaLevi amadlelo emizi inhlangothi zonke zawo.
“Instruct the sons of Israel, so that they may give to the Levites, from their possessions,
3 Njalo azakuba lemizi yokuhlala, lamadlelo awo abe ngawenkomo zawo lawempahla zawo lawezifuyo zawo zonke.
cities as dwelling places, with their surrounding suburbs, so that they may lodge in the towns, and so that the suburbs may be for cattle and beasts of burden.
4 Lamadlelo emizi elizawanika amaLevi azakuba kusukela emthangaleni womuzi langaphandle izingalo eziyinkulungwane inhlangothi zonke.
The suburbs shall extend from the outer walls of the cities, all around, for the space of one thousand steps.
5 Njalo lizalinganisa ngaphandle komuzi ingalo ezizinkulungwane ezimbili ehlangothini lwempumalanga, lengalo ezizinkulungwane ezimbili ehlangothini lweningizimu, lengalo ezizinkulungwane ezimbili ehlangothini lwentshonalanga, lengalo ezizinkulungwane ezimbili ehlangothini lwenyakatho, lomuzi ube phakathi. Lokho kuzakuba ngamadlelo awo emizi.
Facing the east, there shall be two thousand cubits, and facing the south, similarly, there shall be two thousand cubits. Toward the sea, also, which looks out toward the west, there shall be the same measure, and the northern region shall be bounded by equal limits. And the cities shall be in the center, and the suburbs shall be outside.
6 Lemizi elizayinika amaLevi izakuba yimizi eyisithupha yokuphephela elizayinika, ukuze umbulali abalekele khona; langaphezu kwayo linike imizi engamatshumi amane lambili.
Now, from the towns which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for the assistance of fugitives, so that he who has shed blood may flee to them. And, aside from these, there shall be forty-two other towns,
7 Yonke imizi elizayinika amaLevi izakuba ngamatshumi amane lesificaminwembili, yile lamadlelo ayo.
that is, all together forty-eight with their suburbs.
8 Lemizi elizayinika emfuyweni yabantwana bakoIsrayeli; koleminengi lithathe eminengi, lakolemilutshwana lithathe emilutshwana; ngulowo lalowo njengokwelifa lakhe azalidla, uzanika okwemizi yakhe kumaLevi.
And concerning these cities, which shall be given from the possessions of the sons of Israel: from those who have more, more shall be taken, and from those who have less, less shall be taken. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the measure of their inheritance.”
9 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
The Lord said to Moses:
10 Tshono ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli uthi kibo: Lapho lichapha iJordani lingene elizweni leKhanani,
“Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: When you will have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11 zimiseleni imizi ezakuba yimizi yenu yokuphephela, ukuze umbulali abalekele khona, otshaye umuntu kungeyisikho ngabomo.
discern which cities ought to be for the protection of fugitives who have shed blood unwillingly.
12 Njalo izakuba yimizi yenu yokuphephela kumphindiseli, ukuthi umbulali angafi aze eme phambi kwenhlangano ukuthi ahlulelwe.
And when a fugitive is in these, the kinsman of the deceased shall not be able to kill him, until he stands in the sight of the multitude and his case is judged.
13 Lemizi elizayinika izakuba yimizi yenu eyisithupha yokuphephela.
Then, among those cities which are separated for relief to fugitives,
14 Lizanika imizi emithathu nganeno kweJordani, linike imizi emithathu elizweni leKhanani, ibe yimizi yokuphephela.
three shall be across the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan,
15 Limizi eyisithupha izakuba ngeyokuphephela kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, lakowemzini lakowezizweni phakathi kwabo, ukuze loba ngubani otshaya umuntu kungeyisikho ngabomo abalekele khona.
as much for the sons of Israel as for newcomers and sojourners, so that anyone who has shed blood unwillingly may flee to these places.
16 Njalo nxa emtshaya ngesikhali sensimbi afe, ungumbulali; umbulali kabulawe lokubulawa.
If anyone will have struck someone with iron, and he who was struck will have died, then he shall be guilty of homicide, and he himself shall die.
17 Njalo nxa emtshaya ngelitshe elisesandleni angafa ngalo, abesesifa, ungumbulali; umbulali kabulawe lokubulawa.
If he will have thrown a stone, and he who has been struck lies dead, then he shall be punished similarly.
18 Kumbe uba emtshaya ngesikhali sesigodo esisesandleni angafa ngaso, abesesifa, ungumbulali; umbulali kabulawe lokubulawa.
If he who has been struck with wood passes away, he shall be avenged by the blood of the one who struck him.
19 Umphindiseli wegazi, yena uzabulala umbulali; lapho ehlangana laye, yena uzambulala.
The close relative of the deceased shall put to death the murderer; as soon as he apprehends him, he shall put him to death.
20 Njalo nxa emsunduza ngokuzonda, loba emjikijela ngokucathama, afe,
If, out of hatred, anyone assaults a man, or throws anything at him with ill intent,
21 loba ngobutha emtshaya ngesandla sakhe, afe, lowo otshayayo kabulawe lokubulawa, ungumbulali; umphindiseli wegazi uzabulala umbulali lapho ehlangana laye.
or, while being his enemy, strikes him with his hand, and so he has died, the attacker shall be guilty of murder. The kinsman of the deceased, as soon as he finds him, shall cut his throat.
22 Kodwa uba emsunduzile masinyane engelabutha, loba emjikijela loba ngasiphi isikhali engacathamanga,
But if by chance, and without hatred
23 kumbe loba ngaliphi ilitshe, angafa ngalo, engamboni, aliwisele kuye, afe, lanxa engeyisiso isitha sakhe, futhi engadingi ububi bakhe,
or animosity, he will have done any of these things,
24 inhlangano izakwahlulela phakathi komtshayi lomphindiseli wegazi ngokwezahlulelo lezi.
and this has been proven in the hearing of the people, and the questions have been aired, between the one who struck and the close relative,
25 Lenhlangano izamophula umbulali esandleni somphindiseli wegazi; lenhlangano imbuyisele emzini wokuphephela kwakhe, lapho abebalekele khona, ahlale kuwo, aze afe umpristi omkhulu owagcotshwa ngamafutha angcwele.
then the innocent one shall be freed from the hand of the revenger, and he shall be returned by this judgment into the city to which he had fled, and he shall stay there until the high priest, who has been anointed with the holy oil, dies.
26 Kodwa uba umbulali ephuma nje umngcele womuzi wokuphephela kwakhe, abebalekele khona,
If the one who has killed has been found beyond the limits of the cities which have been assigned to the exiled,
27 umphindiseli wegazi emfica ngaphandle komngcele womuzi wokuphephela kwakhe, umphindiseli wegazi uzabulala umbulali; kayikuba lecala legazi.
and he has been struck by him who is avenging blood, he who killed him shall not be harmed.
28 Ngoba ngabe uhlale emzini wokuphephela kwakhe, aze afe umpristi omkhulu; kodwa emva kokufa kompristi omkhulu umbulali uzabuyela elizweni lemfuyo yakhe.
For the fugitive ought to have resided in the city, until the death of the high priest. Then, after he is dead, the one who has killed shall be returned to his own land.
29 Njalo lezizinto zizakuba ngumthetho wesahlulelo kini, ezizukulwaneni zenu, kuyo yonke imizi yenu.
These things shall be a perpetual ordinance in all your habitations.
30 Loba ngubani otshaya umuntu, ngomlomo wabafakazi umbulali uzabulawa; kodwa umfakazi oyedwa kayikufakaza ngomuntu ukuthi afe.
The punishment of a murderer shall be based upon testimony; but no one shall be condemned upon the testimony of only one person.
31 Futhi kaliyikuthatha inhlawulo ngempilo yombulali ocaleke ngokufa; ngoba uzabulawa lokubulawa.
You shall not accept money from him who is guilty of blood, and he shall be put to death promptly.
32 Njalo kaliyikuthatha inhlawulo ngobalekele emzini wokuphephela kwakhe, ukuze abuyele ukuyahlala elizweni, aze afe umpristi.
Exiles and fugitives, prior to the death of the high priest, are by no means able to be returned to their own cities.
33 Ngakho kaliyikungcolisa ilizwe elikilo; ngoba ligazi elingcolisa ilizwe; njalo kakuyikwenzelwa ilizwe ukubuyisana ngegazi elichithwe kulo, ngaphandle kwangegazi lolichithileyo.
Do not pollute the land of your habitation, so as to stain it with the blood of the innocent; neither is it able to be expiated in any way other than by the blood of him who has shed the blood of another.
34 Ngakho lingangcolisi ilizwe elihlala kilo, engihlala phakathi kwalo; ngoba mina iNkosi ngihlala phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
And so shall your possession be cleansed, while I myself am abiding with you. For I am the Lord, who lives among the sons of Israel.”
