Amanani 35
1 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi emagcekeni akoMowabi, eJordani eJeriko, isithi:
The Lord spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan opposite Jericho. He told him,
2 Laya abantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuthi banike amaLevi okwelifa lemfuyo yabo imizi yokuhlala; futhi linike amaLevi amadlelo emizi inhlangothi zonke zawo.
“Order the Israelites to provide from their land allocation towns for the Levites to live in and pastures around the towns.
3 Njalo azakuba lemizi yokuhlala, lamadlelo awo abe ngawenkomo zawo lawempahla zawo lawezifuyo zawo zonke.
The towns are for them to live in, and the pastures will be for their herds and their flocks—for all their livestock.
4 Lamadlelo emizi elizawanika amaLevi azakuba kusukela emthangaleni womuzi langaphandle izingalo eziyinkulungwane inhlangothi zonke.
The pastures around the towns you give to the Levites are to extend out from the wall a thousand cubits on all sides.
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.
Measure two thousand cubits outside the town on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the town in the middle. These areas will be their pastures around the towns.
6 Lemizi elizayinika amaLevi izakuba yimizi eyisithupha yokuphephela elizayinika, ukuze umbulali abalekele khona; langaphezu kwayo linike imizi engamatshumi amane lambili.
Six of the towns you give the Levites are to be sanctuary towns, where a person who kills someone can run for protection. As well as these towns, give the Levites forty-two more.
7 Yonke imizi elizayinika amaLevi izakuba ngamatshumi amane lesificaminwembili, yile lamadlelo ayo.
The total number of towns you are to give the Levites is forty-eight, along with their pastures.
8 Lemizi elizayinika emfuyweni yabantwana bakoIsrayeli; koleminengi lithathe eminengi, lakolemilutshwana lithathe emilutshwana; ngulowo lalowo njengokwelifa lakhe azalidla, uzanika okwemizi yakhe kumaLevi.
The towns that you allocate to be given to the Levites from the territory of the Israelites will be more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one. The number will be in proportion to the size of the land allocation of each tribe.”
9 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
The Lord told Moses,
10 Tshono ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli uthi kibo: Lapho lichapha iJordani lingene elizweni leKhanani,
“Tell the Israelites: ‘When you cross over the Jordan into Canaan,
11 zimiseleni imizi ezakuba yimizi yenu yokuphephela, ukuze umbulali abalekele khona, otshaye umuntu kungeyisikho ngabomo.
choose towns as your sanctuary towns, so a person who kills someone by mistake may run there.
12 Njalo izakuba yimizi yenu yokuphephela kumphindiseli, ukuthi umbulali angafi aze eme phambi kwenhlangano ukuthi ahlulelwe.
These towns will be for you places of sanctuary from those seeking revenge, so that the killer will not die until they are tried in court.
13 Lemizi elizayinika izakuba yimizi yenu eyisithupha yokuphephela.
The towns you choose will be your six sanctuary towns.
14 Lizanika imizi emithathu nganeno kweJordani, linike imizi emithathu elizweni leKhanani, ibe yimizi yokuphephela.
Choose three cities on the other side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge.
15 Limizi eyisithupha izakuba ngeyokuphephela kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, lakowemzini lakowezizweni phakathi kwabo, ukuze loba ngubani otshaya umuntu kungeyisikho ngabomo abalekele khona.
These six cities will be places of sanctuary for the Israelites and for foreigners or settlers among them, so that anyone who kills a person by mistake may run there.
16 Njalo nxa emtshaya ngesikhali sensimbi afe, ungumbulali; umbulali kabulawe lokubulawa.
But if anyone deliberately hits someone with something made of iron and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
17 Njalo nxa emtshaya ngelitshe elisesandleni angafa ngalo, abesesifa, ungumbulali; umbulali kabulawe lokubulawa.
If anyone picks up something made of stone that could be used as a weapon and hits someone with it, and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
18 Kumbe uba emtshaya ngesikhali sesigodo esisesandleni angafa ngaso, abesesifa, ungumbulali; umbulali kabulawe lokubulawa.
If anyone picks up something made of wood that could be used as a weapon and hits someone with it, and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
19 Umphindiseli wegazi, yena uzabulala umbulali; lapho ehlangana laye, yena uzambulala.
The avenger is to execute the murderer. When he finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
20 Njalo nxa emsunduza ngokuzonda, loba emjikijela ngokucathama, afe,
Similarly, if anyone hates someone and knocks them down or deliberately throws something at them, and they're killed;
21 loba ngobutha emtshaya ngesandla sakhe, afe, lowo otshayayo kabulawe lokubulawa, ungumbulali; umphindiseli wegazi uzabulala umbulali lapho ehlangana laye.
or if someone hits another with his hand and they die, the one who hit him must be executed because he is a murderer. When the avenger finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
22 Kodwa uba emsunduzile masinyane engelabutha, loba emjikijela loba ngasiphi isikhali engacathamanga,
But if anyone knocks someone else down without meaning to and without hating them, or throws something at them not meaning to hurt them,
23 kumbe loba ngaliphi ilitshe, angafa ngalo, engamboni, aliwisele kuye, afe, lanxa engeyisiso isitha sakhe, futhi engadingi ububi bakhe,
or carelessly drops a heavy stone that kills them, but not as an enemy or intending to harm them,
24 inhlangano izakwahlulela phakathi komtshayi lomphindiseli wegazi ngokwezahlulelo lezi.
then the community must judge between the killer and the avenger following these regulations.
25 Lenhlangano izamophula umbulali esandleni somphindiseli wegazi; lenhlangano imbuyisele emzini wokuphephela kwakhe, lapho abebalekele khona, ahlale kuwo, aze afe umpristi omkhulu owagcotshwa ngamafutha angcwele.
The court is to protect the killer from being attacked by the avenger and must return him to the sanctuary town that he ran to, and he must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with holy oil.
26 Kodwa uba umbulali ephuma nje umngcele womuzi wokuphephela kwakhe, abebalekele khona,
But if the killer ever leaves the limits of sanctuary town where they ran to,
27 umphindiseli wegazi emfica ngaphandle komngcele womuzi wokuphephela kwakhe, umphindiseli wegazi uzabulala umbulali; kayikuba lecala legazi.
and the avenger finds him them outside his sanctuary town and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of murder,
28 Ngoba ngabe uhlale emzini wokuphephela kwakhe, aze afe umpristi omkhulu; kodwa emva kokufa kompristi omkhulu umbulali uzabuyela elizweni lemfuyo yakhe.
because the killer has to stay in his sanctuary town until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest are they allowed to return to the land they own.
29 Njalo lezizinto zizakuba ngumthetho wesahlulelo kini, ezizukulwaneni zenu, kuyo yonke imizi yenu.
These regulations apply to all future generations wherever you live.
30 Loba ngubani otshaya umuntu, ngomlomo wabafakazi umbulali uzabulawa; kodwa umfakazi oyedwa kayikufakaza ngomuntu ukuthi afe.
If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be executed based on the evidence given by witnesses, plural. No one is to be executed based on the evidence given by a single witness.
31 Futhi kaliyikuthatha inhlawulo ngempilo yombulali ocaleke ngokufa; ngoba uzabulawa lokubulawa.
You are not to accept payment instead of executing a murderer who has been found guilty—they must be executed.
32 Njalo kaliyikuthatha inhlawulo ngobalekele emzini wokuphephela kwakhe, ukuze abuyele ukuyahlala elizweni, aze afe umpristi.
Also you are not allowed to accept payment for a person who runs to a sanctuary town and permit them to return and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.
33 Ngakho kaliyikungcolisa ilizwe elikilo; ngoba ligazi elingcolisa ilizwe; njalo kakuyikwenzelwa ilizwe ukubuyisana ngegazi elichithwe kulo, ngaphandle kwangegazi lolichithileyo.
Don't pollute the land where you live because bloodshed pollutes the land, and the land where blood is shed can't be purified except by the blood of the one who shed it.
34 Ngakho lingangcolisi ilizwe elihlala kilo, engihlala phakathi kwalo; ngoba mina iNkosi ngihlala phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
Don't make the land impure where you live because I live there too. I am the Lord, and I live with the Israelites.”
