Amanani 35
1 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi emagcekeni akoMowabi, eJordani eJeriko, isithi:
The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
2 Laya abantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuthi banike amaLevi okwelifa lemfuyo yabo imizi yokuhlala; futhi linike amaLevi amadlelo emizi inhlangothi zonke zawo.
“Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities to dwell in out of their inheritance. You shall give pasture lands for the cities around them to the Levites.
3 Njalo azakuba lemizi yokuhlala, lamadlelo awo abe ngawenkomo zawo lawempahla zawo lawezifuyo zawo zonke.
They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their pasture lands shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals.
4 Lamadlelo emizi elizawanika amaLevi azakuba kusukela emthangaleni womuzi langaphandle izingalo eziyinkulungwane inhlangothi zonke.
“The pasture lands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.
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.
You shall measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall be the pasture lands of their cities.
6 Lemizi elizayinika amaLevi izakuba yimizi eyisithupha yokuphephela elizayinika, ukuze umbulali abalekele khona; langaphezu kwayo linike imizi engamatshumi amane lambili.
“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give forty-two cities.
7 Yonke imizi elizayinika amaLevi izakuba ngamatshumi amane lesificaminwembili, yile lamadlelo ayo.
All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their pasture lands.
8 Lemizi elizayinika emfuyweni yabantwana bakoIsrayeli; koleminengi lithathe eminengi, lakolemilutshwana lithathe emilutshwana; ngulowo lalowo njengokwelifa lakhe azalidla, uzanika okwemizi yakhe kumaLevi.
Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give some of his cities to the Levites.”
9 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
10 Tshono ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli uthi kibo: Lapho lichapha iJordani lingene elizweni leKhanani,
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11 zimiseleni imizi ezakuba yimizi yenu yokuphephela, ukuze umbulali abalekele khona, otshaye umuntu kungeyisikho ngabomo.
then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.
12 Njalo izakuba yimizi yenu yokuphephela kumphindiseli, ukuthi umbulali angafi aze eme phambi kwenhlangano ukuthi ahlulelwe.
The cities shall be for your refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
13 Lemizi elizayinika izakuba yimizi yenu eyisithupha yokuphephela.
The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.
14 Lizanika imizi emithathu nganeno kweJordani, linike imizi emithathu elizweni leKhanani, ibe yimizi yokuphephela.
You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They shall be 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 shall be refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the foreigner living among them, that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.
16 Njalo nxa emtshaya ngesikhali sensimbi afe, ungumbulali; umbulali kabulawe lokubulawa.
“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.
17 Njalo nxa emtshaya ngelitshe elisesandleni angafa ngalo, abesesifa, ungumbulali; umbulali kabulawe lokubulawa.
If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.
18 Kumbe uba emtshaya ngesikhali sesigodo esisesandleni angafa ngaso, abesesifa, ungumbulali; umbulali kabulawe lokubulawa.
Or if he struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.
19 Umphindiseli wegazi, yena uzabulala umbulali; lapho ehlangana laye, yena uzambulala.
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death.
20 Njalo nxa emsunduza ngokuzonda, loba emjikijela ngokucathama, afe,
If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled something at him while lying in wait, so that he died,
21 loba ngobutha emtshaya ngesandla sakhe, afe, lowo otshayayo kabulawe lokubulawa, ungumbulali; umphindiseli wegazi uzabulala umbulali lapho ehlangana laye.
or in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
22 Kodwa uba emsunduzile masinyane engelabutha, loba emjikijela loba ngasiphi isikhali engacathamanga,
“‘But if he shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait,
23 kumbe loba ngaliphi ilitshe, angafa ngalo, engamboni, aliwisele kuye, afe, lanxa engeyisiso isitha sakhe, futhi engadingi ububi bakhe,
or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him so that he died, and he was not his enemy and not seeking his harm,
24 inhlangano izakwahlulela phakathi komtshayi lomphindiseli wegazi ngokwezahlulelo lezi.
then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.
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 congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
26 Kodwa uba umbulali ephuma nje umngcele womuzi wokuphephela kwakhe, abebalekele khona,
“‘But if the man slayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge where he flees,
27 umphindiseli wegazi emfica ngaphandle komngcele womuzi wokuphephela kwakhe, umphindiseli wegazi uzabulala umbulali; kayikuba lecala legazi.
and the avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,
28 Ngoba ngabe uhlale emzini wokuphephela kwakhe, aze afe umpristi omkhulu; kodwa emva kokufa kompristi omkhulu umbulali uzabuyela elizweni lemfuyo yakhe.
because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the man slayer shall return into the land of his possession.
29 Njalo lezizinto zizakuba ngumthetho wesahlulelo kini, ezizukulwaneni zenu, kuyo yonke imizi yenu.
“‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
30 Loba ngubani otshaya umuntu, ngomlomo wabafakazi umbulali uzabulawa; kodwa umfakazi oyedwa kayikufakaza ngomuntu ukuthi afe.
“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify alone against any person so that he dies.
31 Futhi kaliyikuthatha inhlawulo ngempilo yombulali ocaleke ngokufa; ngoba uzabulawa lokubulawa.
“‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. He shall surely be put to death.
32 Njalo kaliyikuthatha inhlawulo ngobalekele emzini wokuphephela kwakhe, ukuze abuyele ukuyahlala elizweni, aze afe umpristi.
“‘You shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.
33 Ngakho kaliyikungcolisa ilizwe elikilo; ngoba ligazi elingcolisa ilizwe; njalo kakuyikwenzelwa ilizwe ukubuyisana ngegazi elichithwe kulo, ngaphandle kwangegazi lolichithileyo.
“‘So you shall not pollute the land where you live; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it.
34 Ngakho lingangcolisi ilizwe elihlala kilo, engihlala phakathi kwalo; ngoba mina iNkosi ngihlala phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, where I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell among the children of Israel.’”
