Lakkoobsa 35
1 Waaqayyos dirreewwan Moʼaab irratti, Yordaanos biratti, Yerikoo gamatti Museedhaan akkana jedhe;
Yahweh told this to Moses/me [while the Israeli people were] on the plain in the Moab region near the Jordan [River], across from Jericho:
2 “Israaʼeloonni dhaala ofii isaaniitii argachuuf jiran keessaa magaalaawwan Lewwonni keessa jiraatan akka isaanii kennan Israaʼeloota ajaji. Lafa horii itti bobbaafatanis naannoo magaalaawwaniitti haa kennaniif.
“Tell the Israeli people that from the land that they will receive, they must give to the descendants of Levi some cities in which they can live. They must also give them some land around these cities.
3 Isaanis magaalaawwan keessa jiraatanii fi lafa itti loon isaaniitii fi horii isaanii kaan hunda bobbaafatan ni qabaatu.
Those will be for the descendants of Levi to live in, and around the cities will be land for their cattle and flocks of sheep and goats and other animals.
4 “Lafti horiin itti bobbaʼu kan isin naannoo magaalaawwaniitti Lewwotaaf kennitan sun dallaa magaalaa irraa jalqabee gama hundaan dhundhuma kuma tokko achi balʼata.
“The land that you give them for their animals must extend out for (1,500 feet/450 meters) from the walls of the cities.
5 Magaalaa sana gidduutti hambisuudhaan karaa alaatiin gama baʼaatiin dhundhuma kuma lama, gama kibbaatiin dhundhuma kuma lama, gama dhiʼaatiin dhundhuma kuma lama, gama kaabaatiin immoo dhundhuma kuma lama safaraa. Iddoowwan kunneen magaalaawwan sanaaf iddoowwan itti horii bobbaafatan taʼu.
Also measure (3,000 feet/900 meters) in each direction out from the walls of each city. That additional land will be land for their animals outside the walls of the cities.”
6 “Magaalaawwan jaʼan isin Lewwotaaf kennitan magaalaawwan itti baqatan kanneen namni nama ajjeese itti baqatu taʼu. Magaalaawwan afurtamii lamas kanatti dabalaatii isaanii kennaa.
“Six of the cities that you give to the descendants of Levi will be cities to which people [can run] to be safe. If someone [accidentally] kills someone else, the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities to be safe.
7 Walumaa galatti magaalaawwan afurtamii saddeet kanneen lafa tika ofii isaanii qaban Lewwotaaf kennaa.
You must also give to the descendants of Levi 42 other cities and the land around those cities, for their animals,
8 Magaalaawwan isin lafa Israaʼeloonni dhaalan irraa Lewwotaaf kennitan, akkuma qooda dhaala tokkoo tokkoo gosaatti haa taʼu; gosa dhaala baayʼee qabu irraa magaalaawwan baayʼee, gosa dhaala muraasa qabu irraa immoo magaalaawwan xinnoo fuudhaa.”
The Israeli tribes that have the most people must give them more cities than the tribes that have fewer people give. Each tribe must give some of its cities to the descendants of Levi, but the tribes that have more land must give more cities, and the tribes that have less land will give fewer cities.”
9 Waaqayyos Museedhaan akkana jedhe:
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
10 “Israaʼelootatti dubbadhu; akkanas jedhiin: ‘Isin yommuu Yordaanosin ceetanii Kanaʼaanitti galtanitti,
“Tell this to the Israeli people: When you cross the Jordan [River] and enter the Canaan [region],
11 akka isin magaalaawwan itti baqatan kanneen namni tasa nama ajjeese itti baqatu isinii taʼaniif magaalaawwan filadhaa.
you must choose some cities to which people can run to be safe/protected. If someone kills another person (accidentally/without planning to do that), the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities and be safe.
12 Magaalaawwan kunneenis akka namni nama ajjeesuudhaan himatame utuu murtii argachuuf waldaa duratti hin dhiʼaatin hin duuneef iddoo inni itti nama haaloo isa baʼu jalaa baqatu taʼu.
One of the relatives of the person who was killed may think he must avenge his relative’s death [by killing the murderer]. But in that city, the killer will be safe [because the people in that city would kill those relatives if they tried to get revenge there]. The man who killed someone accidentally [must] be put on trial in a court.
13 Magaalaawwan isin kennitan jaʼan kunneenis magaalaawwan itti baqattan isinii taʼu.
You must set apart six cities to be cities to which someone who killed another person accidentally may run and be safe.
14 Yordaanos gamanaan magaalaawwan sadii, Kanaʼaan keessaa immoo magaalaawwan sadii, magaalaawwan itti baqatan godhaa kennaa.
There must be three of those cities on the east side of the Jordan [River] and three that will be [on the west side], in the Canaan region.
15 Magaalaawwan jaʼan kunneen akka namni tasa nama ajjeese kam iyyuu itti baqatuuf Israaʼelootaaf, alagootaa fi saba isaan gidduu jiraatuuf iddoo itti baqatan taʼu.
Those six cities will be cities where Israeli people may run to and be safe, and where foreigners and other people who are living among you can also run to and be safe. Any of those people who accidentally kills someone may run to one of those cities [and be safe/protected there].
16 “‘Namni tokko yoo meeshaa sibiilaatiin nama dhaʼee namichi sun duʼe, inni ajjeese sun nama gumaa ti; namichi ajjeese sun ajjeefamuu qaba.
“But [you must consider that] anyone who kills another person with an iron weapon or with a big rock or with a piece of wood, is a murderer, and the one who killed the other person must be executed.
17 Yookaan namni tokko yoo dhagaa nama ajjeesuu dandaʼu harkatti qabatee nama dhaʼee ajjeese, inni nama gumaa ti; namichi nama ajjeese sun ajjeefamuu qaba.
18 Yookaan namni tokko yoo meeshaa mukaa kan nama ajjeesuu dandaʼu harkatti qabatee nama dhaʼee namichi sun duʼe, inni ajjeese sun nama gumaa ti; namichi nama ajjeese sun ajjeefamuu qaba.
19 Namichi haaloo dhiigaa baʼu sun namicha nama ajjeese sana haa ajjeesu; inni yommuu argatutti isa haa ajjeesu.
A relative of the person who was murdered must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
20 Namni tokko yoo jibbaan nama darbatee lafaan dhaʼee yookaan beekaa waa itti darbachuudhaan isa ajjeese,
If someone shoves another person [over a cliff] or throws something at another person
21 yookaan yoo diinummaadhaan kaʼee harkaan isa dhaʼee namichi sun duʼe, inni nama ajjeese sun ajjeefamuu qaba; inni nama gumaa ti. Namichi haaloo dhiigaa baʼu sun namicha nama ajjeese sana yeroo argatutti isa haa ajjeesu.
or hits that person with his hand/fist and causes that person to die, if he did it because he hated that person, then you must consider that he is a murderer, and must be executed. A relative of the person who was killed must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
22 “‘Garuu inni yoo utuu diinummaa hin qabaatin tasa nama darbatee lafaan dhaʼe yookaan utuu hin beekin waan tokko isatti darbatee
“But someone might accidentally shove someone else, or accidentally throw something at another person and hit him, not because he hates that person.
23 yookaan utuu isa hin argin dhagaa isa ajjeesuu dandaʼu itti gad dhiisee namichi sun duʼe, inni waan diina isaa hin taʼinii fi isa miidhuuf hin yaadiniif
Or he might drop a rock on someone that he did not see. If the one who does that does not plan to hurt anyone and does not hate the person that was killed,
24 waldaan sun akkuma seera kanneeniitti namicha nama ajjeese sanaa fi isa haaloo dhiigaa baʼu sana gidduutti murtii haa kennu.
the people of that city must decide whether the relative of the dead person [has the right to get revenge], or whether the one who killed the other person [truly did it (accidentally/without planning to do it)].
25 Waldaan sun namicha nama ajjeesuudhaan himatame sana harka namicha haaloo dhiigaa baʼu sanaa jalaa baasee magaalaa inni itti baqatee ture sanatti deebisee isa haa ergu. Innis hamma lubni ol aanaan zayitii qulqulluudhaan dibame sun duʼutti achuma haa turu.
[If they decide that the killer planned to kill the other person, they must not allow him to stay in their city. But if they decide that it was done accidentally], they must protect the killer from being killed by the dead person’s relative. They must send the killer to one of the cities where he will be safe/protected, and allow him to stay there until the Supreme Priest dies. [After that, the killer may go back to his home, because the dead person’s relative no longer has the right to get revenge].
26 “‘Taʼus yoo namichi nama ajjeese sun daarii magaalaa itti baqate sanaa keessaa baʼee
“But [while the Supreme Priest is still living], the person who is in that safe city must not leave that city.
27 namichi haaloo dhiigaa baʼu sun magaalaa sanaan alatti isa argate, namichi haaloo dhiigaa baʼu sun namicha himatame sana ajjeesuu dandaʼa; yakka ajjeechaa sanaattis hin gaafatamu.
If he goes outside the city, and if a relative of the dead person finds him, that relative is permitted to kill that person, [and people will not consider that the relative is guilty of murder.]
28 Namichi nama ajjeese sun hamma lubni ol aanaan sun duʼutti magaalaa itti baqate keessa turuu qaba; inni erga lubichi ol aanaan duʼee booddee gara qabeenya isaatti deebiʼuu dandaʼa.
The killer must stay in that city where he will be safe/protected until the Supreme Priest dies. [He will be safe from revenge after that, because the death of the Supreme Priest will be considered to be a sacrifice to atone for that murder]. After that, the killer may return to his home.
29 “‘Isaan kunneenis dhaloota dhufu keessatti lafa isin jiraattan kamitti iyyuu seeraa fi qajeelfama isiniif haa taʼan.
“You must always obey those regulations, wherever you live.
30 “‘Namni kam iyyuu yoo nama ajjeese namichi sun ragaa dhugaa baatonni kennaniin ajjeefama. Taʼus namni kam iyyuu dhuga baʼumsa nama tokkoo qofaan hin ajjeefamin.
“If someone [is accused of] killing another person, the one who is accused may be executed only if there are people who saw him do it. There must be more than one witness; no one is permitted to be executed if there was only one (witness/person who saw him do it).
31 “‘Namicha nama ajjeesee duuti isaaf malu tokko irraa gumaa lubbuu hin fudhatinaa. Inni ajjeefamuu qaba.
“If there is a murderer who truly should be executed, do not [spare his life by] accepting (a ransom/money for him not to be killed). He must be executed.
32 “‘Akka inni utuu lubichi ol aanaan hin duʼin dura biyya ofii isaatti deebiʼee achi jiraatu eeyyamuuf jettanii nama gara magaalaa itti baqataniitti baqate kamiif iyyuu gumaa hin fudhatinaa.
“If someone has run to a city where he will be safe/protected, do not allow him to give you money in order that you will permit him to return to his home before the Supreme Priest dies.
33 “‘Sababii dhangalaafamuun dhiigaa biyya xureessuuf, isin biyya keessa jiraattan sana hin xureessinaa; dhiiguma namicha dhiiga dhangalaase sanaatiin malees biyya dhiigni itti dhangalaafame sanaaf araarri hin buufamu.
“You must execute people who truly murder others. If you did not do that, you would be causing the people who live in the land to become unacceptable to me. Anyone who deliberately kills an innocent person must be executed.
34 Biyya isin keessa jirtan iddoo ani jiraadhu sana hin xureessinaa. Ani Waaqayyo Israaʼeloota gidduu nan jiraadhaatii.’”
I am Yahweh, and I live among you Israelis, so do not spoil/pollute the land by allowing people to murder others without being punished.”
