Torati 19
1 Wakati Bwana Mungu wenu atakapokuwa amewaangamiza mataifa ambayo nchi yao anawapa ninyi, wakati mtakapokuwa mmewafukuza na kuishi katika miji yao na nyumba zao,
When YHWH your God shall cut off the nations, whose land YHWH your God gives you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses;
2 ndipo mtenge miji mitatu iliyopo katikati ya nchi kwa ajili yenu, katika nchi ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kuimiliki.
you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which YHWH your God gives you to possess it.
3 Jengeni barabara katika miji hiyo na kuigawa mara tatu, nchi anayowapa Bwana Mungu wenu kama urithi, ili kwamba yeyote amuuaye mtu aweze kukimbilia humo.
You shall prepare you the way, and divide the borders of your land, which YHWH your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there.
4 Hii ndiyo kanuni kuhusu mtu amuuaye mwingine na kukimbilia humo kuokoa maisha yake, yaani, yeye amuuaye jirani yake bila kukusudia, wala hakumchukia kabla ya hapo.
This is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee there and live: whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and did not hate him in time past;
5 Kwa mfano, mtu aweza kwenda msituni na jirani yake kukata miti, naye anapozungusha shoka kuangusha mti, shoka linaweza kuchomoka kutoka kwenye mpini na kumpiga jirani yake na kumuua. Yule mtu anaweza kukimbilia katika mmojawapo ya miji hii na kuokoa maisha yake.
as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle, and lights on his neighbor, so that he dies; he shall flee to one of these cities and live:
6 Kama sivyo, mlipiza kisasi cha damu anaweza kumfuatilia kwa hasira kali, naye akamkamata na kumuua kama umbali ni mrefu sana hata ingawa hastahili kifo, kwa sababu amemuua jirani yake bila kukusudia.
lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he did not hate him in time past.
7 Hii ndiyo sababu nimewaagiza ninyi kutenga miji mitatu ya makimbilio kwa ajili yenu.
Therefore I command you, saying, You shall set apart three cities for yourselves.
8 Kama Bwana Mungu wenu akipanua nchi yenu, kama alivyoahidi kwa kiapo kwa baba zenu na kuwapa nchi yote aliyowaahidi,
If YHWH your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;
9 kwa sababu mmefuata kwa uangalifu sheria zote ninazowaamuru leo, kumpenda Bwana Mungu wenu na kuenenda siku zote katika njia zake, ndipo mtenge miji mingine, mitatu zaidi.
if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love YHWH your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, besides these three:
10 Fanyeni hivi ili damu isiyo na hatia isimwagwe katika nchi yenu, ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kama urithi wenu, ili kwamba msije mkawa na hatia ya kumwaga damu.
that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land, which YHWH your God gives you for an inheritance, and so blood be on you.
11 Lakini kama mtu anamchukia ndugu yake, akamvizia, akamshambulia na kumuua, kisha akakimbilia katika mmojawapo ya miji hii,
But if any man hates his neighbor, and lies in wait for him, and rises up against him, and strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;
12 wazee wa mji wake watatuma ujumbe kwake, kumleta kutoka mji ule na kumkabidhi mlipiza kisasi cha damu kumuua.
then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13 Msimwonee huruma. Lazima mwondoe katika Israeli hatia ya umwagaji damu isiyo na hatia ili kwamba mpate kufanikiwa.
Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
14 Usisogeze jiwe la mpaka wa jirani yako ambao uliwekwa na wale waliokutangulia katika urithi upokeao katika nchi Bwana Mungu wako anayowapa kuimiliki.
You shall not remove your neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that YHWH your God gives you to possess it.
15 Shahidi mmoja hatoshi kumtia hatiani mtu kwa uhalifu au kosa lolote ambalo anaweza kuwa amelitenda. Lazima shauri lolote lithibitishwe kwa ushuhuda wa mashahidi wawili au watatu.
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall every word be established.
16 Kama shahidi mwenye nia ya kumdhuru mwingine akisimama kumshtaki mtu kwa uhalifu,
If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
17 watu wawili wanaohusika katika mabishano lazima wasimame mbele za Bwana na mbele ya makuhani na waamuzi ambao wako kazini wakati huo.
then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before YHWH, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;
18 Waamuzi lazima wafanye uchunguzi kwa makini na shahidi akionekana kuwa ni mwongo, akitoa ushuhuda wa uongo dhidi ya ndugu yake,
and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, look, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother;
19 basi mtende kama alivyotaka kumtendea ndugu yake. Ni lazima mwondoe uovu miongoni mwenu.
then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother: so you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.
20 Watu watakaosalia watasikia hili na kuogopa, uovu kama huo kamwe hautatendeka tena miongoni mwenu.
Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and shall hereafter commit no more any such evil in the midst of you.
21 Msionyeshe huruma, uhai kwa uhai, jicho kwa jicho, jino kwa jino, mkono kwa mkono, mguu kwa mguu.
Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
