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 Yahweh your God cuts off the nations, those whose land Yahweh your God is giving you, and when you come after them and live in their cities and houses,
2 ndipo mtenge miji mitatu iliyopo katikati ya nchi kwa ajili yenu, katika nchi ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kuimiliki.
you must select three cities for yourself in the middle of your land that Yahweh your God is giving you to possess.
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 must build a road and divide the borders of your land into three parts, the land that Yahweh your God is causing you to inherit, so that everyone who kills another person 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 law for the one who kills another and who flees there to live—anyone who kills his neighbor unintentionally, and did not previously hate him.
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.
For example, if a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his chops with the ax to cut down a tree, and the ax head slips off of the handle and strikes his neighbor and kills him—then that man must flee to one of these cities and save his life.
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.
Otherwise the avenger of blood might go after the one who took a life, and in the heat of his anger overtake him, if the distance is too great, strike him and kill him, even though that man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past.
7 Hii ndiyo sababu nimewaagiza ninyi kutenga miji mitatu ya makimbilio kwa ajili yenu.
Therefore I command you to select three cities for yourself.
8 Kama Bwana Mungu wenu akipanua nchi yenu, kama alivyoahidi kwa kiapo kwa baba zenu na kuwapa nchi yote aliyowaahidi,
If Yahweh your God enlarges your borders, as he has sworn to your ancestors to do, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your ancestors;
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 these commandments to do them, which I am commanding you today—commandments to love Yahweh your God and to always walk in his ways, then you must add three more cities for yourself, 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.
Do this so that innocent blood is not shed in the midst of the land that Yahweh your God is giving you for as an inheritance, so that no bloodguilt may be on you.
11 Lakini kama mtu anamchukia ndugu yake, akamvizia, akamshambulia na kumuua, kisha akakimbilia katika mmojawapo ya miji hii,
But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, and mortally wounds him so that he dies, and if he then 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 must send and bring him back from there, and turn him over into the hand of the responsible relative, so that he may die.
13 Msimwonee huruma. Lazima mwondoe katika Israeli hatia ya umwagaji damu isiyo na hatia ili kwamba mpate kufanikiwa.
Your eye must not pity him; instead, you must eradicate the bloodguilt 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 must not remove your neighbor's landmark that they set in place a long time ago, in your inheritance that you will inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you to possess.
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 sole witness must not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any matter that he sins; at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, must any matter be confirmed.
16 Kama shahidi mwenye nia ya kumdhuru mwingine akisimama kumshtaki mtu kwa uhalifu,
Suppose that an unrighteous witness rises 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 men, the ones between whom the controversy exists, must stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days.
18 Waamuzi lazima wafanye uchunguzi kwa makini na shahidi akionekana kuwa ni mwongo, akitoa ushuhuda wa uongo dhidi ya ndugu yake,
The judges must make diligent inquiries; see, 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 must you do to him, as he had wished to do to his brother; and you will remove the evil from among you.
20 Watu watakaosalia watasikia hili na kuogopa, uovu kama huo kamwe hautatendeka tena miongoni mwenu.
Then those who remain will hear and fear, and will from then on commit no longer any such evil among you.
21 Msionyeshe huruma, uhai kwa uhai, jicho kwa jicho, jino kwa jino, mkono kwa mkono, mguu kwa mguu.
Your eyes must not pity; life will pay for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
