< Torati 21 >
1 Kama mtu akikutwa ameuawa, naye amelala kwenye shamba katika nchi ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kuimiliki, wala haijulikani ni nani aliyemuua,
“When there will have been found in the land, which the Lord your God will give to you, the corpse of a man who has been killed, and it is not known who is guilty of the murder,
2 wazee wenu na waamuzi watatoka na kupima umbali kutoka maiti alipolala mpaka kwenye miji ya jirani.
your judges and those greater by birth shall go out and measure, from the place of the corpse, the distance to each of the surrounding cities.
3 Kisha wazee wa ule mji ulio karibu zaidi na yule maiti watamchukua mtamba ambaye hajapata kufanyishwa kazi na ambaye hajafungwa nira,
And in whichever one they perceive to be closer than the others, the elders shall take a calf from the herd, one which has not pulled with a yoke, nor tilled with a plow.
4 na kumpeleka kwenye bonde ambalo halijapata kulimwa au kupandwa mazao na ambapo kuna chemchemi itiririkayo. Huko kwenye hilo bonde, wazee watamvunja yule mtamba shingo.
And they shall lead it into a rough and stony valley, one which has never been tilled or sown. And in that place, they shall cut the neck of the calf.
5 Makuhani, hao wana wa Lawi, watasogea mbele, kwa kuwa Bwana Mungu wenu, amewachagua kuhudumu na kutoa baraka katika jina la Bwana, na kuamua mashauri yote ya mabishano na mashambulio.
And the priests the sons of Levi shall approach, those whom the Lord your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and to decide every controversy by their word, and to judge which things are clean and which are unclean.
6 Ndipo wazee wote wa mji ulio karibu zaidi na huyo maiti watanawa mikono yao juu ya huyo mtamba ambaye shingo yake imevunjwa huko kwenye bonde,
And those greater by birth of that city, nearest to the one who was slain, shall go and shall wash their hands over the calf that was killed in the valley.
7 nao watatangaza: “Mikono yetu haikumwaga damu hii, wala macho yetu hayakuona likifanyika.
And they shall say: ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.
8 Ee Bwana, ukubali upatanisho kwa watu wako Israeli, ambao umewakomboa, wala usiwahesabie watu wako hatia ya damu ya mtu asiyekuwa na hatia.” Nayo damu iliyomwagika itakuwa imefanyiwa upatanisho.
Be merciful to your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O Lord, and do not charge them with innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel.’ And so the guilt of the blood will be taken away from them.
9 Hivyo mtakuwa mmejitakasa wenyewe kutoka hatia ya kumwaga damu isiyokuwa na hatia, kwa kuwa mmefanya lile lililo sawa mbele za macho ya Bwana.
Then you will be free from the blood that was shed against the innocent, when you will have done as the Lord has instructed you.
10 Mkienda vitani kupigana na adui zenu naye Bwana Mungu wenu akawatia adui mikononi mwenu, nanyi mkachukua mateka,
If you have gone out to fight against your enemies, and the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand, and if, as you are leading away the captives,
11 kama ukiona miongoni mwa mateka mwanamke mzuri wa sura nawe wavutwa naye, waweza kumwoa akawa mke wako.
you see among the number of the captives a beautiful woman, and you love her, and you are willing to have her as a wife:
12 Mlete nyumbani mwako, anyoe nywele na kukata kucha zake,
then you shall lead her into your house. And she shall shave off her hair, and cut her nails short,
13 avue nguo alizokuwa amevaa alipotekwa. Baada ya kuishi nyumbani mwako na kumwombolezea baba yake na mama yake kwa mwezi mzima, ndipo utakapoweza kumwendea na kuwa mume wake naye atakuwa mke wako.
and remove the garment in which she was captured. And she shall sit in your house and weep for her father and mother, for one month. And after that, you shall enter to her and sleep with her, and she shall be your wife.
14 Lakini kama hutaendelea kupendezwa naye, mwache aende popote anapotaka. Kamwe huwezi kumuuza au kumtendea kama mtumwa, kwa sababu utakuwa umemvunjia heshima.
But if afterwards she does not sit well in your mind, you shall set her free. You cannot sell her for money, nor can you oppress her by force. For you have humiliated her.
15 Kama mwanaume ana wake wawili, naye anampenda mmoja na mwingine hampendi na wote wawili wamemzalia wana wa kiume, lakini mwana mzaliwa wa kwanza ni wa yule mke asiyempenda,
If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other hated, and they have produced children by him, and if the son of the hated wife is the firstborn,
16 wakati anapotoa wosia wa mali yake kwa wanawe, kamwe asitoe haki za mzaliwa wa kwanza kwa mwana wa mke ampendaye kwa upendeleo, badala ya mzaliwa hasa wa kwanza, ambaye ni mwana wa mke ambaye hampendi.
and if he wishes to divide his substance among his sons: he cannot make the son of the beloved wife the firstborn, and so prefer him before the son of the hated wife.
17 Ni lazima amkubali mwana wa mke asiyempenda kama mzaliwa wa kwanza kwa kumpa sehemu ya vile vyote alivyo navyo maradufu. Mwana huyo ni ishara ya kwanza ya nguvu za baba yake. Haki ya mzaliwa wa kwanza ni yake yeye.
Instead, he shall acknowledge the son of the hated wife as the firstborn, and he shall give to him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the first among his children, and the rights of the firstborn are owed to him.
18 Kama mtu ana mwana mkaidi na mwasi ambaye hamtii baba yake na mama yake, na hasikii wazazi wanapomrudi,
If a man produces a disobedient and reckless son, who will not listen to the orders of his father or mother, and, having been corrected, shows contempt for obedience:
19 baba yake na mama yake watamleta kwa wazee kwenye lango la mji wake.
they shall take him and lead him to the elders of the city and to the gate of judgment.
20 Watawaambia wazee, “Huyu mwanetu ni mkaidi na mwasi. Hatutii sisi, yeye ni mpotovu na mlevi.”
And they shall say to them: ‘This our son is reckless and disobedient. He shows contempt when listening to our admonitions. He occupies himself with carousing, and self-indulgence, and feasting.’
21 Kisha wanaume wote wa mjini mwake watampiga kwa mawe mpaka afe. Ndivyo imewapasa kuondoa maovu kati yenu. Israeli yote itasikia hili na kuogopa.
Then the people of the city shall stone him to death. And he shall die, so that you may take away the evil from your midst. And so may all of Israel, upon hearing it, be very afraid.
22 Kama mtu ana hatia ya kosa linalompasa kuuawa naye akauawa, mwili wake utaangikwa mtini,
When a man will have sinned in a matter which is punished by death, and, having been judged unto death, he has been hanged on a gallows:
23 kamwe msiuache mwili wake mtini usiku kucha. Hakikisheni mnauzika mwili wake siku ile ile, kwa sababu kila mtu anayeangikwa mtini yupo chini ya laana ya Mungu. Msiinajisi nchi ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kama urithi wenu.
his corpse shall not remain on the tree. Instead, he shall be buried on the same day. For he who hangs from a tree has been cursed by God, and you shall not defile your land, which the Lord your God will give to you as a possession.”