Kutoka 21
1 “Hizi ndizo sheria utakazoweka mbele ya Waisraeli:
“Here are some [other] instructions to give to [the Israeli people]:
2 “Kama ukimnunua mtumwa wa Kiebrania, atakutumikia kwa miaka sita. Lakini katika mwaka wa saba, atakuwa huru naye atakwenda zake pasipo kulipa chochote.
When/If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve you for [only] six years. In the seventh year you must free him [from being your slave], and he is not required to pay you anything [for setting him free].
3 Kama akija peke yake, atakwenda huru peke yake, lakini kama akija na mke, ataondoka pamoja naye.
If he was not married before he became your slave, and if he marries [someone while he is your slave], his wife is not to be set free [with him]. But if he was married before he became your slave, you must free both him and his wife.
4 Kama bwana wake alimpatia mke naye akamzalia wana au binti, mwanamke pamoja na watoto wake watakuwa mali ya bwana wake na huyo mwanaume ataondoka peke yake.
If a slave’s master gives him a wife, and she gives birth to sons or daughters [while her husband is a slave], only the man is to be freed. His wife and children will continue to be slaves of their master.
5 “Lakini kama mtumishi akisema, ‘Ninampenda bwana wangu, mke wangu pamoja na watoto na sitaki kuwa huru,’
But when it is time for the slave to be set free, if the slave says, ‘I love my master and my wife and my children, and I do not want to be set free,’
6 ndipo bwana wake atakapolazimika kumpeleka mbele ya waamuzi. Kisha atampeleka kwenye mlango au kizingiti na kutoboa sikio lake kwa shazia. Naye atamtumikia bwana wake maisha yake yote.
then his master must take him to [the place where they worship] God (OR, to [the owner’s] house). There he must make the slave stand against the door or the doorpost. Then the master will use an (awl/pointed metal rod) to make a hole in the slave’s ear. Then [he will fasten a tag to the slave’s ear to indicate that] (he will own that slave for the rest of his life/he will own the slave as long as the slave lives).
7 “Kama mtu akimuuza binti yake kuwa mtumwa, hataachwa huru kama watumwa wa kiume waachiwavyo.
If a man sells his daughter to become a slave, she should not be set free [after six years], as the male slaves are.
8 Kama hakumpendeza bwana wake aliyemchagua, huyo bwana atamwacha akombolewe. Hatakuwa na haki ya kumuuza kwa wageni, kwa sababu huyo bwana atakuwa amekosa uaminifu.
If the man who bought her wanted her to be his wife, but if [later] he is not pleased with her, he must sell her back to her father. He must not sell her to a foreigner, because that would be breaking the contract/agreement [he made with the girl’s father].
9 Kama akimchagua aolewe na mwanawe, ni lazima ampe haki za kuwa binti yake.
If the man who buys her wants her to be a wife for his son, he must then treat her as though she were his own daughter.
10 Ikiwa huyo mwana aliyeozwa mtumwa mwanamke ataoa mwanamke mwingine, ni lazima aendelee kumtosheleza huyo mke wa kwanza kwa chakula, mavazi na haki zote za ndoa.
If the master takes another slave girl to be another wife for himself, he must continue to give the first slave wife the same amount of food and clothing that he gave to her before, and he must continue to have sex [EUP] with her as before.
11 Iwapo hatamtosheleza kwa mambo hayo matatu, huyo mke wa kwanza ataondoka na kuwa huru bila malipo yoyote ya fedha.
If he does not do all these three things for her, he must free her [from being a slave], and she is not required to pay anything [for being set free].
12 “Yeyote ampigaye mtu na kumuua ni lazima auawe hakika.
You must execute anyone who strikes another person with the result that the person who is struck dies.
13 Hata hivyo, kama hakumuua kwa makusudi, lakini Mungu akaruhusu itendeke, basi atakimbilia mahali nitakapomchagulia.
But if the one who struck the other did not intend to kill that person, the one who struck him can escape to a place that I will choose for you, [and he will be safe there].
14 Lakini kama mtu akipanga na kumuua mwingine kwa makusudi, mwondoe katika madhabahu yangu na kumuua.
But if someone gets angry with another person and kills him, even if the murderer runs to the altar, [a place that God designated as a place to be safe], you must execute him.
15 “Yeyote amshambuliaye baba yake au mama yake ni lazima auawe.
Anyone who strikes his father or mother must surely be executed.
16 “Yeyote amtekaye nyara mwingine akamuuza au akamweka kwake, akikamatwa ni lazima auawe.
Anyone who kidnaps another person, either in order to sell that person or to keep him as a slave, must be executed.
17 “Yeyote atakayemlaani baba yake au mama yake ni lazima auawe.
Anyone who reviles/curses his father or his mother must be executed.
18 “Kama watu wakigombana na mmoja akimpiga mwingine kwa jiwe au kwa ngumi yake na hakufa bali akaugua na kulala kitandani,
Suppose two people fight, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist. And suppose the person he strikes does not die but is injured and has to stay in bed [for a while],
19 yule aliyempiga ngumi hatahesabiwa kuwa na hatia kama mwenzake ataamka na kujikongoja kwa fimbo yake, lakini hata hivyo, ni lazima amlipe fidia ya muda wake aliopoteza na awajibike mpaka apone kabisa.
and later he is able to walk outside using a cane. Then the person who struck him does not have to be punished. However, he must pay the injured person the money he could not earn [while he was recovering], and he must also pay the injured person’s medical expenses until that person is well.
20 “Kama mtu akimpiga mtumwa wake wa kiume au wa kike kwa fimbo na mtumwa huyo akafa papo hapo, ni lazima aadhibiwe
If someone strikes his male or female slave with a stick, if the slave dies (immediately/as a result) [IDM], the one who struck him must be punished.
21 lakini ikiwa mtumwa ataamka baada ya siku moja au mbili, hataadhibiwa, kwa sababu yule mtumwa ni mali yake.
But if the slave lives for a day or two after he is struck [and then dies], you must not punish the one who struck him. Not having that slave to be able to work for him any longer is enough punishment.
22 “Ikiwa watu wawili wanapigana na wakamuumiza mwanamke mjamzito, naye akazaa kabla ya wakati lakini hakuna majeraha makubwa, mhalifu atatozwa mali kiasi cha madai ya mume wa yule mwanamke, na jinsi mahakama itakavyoamua.
Suppose two people are fighting and they hurt a pregnant woman with the result that (she has a miscarriage/her baby is born prematurely and dies). If the woman is not harmed in any other way, the one who injured her must pay a fine. He must pay whatever the woman’s husband demands, after a judge approves of the fine.
23 Lakini kukiwa na jeraha kubwa, ni lazima ulipe uhai kwa uhai,
But if the woman is injured in some additional way, the one who injured her must be caused to suffer in exactly the same way [that he caused her to suffer]. If she dies, he must be executed.
24 jicho kwa jicho, jino kwa jino, mkono kwa mkono, mguu kwa mguu,
If her eye is injured or destroyed, or if he knocks out one of her teeth, or her hand or foot is injured, or if she is burned or bruised, the one who injured her must be injured in the same way.
25 kuchomwa moto kwa kuchomwa moto, jeraha kwa jeraha, mchubuko kwa mchubuko.
26 “Ikiwa mtu atampiga mtumwa mwanaume au mwanamke kwenye jicho na kuliharibu, ni lazima amwache huru yule mtumwa kama fidia ya hilo jicho.
If the owner of a slave strikes the eye of his male or female slave and ruins it, he must free that slave because of [what he did to] the slave’s eye.
27 Kama akimvunja jino mtumwa wa kiume au wa kike, ni lazima amwache huru huyo mtumwa kwa kufidia hilo jino.
If someone knocks out one of his slave’s teeth, he must free the slave because of [what he did to] the slave’s tooth.
28 “Kama fahali akimuua mwanaume au mwanamke kwa kumpiga kwa pembe, fahali huyo ni lazima auawe kwa kupigwa mawe, na nyama yake haitaliwa. Lakini mwenye fahali huyo hatawajibika.
If a bull gores a man or woman with the result that the person dies, you [must kill the bull by] throwing stones at it, but you must not punish the owner of the bull.
29 Lakini hata hivyo, ikiwa huyo fahali amekuwa na tabia ya kupiga kwa pembe, na mwenyewe ameonywa na hakutaka kumfungia naye akamuua mwanaume au mwanamke, huyo fahali ni lazima auawe kwa mawe na mwenye fahali pia auawe.
But suppose the bull had attacked people several times before, and its owner had been warned, but he did not keep the bull inside a fence. Then you [must kill the bull by] throwing stones at it, but you must also execute its owner.
30 Lakini ikiwa malipo yatatakiwa kwake, basi anaweza kulipa kinachodaiwa ili kuukomboa uhai wake.
However, if the owner of the bull is allowed to pay a fine (to save his own life/in order not to be executed), he must pay the full amount that the judges say that he must pay.
31 Sheria hii pia itatumika ikiwa fahali atampiga kwa pembe mwana au binti.
If someone’s bull attacks and gores another person’s son or daughter, you must treat the bull’s owner according to that same rule.
32 Ikiwa fahali atampiga mtumwa wa kike au wa kiume, mwenye fahali atalipa shekeli thelathini za fedha kwa bwana mwenye mtumwa, na fahali ni lazima auawe kwa mawe.
If a bull attacks and gores a male or female slave, its owner must pay to the slave’s owner 30 pieces of silver. Then you must [kill the bull by] throwing stones at it.
33 “Kama mtu akiacha shimo wazi, ama akachimba shimo kisha asilifukie, na ngʼombe au punda akatumbukia ndani yake,
Suppose someone has a pit/cistern and does not keep it covered, and someone’s bull or donkey falls into it [and dies].
34 mwenye shimo ni lazima alipe hasara iliyotokea; ni lazima amlipe mwenye mnyama. Mnyama aliyekufa atakuwa wake.
Then the owner of the pit/cistern must pay for the animal that died. He must give the money to the animal’s owner, but then he can take away the animal that died and [do whatever he wants to with it].
35 “Kama fahali wa mtu fulani atamuumiza fahali wa mtu mwingine na akafa, watamuuza yule aliye hai na wagawane sawa fedha pamoja na mnyama aliyekufa.
If someone’s bull hurts another person’s bull with the result that it dies, the owners of both bulls must sell the bull that is living, and they must divide [between them] the money [that they receive] for it. They must also divide [between them the meat of] the animal that died.
36 Hata hivyo, kama ikifahamika kwamba fahali huyo alikuwa na tabia ya kupiga kwa pembe na mwenyewe hakumfunga, ni lazima mwenye fahali alipe mnyama kwa mnyama, na mnyama aliyekufa atakuwa wake.
However, if people know that the bull often attacked other animals previously, and its owner did not keep it inside a fence, then the owner of that bull must give the owner of the bull that died one of his own bulls, but he can take away the animal that died [and do with it whatever he wants to do].”
