Kutoka 23
1 “Usieneze habari za uongo. Usimsaidie mtu mwovu kwa kuwa shahidi mwenye nia ya kudhuru wengine.
“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
2 “Usifuate umati wa watu katika kutenda mabaya. Unapotoa ushahidi kwenye mashtaka, usipotoshe haki ukijumuika na umati wa watu,
“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.
3 nawe usimpendelee mtu maskini katika mashtaka yake.
You shall not favour a poor man in his cause.
4 “Kama ukikutana na maksai au punda wa adui yako anapotea, hakikisha umemrudisha kwake.
“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
5 Ukiona punda wa mtu anayekuchukia ameanguka na mzigo wake, usimwache hapo alipoangukia; hakikisha kuwa umemsaidia.
If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, don’t leave him. You shall surely help him with it.
6 “Usiwanyime haki watu wako walio maskini katika mashtaka yao.
“You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.
7 Ujiepushe na mashtaka ya uongo, wala usimuue mtu asiye na hatia au mtu mwaminifu, kwa maana sitamhesabia hana hatia yeye aliye na hatia.
“Keep far from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.
8 “Usipokee rushwa, kwa kuwa rushwa hupofusha wale waonao, na kupinda maneno ya wenye haki.
“You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous.
9 “Usimwonee mgeni; ninyi wenyewe mnajua jinsi mgeni anavyojisikia, kwa sababu mlikuwa wageni Misri.
“You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, since you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
10 “Kwa muda wa miaka sita mtapanda mashamba yenu na kuvuna mazao,
“For six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in its increase,
11 lakini katika mwaka wa saba usiilime ardhi wala kuitumia, ili watu walio maskini miongoni mwenu waweze kupata chakula kutoka kwenye hayo mashamba, nao wanyama pori wapate chakula kwa yale mabaki watakayobakiza. Utafanya hivyo katika shamba lako la mizabibu na la mizeituni.
but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the animal of the field shall eat. In the same way, you shall deal with your vineyard and with your olive grove.
12 “Kwa siku sita fanya kazi zako, lakini siku ya saba usifanye kazi, ili maksai wako na punda wako wapate kupumzika, naye mtumwa aliyezaliwa nyumbani mwako, pamoja na mgeni, wapate kustarehe.
“Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant, and the alien may be refreshed.
13 “Uzingatie kutenda kila kitu nilichokuambia. Usiombe kwa majina ya miungu mingine, wala usiyaruhusu kusikika kinywani mwako.
“Be careful to do all things that I have said to you; and don’t invoke the name of other gods or even let them be heard out of your mouth.
14 “Mara tatu kwa mwaka utanifanyia sikukuu.
“You shall observe a feast to me three times a year.
15 “Utaadhimisha Sikukuu ya Mikate Isiyotiwa Chachu; kwa siku saba utakula mikate isiyotiwa chachu kama nilivyokuagiza. Fanya jambo hili kwa wakati uliopangwa katika mwezi wa Abibu, ndio mwezi wa nne, kwa sababu katika mwezi huo ulitoka Misri. “Mtu yeyote asije mbele yangu mikono mitupu.
You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib (for in it you came out of Egypt), and no one shall appear before me empty.
16 “Utaadhimisha Sikukuu ya Mavuno kwa malimbuko ya mazao yako uliyopanda katika shamba lako. “Utaadhimisha Sikukuu ya Kukusanya mavuno mwishoni mwa mwaka, unapokusanya mavuno yako toka shambani.
And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of your labours, which you sow in the field; and the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in your labours out of the field.
17 “Mara tatu kwa mwaka wanaume wote watakuja mbele za Bwana Mwenyezi.
Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
18 “Msitoe damu ya dhabihu kwangu pamoja na kitu chochote kilicho na chachu. “Mafuta ya mnyama wa sadaka ya sikukuu yangu yasibakizwe mpaka asubuhi.
“You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. The fat of my feast shall not remain all night until the morning.
19 “Utaleta malimbuko bora ya ardhi yako katika nyumba ya Bwana Mungu wako. “Usimchemshe mwana-mbuzi katika maziwa ya mama yake.
You shall bring the first of the first fruits of your ground into the house of the LORD your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
20 “Tazama, ninamtuma malaika akutangulie mbele yako akulinde njiani na kukuleta mpaka mahali nilipoandaa.
“Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
21 Mtamtii na kusikiliza kile anachokisema. Usiasi dhidi yake; hatakusamehe uasi wako, kwa maana Jina langu limo ndani yake.
Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
22 Kama ukitii kweli kweli kile asemacho na kufanya yote nisemayo, nitakuwa adui wa adui zako, na nitawapinga wale wakupingao.
But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.
23 Malaika wangu atatangulia mbele yako na kukuleta katika nchi ya Waamori, Wahiti, Waperizi, Wakanaani, Wahivi na Wayebusi, nami nitawafutilia mbali.
For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off.
24 Usiisujudie miungu yao, au kuiabudu, wala kufuata desturi yao. Utayabomoa kabisa na kuvunjavunja mawe yao ya ibada vipande vipande.
You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars.
25 Utamwabudu Bwana Mungu wako, na baraka zake zitakuwa juu ya vyakula vyako na maji yako. Nami nitaondoa maradhi miongoni mwako,
You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from amongst you.
26 na hakuna atakayeharibu mimba wala atakayekuwa tasa katika nchi yako. Nami nitakupa maisha makamilifu.
No one will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfil the number of your days.
27 “Nitapeleka utisho wangu mbele yako na kufadhaisha kila taifa utakalolifikia. Nitafanya adui zako wote wakupe kisogo na kukimbia.
I will send my terror before you, and will confuse all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.
28 Nitatanguliza manyigu mbele yako kuwafukuza Wahivi, Wakanaani na Wahiti waondoke njiani mwako.
I will send the hornet before you, which will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you.
29 Lakini sitawafukuza kwa mara moja, kwa sababu nchi itabaki ukiwa na wanyama pori watakuwa wengi mno kwako.
I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the animals of the field multiply against you.
30 Nitawafukuza kidogo kidogo mbele yako, mpaka uwe umeongezeka kiasi cha kutosha kuimiliki nchi.
Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land.
31 “Nitaweka mipaka ya nchi yako kuanzia Bahari ya Shamu hadi Bahari ya Wafilisti, na kuanzia jangwani hadi Mto Frati. Nitawatia watu wanaoishi katika nchi hizo mikononi mwako, nawe utawafukuza watoke mbele yako.
I will set your border from the Sea of Suf even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.
32 Usifanye agano lolote nao wala na miungu yao.
You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
33 Usiwaache waishi katika nchi yako, la sivyo watakusababisha utende dhambi dhidi yangu, kwa sababu ibada ya miungu yao hakika itakuwa mtego kwako.”
They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
