Torati 19
1 Wakati Yahwe Mungu wenu anayafutilia mbali mataifa, yale ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa nchi yao, na wakati mnakuja kwao na kuishi katika miji yao na nyumba,
When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,
2 mnapaswa kuchagua miji mitatu kwa ajili yenu katikati mwa nchi yenu ambayo Yahwe Mungu anawapa kuimiliki.
then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
3 Mnapaswa kujenga barabara na kugawa mipaka ya nchi yenu katika maeneo matatu, nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anafanya kuimiliki, ili kwamba kila mmoja anayeua mtu mwingine apate kukimbia hapo.
You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.
4 Hii ni sheria kwa ajili ya mtu anayeua mwingine na anayekimbilia huko kuishi: yeyote auae jirani yake bila kujua, na hapo awali hakumchukia-
Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:
5 kama wakati mtu aingiapo katika msitu pamoja na jirani yake kukata kuni, na mkono wake ukata mti chini kwa shoka, na kichwa uteleza kutoka kwenye mpini na kumpiga jirani yake mpaka akafa- basi mtu huyu anapaswa kukimbilia katika moja ya miji hii na kuishi.
If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.
6 Vinginevyo damu ya mlipiza kisasi atamfuata yeye aliyetoa uhai, na kwa hasira kali anampita kwa sababu ilikuwa safari ndefu. Na anampiga na kumuua, ijapokuwa mtu huyo akustahili kufa; na hata akustahili adhabu ya kifo kwa sababu hakumchukia jirani yake kabla hili halijatokea.
Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.
7 Basi sasa ninakuamuru kuchagua miji mitatu kwa ajili yako.
This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.
8 Kama Yahwe Mungu wenu apanua mipaka yenu, kama alivyoapa kwa mababu zenu kufanya, na kuwapa nchi yote ambayo amewaahadia kuwapa mababu zenu;
And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,
9 kama mnazishika amri hizi zote kuzifanya, ambazo ninakuamuru leo- amri za kumpenda Yahwe Mungu wenu na daima kutembea katika njia zake, basi mnapaswa kuongeza miji mitatu zaidi kwa ajili yenu, isipokuwa ile mitatu.
and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.
10 Fanya hivi ili kwamba damu isiyo na hatia isimwangwe katikati ya nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa kwa ajili ya urithi, ili kwamba pasiwepo hatia ya damu kwenu.
Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
11 Lakini kama yeyote anamchukia jirani yake, uongo unamsubiri, uinuka dhidi yake, na majeraha ya kufa kwake ili kwamba anakufa, na kama basi anakimbia katika moja ya miji hii-
If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
12 basi wazee wa mji wake wanapaswa kumtoa na kumrudisha toka huko, na kumkabizi katika mkono wa ndugu mhusika, ili kwamba amuue.
the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.
13 Jicho lako halipaswi kumuonea huruma; badala yake; unapaswa kuondoa hatia ya damu kutoka Israel, ili kwamba iwe vizuri kwako.
You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.
14 Haupaswi kuondoa alama ya jirani yako ambayo wameweka katika eneo muda mrefu, katika urithi wako ambao utarithi, katika nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wako anakupa kumiliki.
You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
15 Shahidi moja peke hapaswi kuinuka dhidi ya mtu kwa ajili ya uovu wowote, au kwa ajili ya dhambi yoyote, katika jambo lolote ambalo amefanya dhambi; kwa kinywa cha mashahidi wawili, au kwa kinywa cha mashahidi watatu, kunapaswa jambo lolote lilithibitishwe.
A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
16 Kama ushuhuda wa mtu asiye na haki anainua dhidi ya mtu yeyote kushuhudia dhidi yake kwa mambo mabaya.
If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,
17 Basi watu wote wawili, mmoja kati ya yule utata upo, anapaswa kusimama mbele ya Yahwe, mbele ya makuhani na waamuzi ambao wanatumika siku hizo.
both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
18 Waamuzi wanapaswa kuchunguza kwa uangalifu; ona, kama ushahidi ni ushahidi wa uongo na umeshuhudiwa kwa uongo dhidi ya ndugu yake,
The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,
19 basi unapaswa kufanya kwake, kama alivyokusudia kufanya kwa ndugu yake, na utaondoa uovu kutoka miongoni mwenu.
you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.
20 Basi wale wanaobaki watasikia na kuogopa, na kuanzia hapo na kuendelea hawatafanya tena aina ya ouvu miongoni mwao.
Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.
21 Macho yako hapaswi kuona huruma; maisha yatalipa kwa maisha, jicho kwa jicho, jino kwa jino, mkono kwa mkono, mguu kwa mguu.
You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.
