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 nations, whose land the Lord your God is giving you, have been cut off by him, and you have taken their place and are living in their towns and in their houses;

2 mnapaswa kuchagua miji mitatu kwa ajili yenu katikati mwa nchi yenu ambayo Yahwe Mungu anawapa kuimiliki.

You are to have three towns marked out in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage.

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 make ready a way, and see that the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, is marked out into three parts, to which any taker of life may go in flight.

4 Hii ni sheria kwa ajili ya mtu anayeua mwingine na anayekimbilia huko kuishi: yeyote auae jirani yake bila kujua, na hapo awali hakumchukia-

This is to be the rule for anyone who goes in flight there, after causing the death of his neighbour in error and not through hate;

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.

For example, if a man goes into the woods with his neighbour for the purpose of cutting down trees, and when he takes his axe to give a blow to the tree, the head of the axe comes off, and falling on to his neighbour gives him a wound causing his death; then the man may go in flight to one of these towns and be safe:

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.

For if not, he who has the right of punishment may go running after the taker of life in the heat of his wrath, and overtake him because the way is long, and give him a death-blow; though it is not right for him to be put to death because he was not moved by hate.

7 Basi sasa ninakuamuru kuchagua miji mitatu kwa ajili yako.

And so I am ordering you to see that three towns are marked out for this purpose.

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 makes wide the limits of your land, as he said in his oath to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he undertook to give to your fathers;

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.

If you keep and do all these orders which I give you today, loving the Lord your God and walking ever in his ways; then let three more towns, in addition to these three, be marked out for you:

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.

So that in all your land, which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, no man may be wrongly put to death, for which you will be responsible.

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-

But if any man has hate for his neighbour, and waiting for him secretly makes an attack on him and gives him a blow causing his death, and then goes in flight to one of these towns;

12 basi wazee wa mji wake wanapaswa kumtoa na kumrudisha toka huko, na kumkabizi katika mkono wa ndugu mhusika, ili kwamba amuue.

The responsible men of his town are to send and take him, and give him up to the one who has the right of punishment to be put to death.

13 Jicho lako halipaswi kumuonea huruma; badala yake; unapaswa kuondoa hatia ya damu kutoka Israel, ili kwamba iwe vizuri kwako.

Have no pity on him, so that Israel may be clear from the crime of putting a man to death without cause, and it will be well for 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.

Your neighbour's landmark, which was put in its place by the men of old times, is not to be moved or taken away in the land of your heritage which the Lord your God is giving you.

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.

One witness may not make a statement against a man in relation to any sin or wrongdoing which he has done: on the word of two or three witnesses a question is to be judged.

16 Kama ushuhuda wa mtu asiye na haki anainua dhidi ya mtu yeyote kushuhudia dhidi yake kwa mambo mabaya.

If a false witness makes a statement against a man, saying that he has done wrong,

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.

Then the two men, between whom the argument has taken place, are to come before the Lord, before the priests and judges who are then in power;

18 Waamuzi wanapaswa kuchunguza kwa uangalifu; ona, kama ushahidi ni ushahidi wa uongo na umeshuhudiwa kwa uongo dhidi ya ndugu yake,

And the judges will have the question looked into with care: and if the witness is seen to be false and to have made a false statement against his brother,

19 basi unapaswa kufanya kwake, kama alivyokusudia kufanya kwa ndugu yake, na utaondoa uovu kutoka miongoni mwenu.

Then do to him what it was his purpose to do to his brother: and so put away the evil from among you.

20 Basi wale wanaobaki watasikia na kuogopa, na kuanzia hapo na kuendelea hawatafanya tena aina ya ouvu miongoni mwao.

And the rest of the people, hearing of it, will be full of fear, and never again do such 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.

Have no pity; let life be given for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.