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 Yahweh your God cuts off the nations whose land Yahweh your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,
2 mnapaswa kuchagua miji mitatu kwa ajili yenu katikati mwa nchi yenu ambayo Yahwe Mungu anawapa kuimiliki.
you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which Yahweh your God gives 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 shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.
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 the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past—
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.
as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.
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 man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.
7 Basi sasa ninakuamuru kuchagua miji mitatu kwa ajili yako.
Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.
8 Kama Yahwe Mungu wenu apanua mipaka yenu, kama alivyoapa kwa mababu zenu kufanya, na kuwapa nchi yote ambayo amewaahadia kuwapa mababu zenu;
If Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised 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.
and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love Yahweh your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition 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.
This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.
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 hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into 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.
then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13 Jicho lako halipaswi kumuonea huruma; badala yake; unapaswa kuondoa hatia ya damu kutoka Israel, ili kwamba iwe vizuri kwako.
Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel 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 shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God gives 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.
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
16 Kama ushuhuda wa mtu asiye na haki anainua dhidi ya mtu yeyote kushuhudia dhidi yake kwa mambo mabaya.
If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
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 both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;
18 Waamuzi wanapaswa kuchunguza kwa uangalifu; ona, kama ushahidi ni ushahidi wa uongo na umeshuhudiwa kwa uongo dhidi ya ndugu yake,
and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,
19 basi unapaswa kufanya kwake, kama alivyokusudia kufanya kwa ndugu yake, na utaondoa uovu kutoka miongoni mwenu.
then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
20 Basi wale wanaobaki watasikia na kuogopa, na kuanzia hapo na kuendelea hawatafanya tena aina ya ouvu miongoni mwao.
Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any 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.
Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
