Deuteronomy 15

1 At the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts.

“Ekupheleni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa kumele lesule izikwelede.

2 This is the way it shall be done: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not require payment from his neighbor and his brother, because Yahweh’s release has been proclaimed.

Nanso indlela elizakuphatha ngayo: Wonke umuntu owake waboleka omunye wakibo wako-Israyeli impahla yakhe kumele esule lesosikwelede. Akusafanelanga ukuthi adinge ukuhlawulwa ngomunye wakhe wako-Israyeli loba umfowabo, ngoba isikhathi sikaThixo sokwesula izikwelede sesimenyezelwe.

3 Of a foreigner you may require it; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release.

Lilakho ukuthi lihlawulwe ngabezizweni, kodwa kumele lesule isikwelede umfowenu ayabe elaso kini.

4 However there will be no poor with you (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess)

Kodwa akungabi lomuntu oswelayo phakathi kwenu, ngoba elizweni lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuze libe yilifa lenu, uzalibusisa kakhulu,

5 if only you diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you today.

nxa lizalalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu linanzelele njalo ukuthi liyayilandela yonke imilayo yakhe engilethulela yona lamuhla.

6 For Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

Kungenxa yalokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azalibusisa njengokulithembisa kwakhe, njalo lizakweboleka izizwe ezinengi kodwa lina aliyikweboleka lutho kuzo. Lizabusa phezu kwezizwe ezinengi kodwa lina akulasizwe esizalibusa.

7 If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;

Nxa ekhona ongumyanga phakathi kwabafowenu emadolobheni la uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika wona lasemazweni eliwaphiweyo, lingabi lezinhliziyo ezilukhuni loba ukuba ngabancitshanayo kumfowenu ongumyanga.

8 but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks.

Kuhle ukuthi libe ngabaphanayo limeboleke ngokukhululeka loba yini ayiswelayo.

9 Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you.

Limukani lingagcini umnakano omubi othi: ‘Umnyaka wesikhombisa, umnyaka wokwesulwa kwezikwelede, ususondele,’ ukuze lingabi lomoya omubi ngomfowenu oswelayo lingabe lisamnika lutho. Kungenzeka acele kuThixo ukuba alihlanekele, libe selifunyanwa lilesono.

10 You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to.

Mupheni okunengi njalo lokhu likwenze ngezinhliziyo ezingelamona; kanti-ke ngenxa yalokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalibusisa kuyo yonke imisebenzi yenu lakukho konke elibeka izandla zenu kukho.

11 For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.

Kuzahlala kulokhu kulabantu abangabayanga elizweni. Ngakho ngiyalilaya ukuba phanini ngezandla ezivulekileyo kubafowenu kanye lakubo bonke abangabayanga labaswelayo elizweni lenu.”

12 If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.

“Nxa omunye wenu ongumHebheru, owesilisa loba owesifazane, ezithengisile kini, angasebenza iminyaka eyisithupha, ngomnyaka wesikhombisa kumele limkhulule azihambele.

13 When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty.

Mhla limkhulula lingamyekeli ehamba eze engaphethe lutho.

14 You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your wine press. As Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.

Mnikeni emihlambini yenu ngomoya wokuphana, lasemabeleni asebhuliwe kanye lewayini eselihluziwe. Mnikeni njengokubusiswa kwenu nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.

15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this thing today.

Khumbulani ukuthi laliyizigqili eGibhithe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu walikhulula. Yikho ngilinika umlayo lo lamuhla.

16 It shall be, if he tells you, “I will not go out from you,” because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you,

Kodwa nxa isisebenzi senu singathi kini, ‘Angifuni ukusuka lapha,’ ngenxa yokuthi siyalithanda lina labendlu yenu njalo sihlezi kuhle lani,

17 then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.

thathani usungulo libhobozele indlebe yaso emnyango, sihle sibe yisisebenzi senu kokuphela. Lokhu likwenze lasesigqilini sesifazane.

18 It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for he has been double the value of a hired hand as he served you six years. Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you do.

Lingakuthathi njengomthwalo onzima ukukhulula izisebenzi zenu, ngoba umsebenzi esiyabe sikwenzele wona eminyakeni eyisithupha uyalingana lomsebenzi ophindwe kabili owenziwa ngoqhatshiweyo. Ngakho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalibusisa kukho konke elikwenzayo.”

19 You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to Yahweh your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

“Yehlukaniselani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu amazibulo wonke amaduna emihlambini yenu kanye leyezimvu. Lingasebenzisi loba yiliphi izibulo emhlambini loba owezimvu njalo lingagundi uboya bamazibulo ezimvu zenu.

20 You shall eat it before Yahweh your God year by year in the place which Yahweh shall choose, you and your household.

Ngayo yonke iminyaka lina kanye labendlu yenu lizawadla phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu endaweni azayikhetha yena.

21 If it has any defect—is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.

Nxa inyamazana ilesici, iqhula loba iyisiphofu, loba ilokunye okusolekayo, linganikeli ngayo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.

22 You shall eat it within your gates. The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle and as the deer.

Leyo lizayidlela emadolobheni enu. Bonke abahlanzekileyo labangahlanzekanga ngokomkhuba balakho ukuyidla, kungani badla ithaka lembabala.

23 Only you shall not eat its blood. You shall pour it out on the ground like water.

Kodwa lingadli igazi lazo, lichitheleni emhlabathini kungathi lichitha amanzi.”