UDutheronomi 19

1 Lapho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho isiqumile izizwe, olizwe lazo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunike lona, osusidla ilifa lazo, osuhlala emizini yazo lezindlini zazo,

When the LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,

2 imizi emithathu uzazehlukanisela yona phakathi kwelizwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukudla ilifa lalo.

you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.

3 Uzazilungisela indlela, wehlukanise umngcele welizwe lakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukudla ilifa lalo, ube lezigaba ezintathu, ukuze wonke umbulali abalekele khona.

You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which the LORD your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.

4 Lalolu ludaba lombulali ongabalekela khona ukuze aphile: Lowo otshaya umakhelwane wakhe kungeyisikho ngabomo, obengamzondi mandulo,

This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbour unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past—

5 njengongena egangeni lomakhelwane wakhe ukuyagamula izihlahla, lesandla sakhe sitshaya ngehloka ukugamula isihlahla, lensimbi ikhumuke emphinini, imtshaye umakhelwane wakhe aze afe, yena uzabalekela komunye waleyomizi ukuze aphile.

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbour to chop wood and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbour so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

6 Hlezi umphindiseli wegazi axotshane lombulali, inhliziyo yakhe isatshisa, amfice ngoba indlela inde, amtshaye ambulale, lanxa bekungelasigwebo sokufa kuye, ngoba ebengamzondi mandulo.

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 Ngalokhu ngiyalilaya ngisithi: Uzazehlukanisela imizi emithathu.

Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.

8 Uba-ke iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iqhelisa umngcele wakho, njengokufunga kwayo kuboyihlo, ikunika ilizwe lonke eyakhuluma ngalo ukubanika oyihlo,

If the LORD 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 uba ugcina yonke limithetho ukuyenza engikulaya yona lamuhla, ukuthanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, lokuhamba endleleni zayo izinsuku zonke, khona uzazengezelelela eminye imizi emithathu ngaphandle kwaleyo emithathu.

and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to these three.

10 Ukuze kungachithwa igazi elingelacala phakathi kwelizwe lakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukuba yilifa, ube lecala legazi phezu kwakho.

This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.

11 Kodwa uba umuntu elenzondo kumakhelwane wakhe, amcathamele, amvukele, amtshaye okokufa aze afe, abalekele komunye walimizi,

But if any man hates his neighbour, 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 khona abadala bomuzi wakhe bazathumela bamthathe lapho, bamnikele esandleni somphindiseli wegazi ukuthi afe.

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 Ilihlo lakho lingamhawukeli, kodwa uzakhupha igazi elingelacala koIsrayeli, ukuze kukulungele.

Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you.

14 Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane somngcele womakhelwane wakho abendulo abasibethelayo elifeni lakho, ozakudla ilifa lalo elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukudla ilifa lalo.

You shall not remove your neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess.

15 Umfakazi oyedwa kayikusukumela umuntu loba ngabuphi ububi loba ngasiphi isono, loba kusiphi isono one ngaso. Ngomlomo wabafakazi ababili kumbe ngomlomo wabafakazi abathathu udaba lungaqiniswa.

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 Uba kusukuma umfakazi wamanga amelane lomuntu emfakazela ngokubi,

If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

17 khona abantu bobabili, abalokuxabana, bazakuma phambi kweNkosi, phambi kwabapristi labahluleli abazakuba bekhona ngalezonsuku.

then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;

18 Labahluleli bazachwayisisa; khangela-ke umfakazi ngumfakazi wamanga, ufakaze amanga ngomfowabo,

and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,

19 khona lizakwenza kuye lokho abehlose ukukwenza kumfowabo; ngalokhu uzakhupha ububi phakathi kwakho.

then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from amongst you.

20 Lalabo abaseleyo bazakuzwa, besabe, kusukela lapho bangabe besenza ububi obunjengalobu phakathi kwakho.

Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil amongst you.

21 Lelihlo lakho lingabi lesihawu; impilo ngempilo, ilihlo ngelihlo, izinyo ngezinyo, isandla ngesandla, unyawo ngonyawo.

Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.