Deuteronomy 17

1 Don't sacrifice to the Lord your God cattle or a sheep that has a defect or has something seriously wrong, for that is offensive to the Lord your God.

Ungahlabeli iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho inkabi kumbe imvu okukuyo isici, loba yiyiphi into embi, ngoba kuyisinengiso eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho.

2 There may be a report that one of you, whether a man or a woman, living in a town that the Lord your God gave you, has been found to be sinning in the sight of the Lord your God by breaking the Lord's agreement.

Uba kutholakala phakathi kwakho, loba phakathi kwaliphi lamasango akho, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika wona, owesilisa loba owesifazana owenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ngokweqa isivumelwano sayo,

3 This person has done this by going to worship other gods, bowing down to them—or to the sun, moon, or any of the stars of heaven—which I have ordered you not to do.

abesesiyakhonza abanye onkulunkulu, abakhothamele, loba ilanga kumbe inyanga, kumbe enye yebutho lamazulu, engingakulayanga,

4 If you hear such a report, you need to make a full investigation. If you find out that the report is true, and that such an awful sin has been committed in Israel,

ube usukubikelwa, ukuzwe, uzakubuzisisa, khangela-ke, kuliqiniso, indaba iqinisekile, lesosinengiso senziwe koIsrayeli,

5 you must have the man or woman who has committed this terrible act taken outside the town and stoned to death.

uzayikhupha leyondoda kumbe lowo owesifazana, abenze leyonto embi, emasangweni akho, leyondoda kumbe lowo owesifazana, ubakhande ngamatshe baze bafe.

6 That person is to be executed based on the evidence given by two or three witnesses. No one shall be executed on the evidence given by a single witness.

Ngomlomo wabafakazi ababili loba wabafakazi abathathu ofanele ukufa uzabulawa; kayikubulawa ngomlomo womfakazi oyedwa.

7 The witnesses must act first in executing the person, and then the rest of those who are present. You must eliminate the evil from among you.

Isandla sabafakazi sizakuba ngesokuqala phezu kwakhe ukumbulala, lemva kwalokho isandla sabo bonke abantu. Ngalokhu uzakhupha ububi phakathi kwakho.

8 If there's a case before your town court that is too problematic for you to settle, whether the argument is over murder or manslaughter, one legal decision against another, or different degrees of assault, you must take the issue to the place the Lord your God will choose.

Uba kulodaba olulukhuni kakhulu kuwe ekwahluleleni, phakathi kwegazi legazi, phakathi kwesahlulelo lesahlulelo, laphakathi kokutshaya lokutshaya, indaba zokuphikisana emasangweni akho, khona uzasukuma uye endaweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ezayikhetha,

9 Go to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge in charge. Present the case to them, and they will give you their decision.

uze kubapristi abangamaLevi lakumahluleli ozakuba ekhona ngalezonsuku, uzabuza; babesebekutshela isinqumo sesahlulelo.

10 You must abide by the decision they give you there at the place the Lord will choose. Make sure you do everything they tell you to do,

Njalo uzakwenza njengokwesinqumo abazakutshela sona kuleyondawo iNkosi ezayikhetha; njalo unanzelele ukwenza njengakho konke abazakufundisa khona.

11 in accordance with the legal instructions they give you and the verdict they delivered. Don't deviate from the decision they give you.

Njengokomthetho abazakufundisa wona, lanjengokwesahlulelo abazakutshela sona, uzakwenza. Kawuyikuphambuka kusinqumo abazakutshela sona, uye ngakwesokunene kumbe ngakwesokhohlo.

12 Anyone who treats with contempt either the priest (who ministers before the Lord your God) or the judge, must be executed. You must eliminate this evil from Israel.

Lendoda eyenza ngokuziqhenya ukuze ingalaleli umpristi omi ukukhonza khona iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, kumbe umahluleli, leyondoda izakufa. Ngalokhu uzakhupha ububi koIsrayeli.

13 Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid, and won't act with contempt in the future.

Njalo bonke abantu bazakuzwa, besabe, bangaphindi ukuziqhenya.

14 After you've entered the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and have taken it over and settled in it, and you decide, “Let's have a king to rule over us like all the other nations around us do,”

Lapho usufikile elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukuthi udle ilifa lalo, uhlale kilo, ubususithi: Ngizazimisela inkosi njengazo zonke izizwe ezingizingelezeleyo;

15 you can have a king but only one chosen by the Lord your God. He must be an Israelite. You must not have a king who is a foreigner; someone who is not an Israelite.

umbeke lokumbeka abe yinkosi phezu kwakho, yena iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ezamkhetha. Evela phakathi kwabafowenu umbeke abe yinkosi phezu kwakho; kawulakumbeka owezizweni phezu kwakho ongesumfowenu.

16 Your king must not have large numbers of horses, or send his men to Egypt to buy more horses, because the Lord has declared, “You must never to return there again.”

Kodwa angazandiseli amabhiza, njalo angababuyiseli abantu eGibhithe ukuze andise amabhiza, ngoba iNkosi ithe kini: Kalisayikubuyela futhi ngaleyondlela.

17 He must not have many wives, so they don't lead him away from following the Lord. He must not have large quantities of silver and gold.

Futhi angazandiseli abafazi, ukuze inhliziyo yakhe ingaphambuki; njalo angazandiseli kakhulu isiliva legolide.

18 Once he is king and sits on his royal throne, he must make a copy for himself of these instructions, writing them on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.

Kuzakuthi esehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wakhe, uzazibhalela impinda yalumlayo egwalweni, okuvela kulokho okuphambi kwabapristi abangamaLevi.

19 He is to keep it with him, and he is to read from it each day throughout his life, so he may learn to respect the Lord his God by being careful to follow every word of these instructions and regulations.

Njalo luzakuba laye, njalo abale kulo insuku zonke zempilo yakhe, ukuze afunde ukuyesaba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe, agcine wonke amazwi alumlayo lezimiso lezi, akwenze,

20 Then he won't think more of himself than his fellow Israelites, and he won't deviate from the commandments, so that he and his sons may have long reigns over the kingdom of Israel.

ukuze inhliziyo yakhe ingaziphakamisi phezu kwabafowabo, lokuze angaphambuki emthethweni aye ngakwesokunene loba ngakwesokhohlo, ukuze elule izinsuku embusweni wakhe, yena labantwana bakhe, phakathi kukaIsrayeli.