Exodus 23
1 “Do not tell to others (false rumors/untrue reports) about other people. Do not help someone who is guilty by (testifying falsely/lying) [about what happened].
“Ungahambi ukhuluma izindaba zamanga. Ungahlanganyeli lomuntu omubi ngoba ngufakazi olomona.
2 Do not join a group of people who are planning to do something evil. Do not testify the way the [crowd wants you to], if that will prevent [the judge from deciding the case] justly/fairly.
Ungenzi okubi ulandela inengi labantu. Nxa ufakaza emthethwandaba, ungaphenduleli iqiniso ngokuvumelana labanengi,
3 When a poor person is on trial, do not [testify in] his favor [just] because he is poor [and you feel sorry for him].
njalo ungazweli umuntu ecaleni ngoba engumyanga.
4 If you see someone’s bull or donkey when it is wandering away [loose], take it back to [its owner, even if the owner] is your enemy.
Ungahlangana lenkomo kumbe ubabhemi wesitha sakho elahlekile, mnqande umbuyisele kumnikazi.
5 If you see someone’s donkey that has fallen down [because of its heavy load], help the owner to get the donkey up again, [even if] he is someone who hates you. Do not just walk away [without helping him].
Nxa ufica ubabhemi womuntu okuzondayo ewiswe ngumthwalo, ungamtshiyi, umncedise umvuse.
6 Decide the cases of poor people who are on trial [as] fairly [as you decide the cases of other people].
Ahlulela kuhle abayanga bakini emacaleni.
7 Do not accuse people falsely. Do not decide that innocent and righteous [DOU] people should be executed, because I will (punish/not forgive) people who do such an evil thing.
Ungabungeni ubufakazi bamanga, njalo ungabulali muntu ongelacala loba oqotho ngoba kangiyi kumyekela olecala.
8 Do not accept money that is a bribe, because officials who accept bribes are not able to [MTY] decide what is right to do, and they do not allow innocent people to be treated fairly.
Lingavumi ukufunjathiswa ngoba ukufunjathiswa kufiphaza ababonayo besebeguqula amazwi omuntu omsulwa.
9 Do not mistreat foreigners [who live among you]. You know [how people often treat] foreigners, because the Egyptians [did not treat you well when] you were foreigners there.
Ungancindezeli owezizweni, lina ngokwenu liyakwazi ukuthi kunjani ukuba ngabezizweni, njengoba lalingabezizweni eGibhithe.”
10 Plant [seeds] in your ground and gather the harvest for six years.
“Okweminyaka eyisithupha lizalima amasimu enu livune amabele,
11 But during the seventh year you must not plant anything. [If things grow without your planting seeds], allow poor people [to harvest and] eat the crops. If there are still crops (left over/that they do not harvest), allow wild animals to eat them. Do the same thing with your grapevines/vineyards and your olive trees.
kodwa kuzakuthi ngomnyaka wesikhombisa liyekele amasimu enu alaluke engalinywanga. Ngakho abangabayanga phakathi kwenu bazazuza ukudla kuwo, kuthi lezinyamazana zeganga zidle okuseleyo. Lizakwenza njalo okufananayo ngezivini zenu kanye lezihlahla zenu zama-oliva.
12 [You may] work for six days [each week], but on the seventh day you must rest [and not work]. And on the seventh day you must allow your work animals and your slaves and the foreigners [who live among you] also [to rest and] be refreshed.
Uzakwenza imisebenzi yakho okwensuku eziyisithupha, kodwa ngosuku lwesikhombisa ungasebenzi, ukuze inkabi yakho lobabhemi wakho kuphumule, kuthi isigqili esazalelwa endlini yakho kanye lowezizweni baphumule.
13 Make certain that you obey everything that I have commanded [you to do]. Do not pray to [MTY] other gods. Do not even mention their names.”
Qaphelisisani lenze konke engilitshela khona. Lingamemezi amabizo abanye onkulunkulu; kawangezwakali ephuma ezindebeni zenu.”
14 “Every year you must celebrate three festivals to [honor] me.
“Kathathu ngomnyaka kufanele lingithakazelele umkhosi.
15 [The first one] is the Festival of Bread That Has No Yeast. Celebrate it in the month [that is named] Abib. That is the month in which you left Egypt. Celebrate it in the way that I commanded you. And always bring [LIT] an offering when you come to worship me.
Lizathakazelela uMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo; okwensuku eziyisikhombisa dlanini isinkwa esingelamvubelo, njengokulilaya kwami. Kwenzeni lokhu ngesikhathi esimisiweyo senyanga ka-Avivi, ngoba ngaleyonyanga yikho elaphuma khona eGibhithe. Kakungabi lamuntu ozakuma phambi kwami engaphathanga lutho.
16 The second one is the Festival of Harvesting. During that festival you must offer to me the first parts/harvest of your crops that grow from the seeds that you planted. The third one is the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters. That will be after you finish harvesting your grain and grapes and fruit.
Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuVuna lokolibo kwenu ezilimweni zenu zemasimini. Lithakazelele uMkhosi wokuButhelela nxa selibutha izilimo zenu emasimini.
17 Every year, at each of these times, all the men must gather together to worship me, Yahweh God.
Kathathu ngomnyaka amadoda wonke kufanele ayebonakala phambi kukaThixo Wobukhosi.
18 When you sacrifice an animal [and offer it] to me, you must not offer bread that has been baked with yeast. [When you] offer sacrifices, [burn] the fat [from the animals on that same day]. Do not allow any fat to remain until the next morning.
Linganikeli igazi lomhlatshelo kimi ndawonye laloba yini elemvubelo. Amahwahwa eminikelo yemikhosi yami akumelanga agcinwe kuze kuse.
19 Each year, when you harvest your crops, bring to the place where you worship me, Yahweh God, the first part of what you harvest. When you kill a (young animal/kid [or lamb or calf)], do not [prepare to eat it by] boiling it in its mother’s milk.”
Lethani okolibo kwenu okuhle kakhulu endlini kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Lingapheki izinyane lembuzi ngochago lukanina.”
20 “Note this: I am going to send an angel ahead of you, to guard you as you travel and to bring you safely to the place that I have prepared [for you]. Pay attention to what he says and obey him. Do not rebel against him, because he will have my authority [MTY] and he will (punish/not forgive) [LIT] you if you rebel against him.
“Khangelani, sengithumela ingilosi phambi kwenu ukuze ilivikele endleleni yenu njalo ize ilifikise endaweni engililungisele yona.
Liyinanzelele ingilosi yami njalo lilalele ekutshoyo. Lingayihlamukeli ngoba kayizukulithethelela nxa lingayihlamukela, njengoba iBizo lami likuyo.
22 But if you pay attention to what he says and if you do all that I tell you [to do], I will fight strongly [DOU] against all of your enemies.
Nxa lingalalelisisa ekutshoyo njalo lenze konke engikutshoyo, ngizakuba yisitha sezitha zenu njalo ngizamelana lalabo abamisana lani.
23 My angel will go ahead of you, and will take you to where the Amor and Heth and Periz and Canaan and Hiv and Jebus people-groups live, and I will completely get rid of them.
Ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwenu ize ilingenise elizweni lama-Amori, lamaHithi, lamaPherizi, lamaKhenani lamaHivi kanye lamaJebusi njalo ngizababhubhisa.
24 Do not bow down before their gods/idols or worship them. And do not do the things [that they think that their gods want] them to do. Completely destroy their gods/idols, and smash to pieces their sacred stones.
Lingabakhothameli onkulunkulu babo, lingabakhonzi njalo lingalandeli imikhuba yabo. Kufanele libhidlize onkulunkulu babo njalo lidilize amatshe abo abawakhonzayo.
25 You must worship me, Yahweh God. [If you do that], I will bless your (OR, bless [you by giving you]) food and water, and I will protect you from becoming sick.
Mkhonzeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, kuzakuthi isibusiso sakhe sibe phezu kokudla laphezu kwamanzi enu. Ngizasusa imikhuhlane phakathi kwenu,
26 No women in your land will have (miscarriages/babies that will die after being born prematurely), and no women will be unable to become pregnant. And I will enable you to live a long time.
njalo kakho ozaswela loba abe yinyumba ezweni lenu. Ngizaphelelisa insuku zenu.
27 I will cause the people who oppose you to become very afraid of me. I will cause the people whom you fight against to become very confused. And then I will cause them to turn around and run away from you.
Ngizathumela uchuku lwami phambi kwenu njalo ngisanganise zonke izizwe elizahlangana lazo. Ngizakwenza zonke izitha zenu zifulathele zilibalekele.
28 I will cause your enemies to become terrified. And I will expel the Hiv, Canaan, and Heth people-groups from your land.
Ngizathumela olonyovu phambi kwenu ukuze basuse amaHivi, amaKhenani kanye lamaHithi endleleni yenu.
29 I will not expel [all of] them in less than one year. If I did that, your land would become deserted, and there would be very many wild animals ([that would attack you/you would not be able to control]).
Kodwa angiyikubasusa ngomnyaka munye, ngoba ilizwe lingasala lingasela muntu besekusithi izinyamazana zeganga zande zilikhulele.
30 I will expel those people-groups slowly, a few at a time, until the number of your people increases and you are able to live everywhere in the land.
Ngizabasusa kancanekancane phambi kwenu, lani lize lande lenelise ukuthatha ilizwe.
31 I will cause the borders of your land to extend from the (Red Sea/Gulf of Aqaba) [in the southeast] to the Mediterranean Sea [in the northwest], and from the [Sinai] Desert [in the southwest] to the [Euphrates] River [in the northeast of the country]. I will enable you [MTY] to expel the people who live there, so that you will expel them as you occupy more of the country.
Ngizabeka imingcele kusukela oLwandle oluBomvu kusiya oLwandle lwamaFilistiya, njalo kusuka enkangala kusiya emfuleni uYufrathe. Ngakho abantu abahlala kulelolizwe ngizabanikela ezandleni zenu ukuze libadudule.
32 You must not make any agreement/treaty with those people or with their gods.
Lingenzi isivumelwano labo loba labonkulunkulu babo.
33 Do not allow [those people] to live in your land, in order that they do not cause you to sin against me. If you worship their gods, [you will not be able to escape from worshiping them and sinning against me, just like someone caught] in a trap [is unable to escape] [MET].”
Kabangahlali lani ezweni lenu, funa balenze lingonele, ngoba ukukhonza kwabo onkulunkulu babo kuzakuba yisifu kini.”
