Deuteronomy 21
1 If one shall be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him:
Iwapo mtu amekutwa kauwawa ndani ya nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wako anawapatia kumiliki, kalala shambani, na haijulikani aliyemshambulia;
2 Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are around him that is slain:
basi wazee wenu pamoja na waamuzi wenu wanapaswa kutoka nje, na kupima katika miji ambayo inamzunguka yule aliyeuawa.
3 And it shall be, that the city which is next to the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been worked, and which hath not pulled the yoke;
Kisha wazee wa mji ulio karibu na mwili wa marehemu wanapaswa kuchukua mtamba kutoka kwenye kundi la mifugo, ambaye hajawahi kutumikishwa, wala kubebeshwa nira.
4 And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer to a rough valley, which is neither tilled nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley:
Kisha wanapaswa kumuongoza mtamba huyo mpaka chini ya bonde litiririkalo maji, bonde ambalo halijawahi kulimwa wala kupandwa, na mle bondeni wanapaswa kuvunja shingo ya mtamba huyo.
5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister to him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:
Makuhani, uzao wa Lawi, wanapaswa kuja mbele, kwa maana Yahwe Mungu wako amewachagua wamtumikie yeye na kutoa baraka katika jina la Yahwe na kuamua kila mtafaruku na ugomvi kwa neno lao.
6 And all the elders of that city, that are next to the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
Wazee wote wa mji ulio karibu na mtu aliyeuawa wanapaswa kunawa mikono yao juu ya mtamba aliyevunjwa shingo bondeni;
7 And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
na wanapaswa kutoa suhulisho juu ya jambo hilo na kusema, ‘Mikono yetu haijamwaga damu hii, wala macho yetu hayajaona suala hili.
8 Be merciful, O LORD, to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel. And the blood shall be forgiven them.
Tusamehe watu wako Israeli, Yahwe, ambao umewakomboa, na usiweke hatia juu ya umwagaji damu usio na kosa miongoni mwa watu wako Israeli.’ Kisha umwagaji damu utasamehewa kwao.
9 So shalt thou remove the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
Kwa njia hii utaweka mbali umwagaji damu usio na hatia miongoni mwenu, mtakapofanya yaliyo mema machoni pa YAHWE.
10 When thou goest forth to war against thy enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thy hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
Utakapokwenda kupigana vita dhidi ya maadui zako na Yahwe Mungu wako atakapokupa ushindi na kuwaweka chini ya mamlaka yako, na ukawachukua mbali kuwa mateka,
11 And thou seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire to her, that thou wouldest have her for thy wife;
kama kati ya mateka ukamwona mwanamke mzuri, nawe ukamtamani na kutaka kujitwalia awe mke wako,
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
basi utamleta nyumbani kwako; atanyoa nywele zake na kukata kucha zake.
13 And she shall put off from her the raiment of her captivity, and shall remain in thy house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in to her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
Kisha atazivua nguo alizokuwa amezivaa wakati alipochukuliwa mateka na atabaki nyumbani kwako na kuwaomboleza baba yake na mama yake kwa mwezi mzima. Baada ya hapo unaweza kulala naye na kuwa mume wake, naye atakuwa mke wako.
14 And it shall be, if thou shalt have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go where she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
Lakini usipofurahishwa naye, basi unatakiwa kumruhusu aondoke apendaye yeye. Lakini haupaswi kamwe kumuuza kwa fedha, pia haupaswi kumfanya kama mtumwa, kwa sababu umemdhalilisha.
15 If a man shall have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:
Iwapo mwanamume ana wake wawili na mmoja wao ampenda na mwingine kumchukia, na wote wamekwisha mzalia watoto –wote mwanamke mpendwa na mwanamke achukiwae –
16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not prefer the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:
basi katika siku ambayo mwanamume atakapowarithisha mali zake wanawe, hapaswi kumfanya mwana wa mke ampendaye kuwa mzawa wa kwanza kabla ya mwana wa mke amchukiaye, ambaye ndiye mwana wa kwanza.
17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
Badala yake, anapaswa kumtambua mwana wa kwanza, mwana wa mke asiyempenda, kwa kumpatia mara mbili ya mali zake; kwa maana huyo mwana ni mwanzo wa nguvu zake; haki za mzawa wa kwanza ni zake.
18 If a man shall have a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not hearken to them:
Iwapo mwanamume ana mwana mkaidi na muasi ambaye hatatii sauti ya baba yake au sauti ya mama yake, ambaye, hata baada ya kurekebishwa, hatawasikia;
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place;
basi baba yake na mama yake wanapaswa kumshika na kumleta mbele ya wazee wa mji na kwenye malango ya mji.
20 And they shall say to the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
Wanapaswa kuwaambia wazee wa mji, “Huyu mwanetu ni mkaidi na muasi; hataki kusikia sauti zetu; ni mwasherati na pia ni mlevi’.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he may die: so shalt thou remove evil from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Kisha wanaume wote wa mji wanapaswa kumpiga kwa mawe hadi kufa; nanyi mtaondoa uovu miongoni mwenu. Israeli yote itasikia juu ya hili na kuogopa.
22 And if a man shall have committed a sin worthy of death, and he must be put to death, and thou shalt hang him on a tree:
Iwapo mwanamume kafanya dhambi inayostahili kifo na kisha akauwawa, kwa kunyongwa juu ya mti,
23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God; ) that thy land may not be defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
basi mwili wake haupaswi kubaki usiku kucha juu ya mti. Badala yake, unapaswa kuhakikisha unamzika siku hiyo; kwa maana yeyote anyongwaye amekwisha laaniwa na Mungu. Tii amri hii ili kwamba usitie najisi nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wako anawapatia kama urithi.
