Deuteronomy 15

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

Ekupheleni kweminyaka yonke eyisikhombisa uzakwenza inkululeko.

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 the LORD’s release has been proclaimed.

Njalo le yindlela yenkululeko: Wonke umkweledisi oweboleka umakhelwane wakhe uzakhulula isikwelede; kayikusibamba ngamandla kumakhelwane wakhe kumbe kumfowabo, ngoba kumenyezelwe inkululeko eNkosini.

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

Kowezizweni uzasibamba ngamandla; kodwa lokho okwakho okukumfowenu isandla sakho sizakukhulula;

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

ukuze kungabi lomyanga phakathi kwakho; ngoba iNkosi izakubusisa lokukubusisa elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona ukuthi libe yilifa ukudla ilifa lalo,

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

kuphela uba ulalela lokulalela ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ugcine ukuyenza limithetho yonke engikulaya yona lamuhla.

6 For the LORD 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.

Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izakubusisa njengokuthembisa kwayo kuwe. Njalo uzakweboleka izizwe ezinengi, kodwa wena kawuyikweboleka kuzo; uzabusa izizwe ezinengi, kodwa wena kaziyikukubusa.

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

Uba kukhona phakathi kwakho umyanga ongomunye wabafowenu, kwelinye lamasango akho, elizweni lakho, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona, ungenzi lukhuni inhliziyo yakho, ungamvaleli umfowenu ongumyanga isandla sakho,

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

kodwa uzamvulela lokumvulela isandla sakho, umeboleke lokumeboleka okwanela ukuswela kwakhe, lokho akuswelayo.

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 the LORD against you, and it be sin to you.

Ziqaphele hlezi kube khona ilizwi enhliziyweni yakho embi lisithi: Umnyaka wesikhombisa, umnyaka wenkululeko useduze; lelihlo lakho libe libi limelane lomfowenu ongumyanga, ukuze ungamniki, abesekhala ngawe eNkosini, njalo kube yisono kuwe.

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

Umnike lokumnika, lenhliziyo yakho ingadani nxa umnika; ngoba ngenxa yalinto iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izakubusisa emsebenzini wonke wakho lakukho konke obeka kukho isandla sakho.

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.

Ngoba umyanga kayikuphela phakathi kwelizwe. Ngakho ngiyakulaya ngithi: Uzamvulela kakhulu isandla sakho umfowenu, umyanga wakho, loswelayo wakho, elizweni lakho.

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.

Uba umfowenu, umHebheru loba umHebherukazi, ethengiswa kuwe, akusebenzele iminyaka eyisithupha, ngakho ngomnyaka wesikhombisa uzamyekela ukuthi ahambe ekhululekile asuke kuwe.

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

Lalapho umyekela ukuthi ahambe ekhululekile esuka kuwe, ungamyekeli ukuthi ahambe engaphathanga lutho;

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

uzamnakekela lokumnakekela ezimvini zakho, lokwebala lokubhulela lakho, lokwesikhamelo sakho sewayini; kulokho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekubusise ngakho uzamupha.

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

Njalo uzakhumbula ukuthi wawuyisigqili elizweni leGibhithe, lokuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho yakuhlenga. Ngalokho ngiyakulaya linto 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 kuzakuthi, uba esithi kuwe: Kangiyikusuka kuwe, ngoba ethanda wena lendlu yakho, ngoba kulungile kuye elawe,

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.

uzathatha usungulo, ubhobozele indlebe yakhe ngalo esivalweni, ukuze abe yisigqili sakho laphakade. Lakuso isigqilikazi sakho wenze njalo.

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. The LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.

Kakungabi lukhuni emehlweni akho nxa umyekela ehamba ekhululekile kuwe; ngoba ngokuphindwe kabili kweholo lesiqatshwa ukusebenzele iminyaka eyisithupha. Ngakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izakubusisa kukho konke okwenzayo.

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

Wonke amazibulo azazalwa enkomeni zakho lezimvini zakho, amaduna, uzawangcwelisela iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho; kawuyikusebenza ngezibulo lejongosi lakho, futhi kawuyikugunda izibulo lezimvu zakho.

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

Phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho uzalidla, umnyaka ngomnyaka, endaweni iNkosi ezayikhetha, wena lendlu yakho.

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

Kodwa uba kulesici kulo, liqhula, loba liyisiphofu, loba lilasiphi isici esibi, ungalihlabeli iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.

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

Uzalidla phakathi kwamasango akho, ongahlambulukanga lohlambulukileyo bazalidla bendawonye, njengomziki lanjengendluzele.

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

Kuphela igazi lalo ungalidli; ulichithele emhlabathini njengamanzi.