Amanani 35

1 Ngasemagcekeni aseMowabi kusekele umfula uJodani nganeno malungana leJerikho, uThixo wathi kuMosi,

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

2 “Laya abako-Israyeli ukuthi bakhethe elifeni labo amadolobho bawanike abaLevi ukuze bahlale kuwo. Njalo babanike lamadlelo eduze lamadolobho lawo.

“Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities to dwell in out of their inheritance. You shall give pasture lands for the cities around them to the Levites.

3 Ngalokho bazakuba lamadolobho okuhlala kanye lamadlelo enkomo zabo, imihlambi yezimvu kanye leyezinye izifuyo zabo zonke.

They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their pasture lands shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals.

4 Amadlelo azingelezele amadolobho elizawanika abaLevi, azakuba zingalo eziyinkulungwane ukuqhela kwawo kusukela emidulini yamadolobho.

“The pasture lands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.

5 Ngempumalanga, ngaphandle kwedolobho, kuzakuba zingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili kube njalo laseningizimu izingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili, entshonalanga izingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili, kufane laseceleni lenyakatho izingalo eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili, idolobho liphakathi laphakathi. Le kuzakuba yindawo yabo yamadlelo emadolobheni.”

You shall measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall be the pasture lands of their cities.

6 “Phakathi kwamadolobho elizawanika abaLevi, ayisithupha azakuba ngawokuphephela, yikho lapho okuzakuthi umuntu angabulala omunye abalekele khona. Phezu kwalawo, bapheni amanye amadolobho angamatshumi amane lamabili.

“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give forty-two cities.

7 Wonke esehlangene abaLevi bapheni amadolobho angamatshumi amane lasificaminwembili, kuhlanganisa lamadlelo abo.

All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their pasture lands.

8 Amadolobho eliwanika abaLevi elizweni labako-Israyeli kawabiwe ngokuya ngelifa lesizwana ngasinye: Thathani amadolobho amanengi esizwaneni esilamadolobho amanengi, kodwa lithathe amalutshwana kwesilamalutshwana.”

Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give some of his cities to the Levites.”

9 Ngakho uThixo wasesithi kuMosi:

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

10 “Khuluma labako-Israyeli njalo ubatshele uthi: ‘Ekuchapheni kwenu uJodani lingena eKhenani,

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 khethani amanye amadolobho abe ngawokuphephela, lapho okuzakuthi nxa umuntu ebulele omunye ngengozi abalekele khona.

then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

12 Azakuba zindawo zokuphephela ukuzivikela kwabaphindiselayo, ukuze kuthi lowo owetheswa icala lokubulala angafi engakathonisiswa phambi kwebandla.

The cities shall be for your refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

13 Amadolobho ayisithupha la elibapha wona azakuba ngamadolobho enu okuphephela.

The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.

14 Bapheni amathathu ngakulelicele lomfula uJodani kuthi amathathu abe ngamadolobho okuphephela eKhenani.

You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They shall be cities of refuge.

15 Amadolobho la ayisithupha azakuba yindawo yokuphephela kwabako-Israyeli, labezizweni kanye labo bonke abantu abahlezi phakathi kwabo, ukuze kuthi loba ngubani obulele omunye ngengozi abalekele khona.

These six cities shall be refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the foreigner living among them, that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

16 Nxa indoda itshaya umuntu ngento eyinsimbi afe, ingumbulali; umbulali kumele abulawe.

“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

17 Kumbe nxa omunye ephethe ilitshe abesetshaya omunye afe, ungumbulali; umbulali kumele abulawe.

If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 Njalo nxa omunye ephethe ulutho oluyisigodo abesetshaya omunye afe, ungumbulali; umbulali kumele abulawe.

Or if he struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

19 Umphindiseli wegazi kumele ambulale umbulali; nxa ehlangana laye, kumele ambulale.

The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death.

20 Loba ngubani olomona ohlezi eqophile engafuqa omunye loba amjikijele ngolutho oluthile ngabomo kubangele ukufa kwakhe

If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled something at him while lying in wait, so that he died,

21 loba kuthi ngolaka amtshaye ngenqindi afe, lowomuntu kumele abulawe; ungumbulali. Umphindiseli wegazi kumele abulale umbulali nxa ehlangana laye.

or in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 Kodwa nxa kungayisikho ngolaka, umuntu aqabuke esefuqe omunye loba amjikijele ngolutho engaqondile

“‘But if he shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait,

23 loba engamboni, amgxobe ngelitshe elingambulala, afe, ngakho njengoba engasisositha sakhe njalo engaqondanga ukumlimaza,

or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him so that he died, and he was not his enemy and not seeking his harm,

24 ibandla kumele lahlulele phakathi kwakhe lomphindiseli wegazi kulandelwa lezi zimiso.

then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

25 Ibandla kumele livikele owetheswa icala lokubulala kumphindiseli wegazi njalo abuyiselwe edolobheni lokuphephela azabe ebalekele kulo. Kumele ahlale khonale kuze kufe umphristi omkhulu, owagcotshwa ngamafutha angcwele.

The congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

26 Kodwa lowo owetheswa icala angaba ngaphandle kwedolobho lokuphephela lelo ayabe ebalekele kulo

“‘But if the man slayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge where he flees,

27 kuthi umphindiseli wegazi amfumane ngaphandle kwalelodolobho, umphindiseli wegazi angambulala lowo owetheswe icala kodwa angabi lacala lokubulala.

and the avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,

28 Owetheswe icala kumele ahlale edolobheni lakhe lokuphephela kuze kufe umphristi omkhulu; uzaze abuyele emzini wakhe kuphela nxa umphristi omkhulu esefile.

because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the man slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

29 Le kumele kube yimithetho yesimiso kini lakuzizukulwane ezizayo, loba kungaphi lapho elizahlala khona.

“‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30 Loba ngubani obulala umuntu kumele abulawe njengombulali ngobufakazi balabo abayabe bebonile kuphela. Kodwa akungabikho loyedwa ozabulawa ngobufakazi bofakazi oyedwa.

“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify alone against any person so that he dies.

31 Lingemukeli inhlawulo yokuhlenga impilo yombulali, yena kumele afe, loba kutheni kabulawe.

“‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. He shall surely be put to death.

32 Lingemukeli inhlawulo yokuhlenga loba ngubani obalekele edolobheni lokuphephela libe selimvumela ukuba abuyele ukuyahlala emzini wakhe umphristi omkhulu engakafi.

“‘You shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.

33 Lingalingcolisi ilizwe lelo elihlala kulo. Ukuchitha igazi kungcolisa ilizwe, njalo indlela yokubuyisana ingeke yenzelwe lapho okuchithwe khona igazi, ngaphandle kwegazi lalowo olichithileyo.

“‘So you shall not pollute the land where you live; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it.

34 Lingalingcolisi ilizwe elihlezi kilo kanye lalapho engihlala khona, ngoba Mina, Thixo, ngihlala phakathi kwabako-Israyeli.’”

You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, where I dwell; for I, Yahweh, dwell among the children of Israel.’”