1
Kisha Bwana akanena na Musa katika nchi tambarare za Moabu, karibu na mto wa Yordani, hapo Yeriko, akamwambia,
Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho:
2
Uwaagize wana wa Israeli wawape Walawi miji wapate mahali pa kukaa, katika milki yao; pamoja na malisho yaliyoizunguka hiyo miji kotekote mtawapa Walawi.
“Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities.
3
Hiyo miji watakuwa nayo ili wakae humo, na malisho watakuwa nayo kwa wanyama wao wa mifugo, na kwa mali zao, na kwa wanyama wao wote.
The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.
4
Na yale malisho ya miji mtakayowapa Walawi, ukubwa wake utakuwa tangu ukuta wa mji kupima kiasi cha dhiraa elfu pande zote.
The pasturelands around the cities you are to give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the wall on every side.
5
Nanyi mtapima hapo nje ya mji upande wa mashariki dhiraa elfu mbili, na upande wa kusini dhiraa elfu mbili, na upande wa magharibi dhiraa elfu mbili, na upande wa kaskazini dhiraa elfu mbili, huo mji ulio katikati. Hayo ndiyo yatakayokuwa kwao malisho ya miji.
You are also to measure two thousand cubits outside the city on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the city in the center. These areas will serve as larger pasturelands for the cities.
6
Na hiyo miji mtakayowapa Walawi, itakuwa miji sita ya makimbilio, mtakayoweka kwa ajili ya mwenye kumwua mtu, ili akimbilie huko; pamoja na hiyo mtawapa miji arobaini na miwili zaidi.
Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities.
7
Miji yote mtakayowapa hao Walawi jumla yake itakuwa miji arobaini na minane; mtawapa miji hiyo pamoja na malisho yake.
The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands.
8
Tena katika miji mtakayotoa ya hiyo milki ya wana wa Israeli, katika hao walio wengi mtatwaa miji mingi; na katika hao walio wachache mtatwaa miji michache; kila mtu kama ulivyo urithi wake atakaourithi, atawapa Walawi katika miji yake.
The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.”
9
Kisha Bwana akanena na Musa, na kumwambia,
Then the LORD said to Moses,
10
Nena na wana wa Israeli, uwaambie, Mtakapovuka mto wa Yordani na kuingia nchi ya Kanaani,
“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11
Ndipo mtajiwekea miji iwe miji ya makimbilio kwa ajili yenu; ili kwamba mwenye kumwua mtu, pasipo kukusudia kumwua, apate kukimbilia huko.
designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.
12
Na hiyo miji itakuwa kwenu kuwa makimbilio, kumkimbia mwenye kutwaa kisasi, ili asiuawe mwenye kumwua mtu, hata atakaposimama mbele ya mkutano ahukumiwe.
You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.
13
Na hiyo miji mtakayowapa itakuwa kwenu ni miji sita ya makimbilio.
The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.
14
Mtawapa miji mitatu ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani, na miji mitatu mtawapa katika nchi ya Kanaani; miji hiyo itakuwa ni miji ya makimbilio.
Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.
15
Miji hiyo sita itakuwa miji ya makimbilio kwa ajili ya wana wa Israeli, na kwa ajili ya mgeni, na kwa ajili ya huyo aketiye kati yao hali ya ugeni; ili kila amwuaye mtu, naye hakukusudia kumwua, apate kukimbilia huko.
These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
16
Lakini kama alimpiga kwa chombo cha chuma, akafa, ni mwuaji huyo; mwuaji hakika yake atauawa.
If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
17
Na kama alimpiga kwa jiwe lililokuwa mkononi mwake, ambalo kwa hilo humkini mtu kufa, naye akafa, yeye ni mwuaji; huyo mwuaji lazima atauawa.
Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
18
Au kama alimpiga kwa chombo cha mti kilichokuwa mkononi mwake ambacho kwa hicho humkini mtu kufa, naye akafa, ni mwuaji huyo, mwuaji lazima atauawa.
If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
19
Mwenye kutwaa kisasi cha damu ndiye atakayemwua mwuaji; hapo atakapokutana naye, atamwua.
The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.
20
Tena kwamba alimsukuma kwa kumchukia, au kwamba alimtupia kitu kwa kumvizia, hata akafa;
Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him,
21
au akampiga kwa mkono wake kwa kuwa ni adui, naye akafa; yeye aliyempiga lazima atauawa; yeye ni mwuaji; mwenye kutwaa kisasi cha damu atamwua mwuaji, hapo atakapokutana naye.
or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
22
Lakini ikiwa alimsukuma ghafula pasipo kumchukia; au akamtupia kitu cho chote pasipo kumvizia,
But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally,
23
au kwa jiwe liwalo lote, ambalo kwa kupigwa kwalo humkini mtu kufa, asipomwona, akamtupia hata akafa, naye hakuwa adui yake, wala hakumtakia madhara;
or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him,
24
ndipo mkutano utaamua kati ya huyo aliyempiga mtu na huyo atakayetwaa kisasi cha damu, kama hukumu hizi zilivyo;
then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.
25
nao mkutano utamwokoa yule aliyemwua mtu na mkono wa mwenye kutwaa kisasi cha damu; tena mkutano utamrejeza katika mji wake wa makimbilio, aliokuwa anaukimbilia; naye atakaa humo hata kifo chake kuhani mkuu, aliyepakwa mafuta kwa mafuta matakatifu.
The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
26
Lakini kama mwenye kumwua mtu akienda wakati wo wote kupita mpaka wa huo mji wa makimbilio, alioukimbilia;
But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled
27
na mwenye kutwaa kisasi cha damu akamwona, naye yu nje ya mpaka wa mji wake wa makimbilio, na mwenye kutwaa kisasi cha damu akamwua huyo mwuaji, hatakuwa na hatia ya damu;
and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed,
28
kwa sababu ilimpasa kukaa ndani ya mji wake wa makimbilio hata kifo chake kuhani mkuu lakini kuhani mkuu atakapokwisha kufa huyo mwuaji atarudi aende nchi ya urithi wake.
because the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns.
29
Mambo haya yatakuwa ni amri ya hukumu kwenu, katika vizazi vyenu vyote, katika makazi yenu yote.
This will be a statutory ordinance for you for the generations to come, wherever you live.
30
Mtu awaye yote atakayemwua mtu, huyo mwuaji atauawa kwa vinywa vya mashahidi; lakini shahidi mmoja hatashuhudia juu ya mtu hata akafa.
If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.
31
Tena, msipokee fidia kwa ajili ya uhai wa mwuaji, ambaye amekuwa na hatia ya mauti; Lakini lazima atauawa.
You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.
32
Tena hamtapokea fidia kwa ajili ya huyo aliyeukimbilia mji wake wa makimbilio, apate kwenda tena kuketi katika nchi, hata kifo cha kuhani mkuu.
Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.
33
Hivi hamtaitia unajisi nchi ambayo mwakaa; kwa kuwa damu huitia nchi unajisi; wala hapana sadaka itoshayo kwa ajili ya nchi, kwa ajili ya damu iliyomwagwa ndani yake, isipokuwa ni damu ya huyo aliyeimwaga.
Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
34
Kwa hiyo msiitie unajisi nchi muiketiyo, ambayo naketi nami kati yake; kwa kuwa mimi Bwana nakaa kati ya wana wa Israeli.
Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”