1
Aonekanapo mtu ameuawa katika nchi akupayo Bwana, Mungu wako, kuimiliki, amelala kondeni, wala haijulikani ni nani aliyempiga;
If one is found slain, lying in a field in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,
2
na watoke nje wazee wako na waamuzi wako, nao wapime hapo mpaka miji iliyomzunguka huyo aliyeuawa;
your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities.
3
na iwe, mji ulio karibu na yule aliyeuawa, wale wazee wake mji huo watwae mtamba katika kundi la ng'ombe, ambaye hajafanya kazi, wala hajakokota jembe la nira;
Then the elders of the city nearest the victim shall take a heifer that has never been yoked or used for work,
4
wazee wa mji huo na wamshushe yule mtamba mpaka bonde lenye maji ya mtoni, lisilolimwa wala kupandwa, wakamvunje yule mtamba shingo yake humo bondeni;
bring the heifer to a valley with running water that has not been plowed or sown, and break its neck there by the stream.
5
nao makuhani wana wa Lawi wasongee karibu, kwa kuwa ndio aliowachagua Bwana, Mungu wako, wamtumikie, na kubariki katika jina la Bwana na kila neno lishindaniwalo, na kila pigo, litakuwa kwa kufuata maneno yao;
And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.
6
na wazee wote wa mji ule, ulio karibu sana na yule aliyeuawa, na waoshe mikono yao juu ya huyo mtamba aliyevunjwa shingo yake humo bondeni;
Then all the elders of the city nearest the victim shall wash their hands by the stream over the heifer whose neck has been broken,
7
na wajibizane kwamba, Mikono yetu haikumwaga damu hii, wala macho yetu hayakuiona.
and they shall declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.
8
Ee Bwana, samehe watu wako Israeli, uliowakomboa, wala usiache damu ya asiye makosa ikakaa katikati ya watu wako Israeli. Na ile damu utasamehewa kwao.
Accept this atonement, O LORD, for Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.” And the bloodshed will be atoned for.
9
Ndivyo utakavyoondoa damu ya asiye makosa katikati yako, utakapofanya yaliyo sawa machoni pa Bwana.
So you shall purge from among you the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
10
Utakapokwenda vitani kupigana juu ya adui zako, na Bwana, Mungu wako, awatiapo mikononi mwako, nawe uwachukuapo mateka,
When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hand and you take them captive,
11
ukaona kati ya mateka mwanamke mzuri, ukafanya tamaa kwake, ukawaza kumtwaa kuwa mkeo;
if you see a beautiful woman among them, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife,
12
ndipo umchukue kwenu nyumbani kwako, naye atanyoa kichwa, akate na kucha;
then you shall bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails,
13
avue na mavazi ya uteka wake akae nyumbani mwako, awakalie matanga babaye na mamaye mwezi mzima, kisha uingie kwake uwe mumewe, naye awe mkeo.
and put aside the clothing of her captivity. After she has lived in your house a full month and mourned her father and mother, you may have relations with her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.
14
Tena utakapokuwa huna furaha naye, mpe ruhusa aende atakako; lakini usimwuze kabisa kwa fedha, usimfanye kama mtumwa, kwa kuwa ulimtweza.
And if you are not pleased with her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes. But you must not sell her for money or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her.
15
Akiwa mtu yuna wake wawili, mmoja ampenda, mmoja hampendi, nao wamemzalia watoto, ampendaye na asiyempenda wote wawili; na yule mzaliwa wa kwanza akiwa ni wa mke asiyependwa;
If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son,
16
ndipo itakapokuwa ya kwamba siku atakayowarithisha wanawe alivyo navyo, asimweke mwana wa ampendaye kuwa mzaliwa wa kwanza mbele ya mwana wa asiyempenda, naye ndiye mzaliwa wa kwanza huyu;
when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife.
17
lakini amkubali mzaliwa wa kwanza mwana wa yule asiyempenda, kwa kumpa mafungu mawili katika vyote alivyo navyo; kwa maana ndiye mwanzo wa nguvu zake; haki ya mzaliwa wa kwanza ni yake yeye.
Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.
18
Mtu akiwa na mwana mkaidi, mshupavu, asiyetii sauti ya baba yake, wala sauti ya mama yake, nao wajapomwadhibu hawasikizi,
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined,
19
ndipo babaye na mamaye na wamkamate, na kumpeleka kwa wazee wa mji wake, katika lango la mahali pake;
his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown,
20
wawaambie wazee wa mji wake, Huyu mwana wetu ni mkaidi, mshupavu, hasikizi sauti yetu; ni mwasherati, tena ni mlevi.
and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”
21
Waume wote wa mji wake na wamtupie mawe, afe; ndivyo utakavyoondoa uovu katikati yako; na Israeli wote watasikia na kuogopa.
Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. So you must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.
22
Akiwa mtu ametenda dhambi ipasayo kufa, akauawa, nawe ukamtundika juu ya mti;
If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree,
23
mzoga wake usikae usiku kucha juu ya mti; lazima utamzika siku iyo hiyo; kwani aliyetundikwa amelaaniwa na Mungu; usije ukatia unajisi katika nchi yako akupayo Bwana, Mungu wako, iwe urithi wako.
you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.