IDutheronomi 17

17 ¹Ungamhlabeli uBaba wakho inkomo noma imvu enesici noma enesici esibi; lokho kuyisinengiso kuBaba wakho.

²Uma kutholakala phakathi kwenu indoda noma owesifazane, kunoma yimuphi umuzi uBaba wakho akunika wona, owenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wakho ngokwephula isivumelwano sakhe, ³akhonze abanye onkulunkulu, akhothamele kubo—ilanga, inyanga, noma yiliphi ibutho lasezulwini—engingakuyalanga, ⁴futhi utshelwe ngakho ukuzwe, phenyisisa kahle. Uma kuyiqiniso, udaba luqinisekile, ukuthi le nto enengekayo yenziwe kwa-Israyeli, ⁵khiphela emasangweni akho leyo ndoda noma lowo wesifazane owenze le nto embi—leyo ndoda noma lowo wesifazane—ubakhande ngamatshe baze bafe. ⁶Ngezwi labofakazi ababili noma abathathu, lowo ogwetshiwe makafe; akafe ngezwi lofakazi oyedwa. ⁷Isandla sabofakazi masibe kuye kuqala ukumbulala, bese kulandela isandla sabantu bonke. Kanjalo uyasusa okubi phakathi kwakho.

Izinkantolo Zokwahlulela zikaBaba wethu

⁸Uma icala linzima kakhulu kuwe ukulahlulela—phakathi kokuchitha igazi nokuchitha igazi, isimangalo nesimangalo, ukuhlasela nokuhlasela, izingxabano emizini yakho—khuphukela endaweni uBaba wakho ayoyikhetha. ⁹Uye kubapristi abangamaLevi nakumahluleli okhona ngaleso sikhathi; ubuze, bazakutshela isinqumo. ¹⁰Wenze ngalokho abakutshela kona kuleyo ndawo uBaba wethu ayikhethayo; uqaphele ukwenza konke abakufundisa kona. ¹¹Landela imfundiso abakufundisa yona nesinqumo abakunika sona; ungaphambuki ezwini abalimemezelayo, ngakwesokudla noma ngakwesokhohlo. ¹²Noma ngubani owenza ngokuzidla, enqaba ukulalela umpristi omiyo ukukhonza lapho phambi kukaBaba wakho, noma umahluleli, makafe. Umele ususe okubi kwa-Israyeli. ¹³Bonke abantu bayokuzwa besabe, bangabe besenza ngokuzidla.

Imihlahlandlela kaBaba wethu Ngenkosi

¹⁴Lapho ungena ezweni uBaba wakho akunika lona, ulidle lifa, uhlale khona, bese uthi: “Ake ngibeke inkosi phezu kwami, njengazo zonke izizwe ezingizungezile,” ¹⁵ungabeka phezu kwakho ngempela inkosi uBaba wakho ayikhethayo; beka phezu kwakho inkosi ephuma phakathi kwabafowenu. Awuvumelekile ukubeka owezizwe phezu kwakho, ongesona umfowenu. ¹⁶Akumele azitholele amahhashi amaningi, noma abuyisele abantu e-Egypt ukuze athole amanye, ngokuba uBaba wethu wakutshela wathi: “Ungaphindeli nanini ngaleyo ndlela.” ¹⁷Akumele athathe abafazi abaningi, funa inhliziyo yakhe iphambuke; angaqongeleli nesiliva negolide eliningi.

¹⁸Lapho ehlala esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, makazibhalele ikhophi yalo mthetho emqulwini, phambi kwabapristi abangamaLevi. ¹⁹Mawuhlale naye, afunde kuwo zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe, ukuze afunde ukumesaba uBaba wakhe, agcine wonke amazwi alo mthetho nalezi zimiso, azenze, ²⁰ukuze inhliziyo yakhe ingaphakami phezu kwabafowabo, angaphambuki emyalweni ngakwesokudla noma ngakwesokhohlo, ukuze yena nabantwana bakhe babuse isikhathi eside embusweni wakhe kwa-Israyeli.