INumeri 35

35 ¹UBaba wethu wakhuluma kuMose emathafeni akwaMowabi, ngaseJordani maqondana neJeriko, wathi:

²“Yala ama-Israyeli ukuba anike abaLevi, kulo ifa abanalo, imizi yokuhlala, namadlelo ayizungezayo imizi, kube ngokwabaLevi. ³Imizi iyoba ngeyabo ukuba bahlale kuyo; amadlelo abe ngawezinkomo zabo, nawemfuyo yabo, nawazo zonke izilwane zabo eziphilayo.

⁴“Amadlelo emizi eniyinika abaLevi ayofinyelela cishe amafidi angu-1 500 kusuka ogangeni lomuzi ezinhlangothini zonke. ⁵Linganisani ngaphandle komuzi: cishe amafidi angu-3 000 ngasempumalanga, angu-3 000 ngaseningizimu, angu-3 000 ngasentshonalanga, angu-3 000 ngasenyakatho, umuzi uphakathi nendawo. Lawa ngamadlelo emizi yabo.

⁶“Kule mizi eniyinika abaLevi, emithandathu iyoba yimizi yokuphephela, lapho umbulali angabalekela khona; ngaphandle kwale mizi, nikani imizi engamashumi amane nambili.

⁷“Yonke imizi eniyinika abaLevi iyoba yimizi engamashumi amane nesishiyagalombili, kanye namadlelo ayo. ⁸Emhlabeni wako-Israyeli, nikani abaLevi imizi—eminingi ezizweni ezinkulu, emincane ezizweni ezincane; isizwe ngasinye sinikele ngokwefa esilitholile.”

UBaba wethu uphinde wakhuluma

⁹UBaba wethu wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:

¹⁰“Khuluma kuma-Israyeli, uwatshele uthi: Uma seniwela iJordani ningena ezweni laseKhanani, ¹¹zikhetheleni imizi, imizi yokuphephela, lapho noma ngubani obulele umuntu engaqondile angabalekela khona. ¹²Le mizi iyoba yindawo yenu yokuphephela kumphindiseli wegazi, ukuze umbulali angafi engakemi phambi kwebandla ukuba kwahlulelwe. ¹³Imizi eniyinikayo iyoba yimizi eyisithupha yokuphephela kini. ¹⁴Nikani imizi emithathu ngaphesheya kweJordani, nemizi emithathu ezweni laseKhanani; iyoba yimizi yokuphephela. ¹⁵Le mizi eyisithupha iyoba yindawo yokuphephela kuma-Israyeli, nakowezizwe, nakuso isifiki esihlala okwesikhashana phakathi kwawo, ukuze noma ngubani obulala umuntu ngengozi abalekele khona.

¹⁶“Kodwa uma umuntu eshaya omunye ngento yensimbi, abulawe, umshayi ungumbulali—umbulali kumelwe abulawe. ¹⁷Uma emshaye ngetshe elisesandleni sakhe elingabulala, wafa, ungumbulali; umbulali kumelwe abulawe. ¹⁸Noma uma emshaye ngesikhali somuthi esisesandleni esingabulala, wafa, ungumbulali; umbulali kumelwe abulawe. ¹⁹Umphindiseli wegazi nguye oyobulala umbulali ngokwakhe; lapho ehlangana naye, uyombulala. ²⁰Uma emsunduze ngenxa yenzondo, noma emphonse ngokumcathamela, waze wafa, ²¹noma uma emshaye ngesandla sakhe ngenxa yenzondo, waze wafa, umshayi kumelwe abulawe—ungumbulali. Umphindiseli wegazi uyobulala umbulali lapho emthola.

²²“Kodwa uma emsunduze ngokuzumayo ngaphandle kobutha, noma emphonse nganoma yini engamcathamele, ²³noma, engamboni, emwisele itshe elingabulala, waze wafa—engesona isitha sakhe, engafuni ukumlimaza, ²⁴khona-ke ibandla liyokwahlulela phakathi kombulali nomphindiseli wegazi ngokwalezi zimiso. ²⁵Ibandla kumelwe lophule umbulali esandleni somphindiseli wegazi, limbuyisele emzini wokuphephela abalekele kuwo; uyohlala khona uze ufe umpristi ophakeme ogcotshwe ngamafutha angcwele. ^a a v25 Oxoshiwe ukhululeka kuphela lapho umpristi ophakeme efa — ukufa okukhulula onecala. UJesu, umpristi wethu omkhulu ophakeme, uqinisekisa inkululeko yethu ngokufa kwakhe.

²⁶“Kodwa uma umbulali ake aphume emngceleni womuzi wakhe wokuphephela, lapho abalekele khona, ²⁷uma umphindiseli wegazi emthola ngaphandle komngcele womuzi wakhe wokuphephela, ambulale umbulali, akanacala legazi. ²⁸Umbulali kumelwe ahlale emzini wakhe wokuphephela uze ufe umpristi ophakeme; kuyothi lapho umpristi ophakeme esefile, abe engabuyela ezweni lakhe. ²⁹Lokhu kuyoba ngumthetho ongunaphakade kini kuzo zonke izizukulwane zenu, kuyo yonke indawo enihlala kuyo.

³⁰“Noma ngubani obulala umuntu kumelwe abulawe njengombulali, ngobufakazi bofakazi; ufakazi oyedwa yedwa ngeke afakaze ngomuntu ukuze abulawe.

³¹“Ningamukeli nhlawulo yokuhlenga ukuphila kombulali ofanele ukufa—kumelwe abulawe. ³²Ningamukeli nhlawulo kolowo obalekele emzini wakhe wokuphephela, nimvumele ukuba abuyele azohlala ezweni umpristi engakafi.

³³“Ningalingcolisi izwe enihlala kulo—igazi liyalingcolisa izwe, futhi izwe ngeke lenzelwe inhlawulo yokubuyisana ngenxa yegazi elichithwe kulo, ngaphandle kwegazi lalowo olichithile. ³⁴Ningalenzi izwe libe ngcolile—nihlala kulo, nami ngihlala phakathi kwenu; ngokuba mina, uBaba wenu, ngihlala phakathi kwabantu bako-Israyeli.”