IDutheronomi 17

₁“Ungamhlabeli uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho inkomo noma imvu enesici, enokuthile okubi, ngokuba lokho kuyisinengiso kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho. ₂Uma komunye wemizi yakho owawunikwa nguSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, kutholakala owesilisa noma owesifazane owenza okubi emehlweni kaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, ngokweqa isivumelwano sakhe, ₃ahambe, akhonze abanye onkulunkulu, akhuleke kubo, noma kungaba yilanga, yinyanga, noma yibandla lezulu, engingayalanga ngakho ukuba kukhonzwe, ₄bese ubikelwa ngakho, uzwe, ubuzisise ngakho, uthole ukuthi kuyiqiniso, leyo nto enjalo eyisinengiso yenziwe kwa-Israyeli, ₅lowo wesilisa noma wesifazane uyomkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi lokhu enzile into embi, umkhande ngamatshe, aze afe. ₆Ngobufakazi bofakazi ababili noma abathathu lowo ofanele ukufa, uyakubulawa. Kodwa ngobufakazi bomuntu oyedwa, akayukubulawa. ₇Yilabo ofakazi abayoqala ukumkhanda ngamatshe, bese kulandela abantu. Uyobukhipha kanjalo ububi phakathi kwakho.”

₈“Uma kuba khona indaba okumele uyehlulele, kodwa ikwehlule ukuyehlulela, kungaba iphakathi kwegazi nokuphathelene nalo, phakathi kwecala nokuphathelene nalo, ukushaya nokulimaza, kuyizindaba zokuphikisana phakathi kwamasango akho, ubosuka uye endaweni uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho ayoyikhetha. ₉Uye kubaphristi bamaLevi, nakumehluleli oyakuba khona ngalezo zinsuku, ukuze bakwazise isinqumo sokwehlulela. ₁₀Ubokwenza njengalokhu benqumile, wenze lokho abayokutshela khona kuleyo ndawo uSimakade ayoyikhetha, uqaphele ukukwenza konke lokho abakufundisa khona. ₁₁Wenze njengezwi lomthetho abayakukufundisa lona, nanjengesehlulelo abayakukutshela sona. Ungachezukeli ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo ekwehluleleni kwabo. ₁₂Umuntu oziqhenyayo, ongafuni ukulalela umphristi omiyo okhonza phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, noma umehluleli, lowo muntu umelwe ngukufa; wena ukhiphe ububi kwa-Israyeli. ₁₃Bonke abantu bayakuzwa, besabe, bangabe besalokotha benze ngaleyo ndlela.

₁₄“Lapho usufikile ezweni uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akunika lona ukuba ulidle, uhlale kulo, bese uthi: ‘Ngizozibekela inkosi ingibuse njengazo zonke izizwe ezingizungezile,’ ₁₅uyombeka nokumbeka akubuse, uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho ayakumkhetha; uyobeka omunye wabafowenu abe yinkosi, akubuse, ukuze ungabeki owezizwe, ongesiye umfowenu. ₁₆Kodwa akumele abe namahhashi amaningi, futhi angababuyiseli abantu eGibhithe, ukuze athole amahhashi amaningi. Ngokuba uSimakade ushilo kini, wathi: ‘Anisayukubuyela ngaleyo ndlela.’ ₁₇Akayukuthola abafazi abaningi, funa inhliziyo yakhe ihlubuke, futhi angabi nesiliva negolide eliningi.

₁₈“Kuyothi lapho ehlala esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, azilobele ifuzela lalo mthetho, ethathisela emqulwini okubaphristi abangabaLevi. ₁₉Liyohlala kuye, alifunde zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe, ukuze afunde ukumesaba uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakhe. Awagcine wonke amazwi omthetho kaSimakade, enze lezi zimiso, ₂₀angaziboni engcono kunabafowabo, angaphambuki emiyalweni aye ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo, ukuze zande izinsuku zakhe embusweni wakhe, yena nabantwana bakhe, phakathi kuka-Israyeli.”