U-Eksodusi 23

₁“Awuyikuthutha indaba yamanga, ungafaki isandla sakho kubo ababi, ube ngufakazi wamanga.

₂“Awuyikulandela umbimbi ukuyokwenza okubi, ungafakazi ecaleni ngokulandela umbimbi, uphendukezele isahlulelo; ₃nompofu awuyikumvuna ecaleni lakhe.

₄“Uma ufumana inkabi yesitha sakho noma imbongolo yaso iduka, woyibuyisela nokuyibuyisela kuso. ₅Uma ubona imbongolo yalowo okuzondayo ilele phansi komthwalo wayo, wena-ke bese wukhetha ukuyiyeka, woyikhumula nokuyikhumula ninaye.

₆“Awuyikuphendukezela isahlulelo sompofu wakho ecaleni lakhe. ₇Deda ube kude nendaba yamanga; ungambulali ongenacala nolungileyo, ngokuba angiyikumyeka owonileyo.

₈“Awuyikwamukela isipho, ngokuba isipho siphuphuthekisa ababonayo, siphendukezele amazwi olungileyo. ₉Awuyikumcindezela umfokazi, ngokuba niyazi inhliziyo yomfokazi, lokhu naningabafokazi ezweni laseGibithe.

₁₀“Iminyaka eyisithupha uyakutshala izwe lakho, uvune izithelo zalo, ₁₁kepha ngomnyaka wesikhombisa uyakuliyeka libe yifusi ukuba abampofu babantu bakho badle; abakushiyayo makudliwe yizilwane zasendle; wenze njalo nangesivini sakho nangeminqumo yakho.

₁₂“Izinsuku eziyisithupha wosebenza umsebenzi wakho, uphumule ngosuku lwesikhombisa ukuba inkabi yakho nembongolo yakho ziphumule, bahlunyelelwe indodana yencekukazi yakho nomfokazi.

₁₃“Qaphelani konke lokho engikushilo kini, ningaphathi igama labanye onkulunkulu; lingezwakali liphuma emlonyeni wakho.

₁₄“Kathathu ngomnyaka wongigcinela umkhosi.

₁₅“Uzakugcina umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo, udle isinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, njengalokho ngakuyala, ngesikhathi esinqunyiweyo senyanga ka-Abibi, ngokuba waphuma ngayo eGibithe, kungabonakali muntu phambi kwami ongaphethe lutho, ₁₆nomkhosi wokuvuna wolibo lwemisebenzi yakho oyihlwanyelayo ensimini, nomkhosi wokubutha ngasekupheleni komnyaka, lapho ubutha imisebenzi yakho ensimini.

₁₇“Kathathu ngomnyaka bonke abesilisa bakho bayakubonakala phambi kweNkosi uJehova.

₁₈“Awuyikunikela ngegazi lomhlatshelo wami kanye nesinkwa esivutshelweyo. Amanoni omkhosi wami awayikusala bonke ubusuku kuze kuse.

₁₉“Ukuqala kolibo lwezwe lakho wokuletha endlini kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho. Awuyikupheka izinyane lembuzi obisini lukanina.

₂₀“Bheka, ngiyathuma ingelosi phambi kwakho ukuba ikulondoloze endleleni, ikuyise endaweni engiyilungisileyo. ₂₁Yiqaphele, ulalele izwi layo, ungayicunuli, lokhu ayiyikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu, ngokuba igama lami likuyo. ₂₂Kepha uma ulalela nokulalela izwi layo, ukwenze konke engikukhulumayo, ngiyakuba yisitha sezitha zakho, ngiphambane nabaphambana nawe. ₂₃Ngokuba ingelosi yami izakuhamba phambi kwakho, ikuyise kuwo ama-Amori, namaHeti, namaPherizi, namaKhanani, namaHivi, namaJebusi. Ngiyakubachitha. ₂₄Awuyikubakhothamela onkulunkulu babo, ungabakhonzi, ungenzi njengokwemisebenzi yabo, kepha wobachitha impela, ubhidlize izithombe zabo. ₂₅Niyakumkhonza uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, abusise ukudla kwenu namanzi enu; ngiyakususa izifo phakathi kwenu. ₂₆Akuyikuba khona ophunzayo noyinyumba ezweni lakini; ngiyakuliphelelisa inani lezinsuku zakho.

₂₇“Ngiyakuthuma ukwesabeka kwami phambi kwakho, ngibasanganise bonke abantu ozakufika kubo, ngenze ukuba zonke izitha zakho zikufulathele. ₂₈Ngiyakuthuma iminyovu phambi kwakho eyakuxosha amaHivi, namaKhanani, namaHeti phambi kwakho. ₂₉Angiyikubaxosha phambi kwakho ngomnyaka owodwa, funa izwe libe yihlane, izilwane zasendle zikwandele. ₃₀Ngiyakubaxosha phambi kwakho kancane kancane, ukuze wande, udle ifa lezwe.

₃₁“Ngiyakumisa imikhawulo yakho, kusukela eLwandle Olubomvu kuze kufike elwandle lamaFilisti, kusukela ehlane kuze kube semfuleni, ngokuba ngiyakunikela esandleni sakho abakhe kulelo zwe, wena ubaxoshe phambi kwakho. ₃₂Awuyikwenza sivumelwano nabo nawonkulunkulu babo. ₃₃Abayikuhlala ezweni lakini, funa bakwenze ukuba wone kimi, ngokuba uma ubakhonza onkulunkulu babo, kuyakuba lugibe kuwe.”