Property Laws
The Lord said:
1 If you steal an ox and slaughter or sell it, you must replace it with five oxen; if you steal a sheep and slaughter it or sell it, you must replace it with four sheep. 2-4 But if you cannot afford to replace the animals, you must be sold as a slave to pay for what you have stolen. If you steal an ox, donkey, or sheep, and are caught with it still alive, you must pay the owner double.
If you happen to kill a burglar who breaks into your home after dark, you are not guilty. But if you kill someone who breaks in during the day, you are guilty of murder.
5 If you allow any of your animals to stray from your property and graze in someone else's field or vineyard, you must repay the damage from the best part of your own harvest of grapes and grain.
6 If you carelessly let a fire spread from your property to someone else's, you must pay the owner for any crops or fields destroyed by the fire.
7 Suppose a neighbor asks you to keep some silver or other valuables, and they are stolen from your house. If the thief is caught, the thief must repay double. 8 But if the thief isn't caught, some judges will decide if you are the guilty one.
9 Suppose two people claim to own the same ox or donkey or sheep or piece of clothing. Then the judges must decide the case, and the guilty person will pay the owner double.
10 Suppose a neighbor who is going to be away asks you to keep a donkey or an ox or a sheep or some other animal, and it dies or gets injured or is stolen while no one is looking. 11 If you swear with me as your witness that you did not harm the animal, you do not have to replace it. Your word is enough. 12 But if the animal was stolen while in your care, you must replace it. 13 If the animal was attacked and killed by a wild animal, and you can show the remains of the dead animal to its owner, you do not have to replace it.
14 Suppose you borrow an animal from a neighbor, and it gets injured or dies while the neighbor isn't around. Then you must replace it. 15 But if something happens to the animal while the owner is present, you do not have to replace it. If you had leased the animal, the money you paid the owner will cover any harm done to it.
Laws for Everyday Life
The Lord said:
16 Suppose a young woman has never had sex and isn't engaged. If a man talks her into having sex, he must pay the bride price and marry her. 17 But if her father refuses to let her marry the man, the bride price must still be paid.
18 Death is the punishment for witchcraft.
19 Death is the punishment for having sex with an animal.
20 Death is the punishment for offering sacrifices to any god except me.
21 Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt.
22 Do not mistreat widows or orphans. 23 If you do, they will beg for my help, and I will come to their rescue. 24 In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men and make widows of their wives and orphans of their children.
25 Don't charge interest when you lend money to any of my people who are in need. 26 Before sunset you must return any coat taken as security for a loan, 27 because that is the only cover the poor have when they sleep at night. I am a merciful God, and when they call out to me, I will come to help them.
28 Don't speak evil of me or of the ruler of your people.
29 Don't fail to give me the offerings of grain and wine that belong to me.
Dedicate to me your first-born sons 30 and the first-born of your cattle and sheep. Let the animals stay with their mothers for seven days, then on the eighth day give them to me, your God.
31 You are my chosen people, so don't eat the meat of any of your livestock that was killed by a wild animal. Instead, feed the meat to dogs.
Milayo ye ndipo
1 “Nthu ha angakwiba ng'ombe kene pkhwizi ebe eibulaya kene eitengesa, ngaalipe ng'ombe yaakwiba nge ng'ombe dzili shanu, alipe pkhwizi yaakwiba nge pkhwizi dzili nna. 2 Ha mbava ingabhakhwa ikwiba ngono ibe ilobgwa kwainofa, mbulayi aana nlandu we kutebula malopa, 3 koga ha kungashingikala zhuba labhuda, mbulayi una nlandu we kutebula malopa.”
Ngaalipe tjaakwiba, ngono ha asina tjaanatjo ngaatengesiwe etengesegwa bubava gugwe.
4 “Tjakwibiwa ha tjingawang'wa mu mbava tjitjatjila, ingabe ili ng'ombe kene donki kene pkhwizi ngaalipe kabili themba yatjo.”
5 “Nthu ha angafudza zwithuwo zwizwe mu minda kene ebe ezwiletja zwinoja minda ye mmwe nthu wakafanila alipe nge zwadwa mu minda iye kene mu nnda uwe we zhambi zwashalugwa zwinopinda zwimwe zose.
6 “Shango ha ingatshwa, moto ukapisa mathunde akavung'wa kene atjimile mu minda kene nnda ungatshwa wose, iwoyo wapisa shango ngaalipe tjinyikilo nge buzhalo.
7 “Ha nthu angapa mbakidzani uwe mari awe kene thundu iye kuti ambigile, ngono kube kukwibiwa, mbava ibe ibhakhwa ngailipe kabili themba ye tjayakwiba. 8 Ha mbava isabhakhwa, mweni we ng'umba unowozha pejo ne nsumikilisi kulakidza kuti ungabe asalonga luboko gugwe katola thundu ye mbakidzani uwe.
9 “Mu kubangilana, kungabe kwe ng'ombe kene donki kene pkhwizi kene tjiambalo kene tjimwe ne tjimwe koga tjingabe tjamila, tjibangigwang'wa, ndebo ye bubili igogu gwakafanila kuizhisa mbeli kwe Ndzimu, ngono iye unowowang'wa ali nlandu nge Ndzimu alipe mbakidzani uwe themba kabili.
10 “Ha nthu angasayidza ikamu tjitje donki kene ng'ombe kene pkhwizi kene ithuwo tjimwe koga kuti antjengetele itjo, tjibe tjifa kene tjikubala kene tjibe tjitapiwa kusina unobona, 11 ndebo ngaipedziwe ngotuna mbeli kwa Yahwe kulakidza kuti wasayidziwa aazolonga luboko kazwitolela thundu ye ikamu tjitje ndizo, mweni ngaamutjile ikoko, ngaasitongolipa mweni watjo tjinyikilo. 12 Koga ha kwakwibiwa munli ngaalipe mweni wayo. 13 Ha yakabulawa nge zwibandana ngaaizhise ibong'we kube ne butendeki, ha aatowomisa tjakabulawa nge zwibandana.
14 “Ha nthu angaadzima ithuwo mu mmwe tjibe tjikubala kene tjifa tjisi mu maboko e mweni watjo watjiadzima ngaatjilipe. 15 Ha mweni watjo akabe alipo, tjisilipiwe, ha tjakabe tjaadzimiwa nge mari themba yatjakaadzimiwa ndiyo ngaailipe.
Milayo ye kuzwibhata neye bugalimoyo
16 “Nlume ha angatjebela mwanadi usakabigilidziwa ebe ewalilana naye, unowondusila malobolo ngono ebe enthama nkadzi uwe. 17 Koga ha tate be mwanadi bangalamba kunlobodza nlume iwoyu, unowodusa mari anolizana ne malobolo e bumwanadi.
18 “Usitongo letja nloyi katjila.
19 “Kene ali ani ungalala ne ithuwo ngaabulawe.
20 “Kene ali ani unodusila mmwe ndzimu upoga zwibhayilo kuzhe kwa Yahwe koga ngaalobesiwe.
21 “Usitongo thamila ntaya tjimwe tjakabipa kene kuli kuntshambilidza ngoti imwi makabe muli bataya mu Egipiti. 22 Usitongo dziyidza tjilikadzi kene siyang'wa. 23 Ha ungabadziyidza ngono ibo bebe belilila kundili, nge malebeswa ndowohwa tjililo tjabo; 24 ngono ndowozhala bushongola ndibe ndimubulaya nge thumo, bakadzi benyu banowobe tjilikadzi ne bana benyu bakasibe na botate.
25 “Ha ungaadzima mmwe we bathu bangu ali nshayi mari, usitongo zwithama n'adzimi unoshaka mmwiso, usitongo shaka mmwiso munli. 26 Ha ungatola tjiambalo tje ikamu tjitjo utjibhatila kuti akulipe ukompa itjo, kuti zhuba lisathu langina umpe itjo 27 ngoti nditjo koga tjaanofuka, nditjo ifuko tjitje, ungalala akafukani kene? Ha angalilila kundili ndowohwa ngoti ndina ngoni.
28 “Usitongo gongobola Ndzimu, kene kuli kutuka mbusi we bakanyi kwenyu.
29 “Musitongo nonoka kudusa zwipo ha mavuna ne mashaba nkumbi wenyu.
“Mbano dzenyu dze tjilisana mundipe idzo. 30 Mowothama saikoko nge ng'ombe ne pkhwizi dzenyu, zose zwilume zwigale na bomayi bazo mazhuba ali kutendeka, muna le buzhanakadzi muzwizhise kundili.
31 “Mowobe bathu bakayengemala kundili, ndizo amutowoja nyama ye tjabulawa nge zwibandana mu shango, muiposele ku mbgwa.”