Chapter 23
1 Uze ungathuthi ludaba lukhohlakeleyo: uze ungancedisani nongendawo, ukuba ube lingqina logonyamelo.
2 Uze ungalandeli isininzi ukuya kwenza izinto ezimbi; ungathi ukungqina kwimbambano ekhoyo, ujike ulandele isininzi, uyijike inyaniso.
3 Uze ungasicengi isisweli ekubambaneni kwaso nomnye.
4 Xa uthe waqubisana nenkomo yotshaba lwakho, nokuba liesile lalo, lilahleka: wolibuyisela kulo.
5 Xa uthe walibona iesile lokuthiyileyo lisadalele phantsi komthwalo walo, musa ukumyekela; likhulule umkhululise.
6 Uze ungasijiki isigwebo sehlwempu lakho ekubambaneni kwalo nomnye.
7 Zikhwelelise kude entweni ebubuxoki; musa ukumbulala omsulwa nolilungisa: kuba andiyi kumgwebela ongendawo.
8 Uze ungamkeli sicengo; kuba isicengo esi siyabamfamekisa ababonayo, siphenula imicimbi yamalungisa.
9 Uze ungamxini umphambukeli; niyawazi nina umphefumlo womphambukeli, kuba naningabaphambukeli nani ezweni laseYiputa.
10 Wowuhlwayela umhlaba wakho iminyaka emithandathu, ubuthe iziqhamo zawo;
11 ke ngowesixhenxe wowuyeka ulale, adle amahlwempu abantu bakowenu, okuseleyo kuwo kudliwe ziinyamakazi; wenjenjalo ngesidiliya sakho, nangesinquma sakho.
12 Wowusebenza umsebenzi wakho imihla emithandathu, uphumle ngomhla wesixhenxe; iphumle inkomo yakho ne-esile lakho, akhe aphefumle unyana wesicakakazi sakho nomphambukeli.
13 Zonke izinto endizithethileyo kuni, zigcineni; igama lathixo bambi uze ungalikhankanyi, lingaviwa emlonyeni wakho.
14 Wondenzela umthendeleko kathathu ngomnyaka.
15 Umthendeleko wezonka ezingenagwele uze uwugcine, udle izonka ezingenagwele imihla esixhenxe, njengoko ndakuwiselayo umthetho, ngexesha elimisiweyo lenyanga enguAbhibhi; kuba waphuma ngayo eYiputa; makungabonakali bani phambi kwam engaphethe lutho;
16 nomthendeleko wexa lokuvuna, wentlahlela yemisebenzi yakho yokuhlwayela entsimini; nomthendeleko wokuhlanganisa, osekupheleni komnyaka, ekuhlanganiseni kwakho imisebenzi yakho entsimini.
17 Izihlandlo ezithathu ngomnyaka, mayibonakale yonke into eyindoda yakowenu phambi kweNkosi uYehova.
18 Uze ungalibingeleli phezu kwento enegwele igazi lombingelelo wam; nenqatha lomthendeleko wam malingabi ngumbeko.
19 Ingqalo yentlahlela yomhlaba wakho uze uyizise endlwini kaYehova uThixo wakho. Uze ungalipheki itakane ngobisi lonina.
20 Uyabona, ndithuma isithunywa phambi kwakho, ukuba sikugcine endleleni, sikufikise endaweni endiyilungisileyo.
21 Silumkele, uliphulaphule izwi laso. Musa ukusiphikisa; kuba asiyi kuluxolela ukreqo lwenu; kuba igama lam likuso.
22 Ke ukuba uthe waliva ilizwi laso, wenza konke endikuthethayo, ndoba lutshaba kwiintshaba zakho, ndibabandezele ababandezeli bakho.
23 Kuba isithunywa sam sohamba phambi kwakho, sikufikise kuma-Amori, namaHiti, namaPerizi, namaKanan, namaHivi, namaYebhusi; ndiwabethe athi shwaka.
24 Uze ungabanquli oothixo babo, ungabakhonzi, ungenzi ngokwemisebenzi yabo; uze uzigungxule, uziqhekeze nokuziqhekeza izimiso zabo zamatye.
25 Nize nikhonze uYehova uThixo wenu, asisikelele isonka sakho, namanzi akho; ndisisuse isifo phakathi kwakho.
26 Akuyi kubakho kuphunza nakudlola ezweni lakho; inani lemihla yakho ndolizalisa.
27 Ndiya kuzithuma phambi kwakho izothuso zam, ndibadubadube bonke abantu oya kufika kubo, iintshaba zakho zonke ndizenze zikunikele ikhosi;
28 ndithume oonomeva phambi kwakho, bawagxothe amaHivi, namaKanan, namaHiti, asuke phambi kwakho.
29 Andiyi kuwagxotha phambi kwakho ngamnyaka mnye, hleze ilizwe kube senkangala kulo, ande amarhamncwa asendle phezu kwakho.
30 Ndiya kumana ukuwagxotha kancinane phambi kwakho, ude wande, ulidle ilifa ilizwe.
31 Ndoyimisa imida yakho, ithabathele kuLwandle oluBomvu ise kulwandle lwamaFilisti; ithabathele entlango, ise kuwo uMlambo; kuba abemi belo lizwe ndiya kubanikela esandleni sakho, ubagxothe phambi kwakho.
32 Uze unganqophisani nabo, kwanoothixo babo;
33 ize bangemi kwelo zwe lakho, hleze bakwenze undone. Xa uthe wabakhonza oothixo babo, inene, oko koba ngumgibe kuwe.