What to Do When You Don’t Know Who Killed Someone
1Suppose you find someone who has been killed. The body is lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. But no one knows who the killer was. 2Then your elders and judges will go out to the field. They will measure the distance from the body to the nearby towns. 3The elders from the town that is nearest to the body will get a young cow. It must never have been used for work. It must never have pulled a load. 4The elders must lead it down into a valley. The valley must not have been farmed. There must be a stream flowing through it. There in the valley the elders must break the cow’s neck. 5The priests, who are sons of Levi, will step forward. The Lord your God has chosen them to serve him. He wants them to bless the people in his name. He wants them to decide all cases that have to do with people arguing and attacking others. 6Then all the elders from the town that is nearest to the body will wash their hands. They will wash them over the young cow whose neck they broke in the valley. 7They’ll say to the Lord, “We didn’t kill that person. We didn’t see it happen. 8Accept this payment for the sin of your people Israel. Lord, you have set your people free. Don’t hold them guilty for spilling the blood of someone who hasn’t done anything wrong.” That will pay for the death of that person. 9So you will get rid of the guilt of killing someone who didn’t do anything wrong. That’s because you have done what is right in the Lord’s eyes.
Marrying a Woman Who Is Your Prisoner
10Suppose you go to war against your enemies. And the Lord your God hands them over to you and you take them as prisoners. 11Then you notice a beautiful woman among them. If you like her, you may marry her. 12Bring her home. Have her shave her head and cut her nails. 13Have her throw away the clothes she was wearing when she was captured. Let her live in your house and mourn the loss of her parents for a full month. Then you can go to her and be her husband. And she will be your wife. 14But suppose you aren’t pleased with her. Then let her go where she wants to. You must not sell her. You must not treat her as a slave. You have already brought shame on her.
The Rights of the Oldest Son
15Suppose a man has two wives. He loves one but not the other. And both of them have sons by him. But the oldest son is the son of the wife the man doesn’t love. 16Someday he’ll leave his property to his sons. When he does, he must not give the rights of the oldest son to the son of the wife he loves. He must give those rights to his oldest son. He must do it even though his oldest son is the son of the wife he doesn’t love. 17He must recognize the full rights of the oldest son. He must do it, even though that son is the son of the wife he doesn’t love. He must give that son a double share of everything he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. So the rights of the oldest son belong to him.
A Stubborn Son
18Suppose someone has a very stubborn son. He doesn’t obey his father and mother. And he won’t listen to them when they try to correct him. 19Then his parents will take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20They will say to the elders, “This son of ours is very stubborn. He won’t obey us. He eats too much. He’s always getting drunk.” 21Then all the people in his town will put him to death by throwing stones at him. Get rid of that evil person. All the Israelites will hear about it. And they will be afraid to disobey their parents.
Several Other Laws
22Suppose someone is put to death for a crime worthy of death. And a pole is stuck through their body and set up where people can see it. 23Then you must not leave the body on the pole all night. Make sure you bury it that same day. Everyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not make the land “unclean.” The Lord your God is giving it to you as your own.
Upatanisho Kuhusu Mauaji
121:1 Hes 25:17; Za 9:12; Mit 28:17Kama mtu akikutwa ameuawa, naye amelala kwenye shamba katika nchi ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kuimiliki, wala haijulikani ni nani aliyemuua, 2wazee wenu na waamuzi watatoka na kupima umbali kutoka maiti alipolala mpaka kwenye miji ya jirani. 321:3 Hes 19:2Kisha wazee wa ule mji ulio karibu zaidi na yule maiti watamchukua mtamba ambaye hajapata kufanyishwa kazi na ambaye hajafungwa nira, 4na kumpeleka kwenye bonde ambalo halijapata kulimwa au kupandwa mazao na ambapo kuna chemchemi itiririkayo. Huko kwenye hilo bonde, wazee watamvunja yule mtamba shingo. 521:5 Mwa 48:20; Kut 39:43; Kum 17:8-11Makuhani, hao wana wa Lawi, watasogea mbele, kwa kuwa Bwana Mungu wenu, amewachagua kuhudumu na kutoa baraka katika jina la Bwana, na kuamua mashauri yote ya mabishano na mashambulio. 621:6 Mt 27:24; 1Nya 23:1321:6 Ay 9:30; Za 19:12; Yer 2:22; Mt 27:14; Ebr 9:10Ndipo wazee wote wa mji ulio karibu zaidi na huyo maiti watanawa mikono yao juu ya huyo mtamba ambaye shingo yake imevunjwa huko kwenye bonde, 721:7 2Sam 3:28nao watatangaza: “Mikono yetu haikumwaga damu hii, wala macho yetu hayakuona likifanyika. 821:8 Hes 35:33-34; Yer 26:15; Eze 22:3; Yn 1:14Ee Bwana, ukubali upatanisho kwa watu wako Israeli, ambao umewakomboa, wala usiwahesabie watu wako hatia ya damu ya mtu asiyekuwa na hatia.” Nayo damu iliyomwagika itakuwa imefanyiwa upatanisho. 921:9 Kum 19:13Hivyo mtakuwa mmejitakasa wenyewe kutoka hatia ya kumwaga damu isiyokuwa na hatia, kwa kuwa mmefanya lile lililo sawa mbele za macho ya Bwana.
Kuoa Mwanamke Mateka
1021:10 Yos 21:44; 1Fal 8:46; 1Nya 9:1; Ezr 5:12; Yer 40:1; Eze 1:1; 17:12; Dan 2:25; Mik 4:10; 2Nya 32:8Mkienda vitani kupigana na adui zenu naye Bwana Mungu wenu akawatia adui mikononi mwenu, nanyi mkachukua mateka, 1121:11 Mwa 6:2; 34:8kama ukiona miongoni mwa mateka mwanamke mzuri wa sura nawe wavutwa naye, waweza kumwoa akawa mke wako. 1221:12 Law 14:9; Hes 8:7; 1Kor 11:5; Hes 6:9Mlete nyumbani mwako, anyoe nywele na kukata kucha zake, 1321:13 Za 45:10avue nguo alizokuwa amevaa alipotekwa. Baada ya kuishi nyumbani mwako na kumwombolezea baba yake na mama yake kwa mwezi mzima, ndipo utakapoweza kumwendea na kuwa mume wake naye atakuwa mke wako. 1421:14 Mwa 34:2; Amu 19:24Lakini kama hutaendelea kupendezwa naye, mwache aende popote anapotaka. Kamwe huwezi kumuuza au kumtendea kama mtumwa, kwa sababu utakuwa umemvunjia heshima.
Haki Ya Mzaliwa Wa Kwanza
1521:15 Mwa 4:19; 29:33Kama mwanaume ana wake wawili, naye anampenda mmoja na mwingine hampendi na wote wawili wamemzalia wana wa kiume, lakini mwana mzaliwa wa kwanza ni wa yule mke asiyempenda, 1621:16 1Nya 26:10; Rum 8:29wakati anapotoa wosia wa mali yake kwa wanawe, kamwe asitoe haki za mzaliwa wa kwanza kwa mwana wa mke ampendaye kwa upendeleo, badala ya mzaliwa hasa wa kwanza, ambaye ni mwana wa mke ambaye hampendi. 1721:17 2Fal 2:9; Isa 40:2; 61:7; Zek 9:12; Mwa 49:3; 25:31; Lk 15:12; 1Nya 5:1Ni lazima amkubali mwana wa mke asiyempenda kama mzaliwa wa kwanza kwa kumpa sehemu ya vile vyote alivyo navyo maradufu. Mwana huyo ni ishara ya kwanza ya nguvu za baba yake. Haki ya mzaliwa wa kwanza ni yake yeye.
Mwana Mwasi
1821:18 Za 78:8; Yer 5:23; Sef 3:1; Mit 30:17; Mwa 31:35; Mit 1:8; Isa 30:1; Efe 6:1-3; Kut 20:12; 21:15, 17; Law 19:3; 21:9Kama mtu ana mwana mkaidi na mwasi ambaye hamtii baba yake na mama yake, na hasikii wazazi wanapomrudi, 19baba yake na mama yake watamleta kwa wazee kwenye lango la mji wake. 20Watawaambia wazee, “Huyu mwanetu ni mkaidi na mwasi. Hatutii sisi, yeye ni mpotovu na mlevi.” 2121:21 Law 20:9; Kum 19:19; 1Kor 5:13; Kum 13:11; 1Sam 26:16Kisha wanaume wote wa mjini mwake watampiga kwa mawe mpaka afe. Ndivyo imewapasa kuondoa maovu kati yenu. Israeli yote itasikia hili na kuogopa.
Sheria Mbalimbali
2221:22 Kum 22:26; Mt 26:66; Mk 14:64; Mdo 23:29Kama mtu ana hatia ya kosa linalompasa kuuawa naye akauawa, mwili wake utaangikwa mtini, 2321:23 Yos 8:29; 10:27; Yn 19:31; Eze 39:12; Ezr 6:11; Es 2:23; 7:9; 8:7; 9:13, 25; Isa 50:11; Gal 3:13; Law 18:25kamwe msiuache mwili wake mtini usiku kucha. Hakikisheni mnauzika mwili wake siku ile ile, kwa sababu kila mtu anayeangikwa mtini yupo chini ya laana ya Mungu. Msiinajisi nchi ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kama urithi wenu.
