Exodus 23 – NIRV & CCL

New International Reader’s Version

Exodus 23:1-33

Laws About Mercy and Fairness

1“Do not spread reports that are false. Do not help a guilty person by telling lies in court.

2“Do not follow the crowd when they do what is wrong. When you are a witness in court, do not turn what is right into what is wrong. Do not go along with the crowd. 3Do not show favor to a poor person in court.

4“Suppose you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away. Then be sure to return it. 5Suppose you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has fallen down under its load. Then do not leave it there. Be sure you help them with it.

6“Be fair to your poor people in their court cases. 7Do not have anything to do with a false charge. Do not put to death people not guilty of doing anything wrong. I will not let guilty people go free.

8“Do not take money from people who want special favors. It makes you blind to the truth. It twists the words of good people.

9“Do not treat outsiders badly. You yourselves know how it feels to be outsiders. Remember, you were outsiders in Egypt.

Sabbath Laws

10“For six years plant your fields and gather your crops. 11But during the seventh year do not plow your land or use it. Then the poor people among you can get food from it. The wild animals can eat what is left over. Do the same thing with your vineyards and your groves of olive trees.

12“Do all your work in six days. But do not do any work on the seventh day. Then your oxen and donkeys can rest. The slaves born in your house can be renewed. And so can the outsiders who live among you.

13“Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not speak the names of other gods. Do not even let them be heard on your lips.

Laws About Celebrating the Three Main Feasts

14“Three times a year you must celebrate a feast in my honor.

15“Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days, eat bread made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Do it at the appointed time in the month of Aviv. You came out of Egypt in that month.

“You must not come to worship me with your hands empty.

16“Celebrate the Feast of Weeks. Bring the first share of your crops from your fields.

“Celebrate the Feast of Booths. Hold it in the fall when you gather in your crops from your fields.

17“Three times a year all your men must come to worship me. I am your Lord and King.

18“Do not include anything made with yeast when you offer me the blood of a sacrifice.

“Suppose the fat from sacrifices is left over from my feasts. Then do not keep it until morning.

19“Bring the best of the first share of your crops to my house. I am the Lord your God.

“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

God’s Angel Will Prepare the Way

20“I am sending an angel ahead of you. He will guard you along the way. He will bring you to the place I have prepared. 21Pay attention to him. Listen to what he says. Do not refuse to obey him. He will not forgive you if you turn against him. He has my full authority. 22Listen carefully to what he says. Do everything I say. Then I will be an enemy to your enemies. I will fight against those who fight against you. 23My angel will go ahead of you. He will bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites. I will wipe them out. 24Do not do what they do. Do not bow down to their gods or worship them. You must destroy the statues of their gods. You must break their sacred stones to pieces. 25Worship the Lord your God. Then he will bless your food and water. I, the Lord, will take away any sickness you may have. 26In your land no woman will give birth to a dead baby. Every woman will be able to have children. I will give you a long life.

27“I will send my terror ahead of you. I will throw every nation you meet into a panic. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run away. 28I will send hornets ahead of you. They will drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29But I will not drive them out in just one year. If I did, the land would be deserted. There would be too many wild animals for you. 30I will drive them out ahead of you little by little. I will do that until there are enough of you to take control of the land.

31“I will make your borders secure from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. They will go from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land. You will drive them out to make room for yourselves. 32Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. 33Do not let them live in your land. If you do, they will cause you to sin against me. If you worship their gods, that will certainly be a trap for you.”

Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero

Eksodo 23:1-33

Malamulo a Zachilungamo ndi Zachifundo

1“Usafalitse mbiri yabodza. Usathandize munthu wolakwa pomuchitira umboni wonama.

2“Usatsate gulu la anthu ndi kuchita choyipa. Pamene ukupereka umboni mʼbwalo lamilandu, usakhotetse mlandu chifukwa chofuna kukondweretsa anthu ambiri. 3Ndipo poweruza mlandu wa munthu wosauka usamukondere.

4“Ngati ukumana ndi ngʼombe kapena bulu wa mdani wako zitasochera, uwonetsetse kuti wazitenga kupita nazo kwa mwini wakeyo. 5Ngati uwona bulu wa munthu wina amene amakuda atagwa ndi katundu, usamusiye pomwepo, uwonetsetse kuti wamuthandiza.

6“Usakhotetse milandu ya anthu osauka. 7Upewe zabodza ndipo usaphetse munthu wosalakwa ndi wolungama, chifukwa Ine sindidzakhululukira wochimwa.

8“Musamalandire chiphuphu, pakuti chiphuphu chimadetsa mʼmaso anthu oweruza ndi kusintha mawu awo kuti mlandu uyipire osalakwa.

9“Usamuzunze mlendo, pakuti inu nomwe mukudziwa mmene amamvera mlendo chifukwa nanunso munali alendo mʼdziko la Igupto.

Malamulo a Nthawi Zopuma

10“Muzidzala mbewu zanu mʼmunda ndi kumakolola mbewuzo kwa zaka zisanu ndi chimodzi. 11Koma chaka chachisanu ndi chiwiri muzisiya osalima mindayo kuti anthu osauka pakati panu azipezamo chakudya, ndipo nyama zakuthengo zizidya zotsalazo. Muzichita chimodzimodzi ndi minda ya mpesa ndi mitengo ya olivi.

12“Muzigwira ntchito masiku asanu ndi limodzi koma tsiku lachisanu ndi chiwiri musagwire ntchito kuti ngʼombe yanu ndi bulu wanu apume ndiponso kuti kapolo wobadwira mʼnyumba yanu ndi mlendo yemwe apezenso mphamvu.

13“Samalani pochita zonse zimene ine ndanena. Musamapemphere kwa milungu ina ndipo mayina awo musamawatchule.

Masiku Atatu Akulu a Chikondwerero

14“Muzichita zikondwerero zolemekeza Ine katatu pa chaka.

15“Muzichita Chikondwerero cha Buledi wopanda Yisiti. Kwa masiku asanu ndi awiri muzidya buledi wopanda yisiti monga ndinakulamulirani. Muzichita zimenezi mwezi wa Abibu pa nthawi yomwe ndayika, pakuti mʼmwezi umenewu munatuluka mʼdziko la Igupto.

“Pasapezeke munthu wobwera pamaso panga wopanda kanthu mʼmanja.

16“Muzichita Chikondwerero cha Masika pogwiritsa ntchito zipatso zoyambirira kucha zimene munadzala mʼmunda.

“Muzichitanso Chikondwerero cha Zokolola pakutha pa chaka, pamene mukututa zokolola zanu mʼmunda.

17“Amuna onse azionekera pamaso pa Ambuye Yehova katatu pa chaka.

18“Musapereke magazi anyama ngati nsembe kwa Ine pamodzi ndi chilichonse chimene chili ndi yisiti.

“Ndipo musasunge mafuta anyama yansembe ya pa chikondwerero mpaka mmawa.

19“Muzibwera ndi zipatso zoyambirira kucha zabwino kwambiri ku Nyumba ya Yehova Mulungu wanu.

“Musamaphike kamwana kambuzi mu mkaka wa mayi wake.

Kutsogolera kwa Mngelo wa Mulungu

20“Taona Ine ndikutuma mngelo wanga patsogolo panu kuti akutetezeni mʼnjiramo ndi kukakufikitsani ku malo amene ndakonza. 21Muzimumvera ndi kumvetsetsa zimene akunena. Musamuwukire chifukwa sadzakhululuka kuwukira kwanu, pakuti akuchita zimenezi mʼdzina langa. 22Ngati mudzamvera iyeyu ndi kuchita zonse zimene Ine ndikunena, Ine ndidzakhala mdani wa adani anu ndipo ndidzatsutsana ndi onse otsutsana nanu. 23Mngelo wanga adzakhala patsogolo panu ndipo adzakufikitsani mʼdziko la Aamori, Ahiti, Aperezi, Akanaani, Ahivi ndi Ayebusi, ndipo ndidzawapheratu onsewo. 24Musagwadire milungu yawo kapena kuyipembedza. Ndipo musatsatire zinthu zomwe amachita. Koma inu mukawononge milungu yawo ndi kuphwasula malo amene amapembedzerapo. 25Muzipembedza Yehova Mulungu wanu ndipo adzakudalitsani ndi chakudya ndi madzi ndiponso ndidzachotsa nthenda pakati panu. 26Palibe mkazi amene adzapite padera kapena kukhala wosabereka mʼdziko mwanu. Ndidzakupatsani moyo wautali.

27“Ine ndidzawachititsa mantha ndi kusokoneza anthu onse amene adzalimbana ndi inu ndipo adani anu onse adzakuthawani. 28Ahivi, Akanaani ndi Ahiti adzathawa ngati kuti ndawatumizira mavu. 29Komabe sindidzawachotseratu onse mʼchaka chimodzi chifukwa dziko lingadzakhale lopanda anthu ndipo nyama zakuthengo zidzakuchulukirani. 30Ndidzawathamangitsa pangʼonopangʼono mpaka inu mutachuluka kokwanira mwakuti nʼkutenga dzikolo.

31“Malire a dziko lanu adzakhala kuyambira ku Nyanja Yofiira mpaka ku nyanja ya Afilisti, ndiponso kuyambira ku chipululu mpaka ku mtsinje wa Yufurate. Anthu onse okhala mʼdziko limeneli ndidzawapereka mʼmanja mwanu ndipo mudzawathamangitsa. 32Musachite pangano ndi iwo kapena ndi milungu yawo. 33Asadzakhale mʼdziko lanu chifukwa angadzakuchimwitseni ndi kuyamba kupembedza milungu yawo. Mukadzatero ndiye kuti mwakodwa mu msampha.”