Atonement for an Unsolved Murder
1If someone is found slain, lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who the killer was, 2your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns. 3Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke 4and lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck. 5The Levitical priests shall step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the Lord and to decide all cases of dispute and assault. 6Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7and they shall declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. 8Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, Lord, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent person.” Then the bloodshed will be atoned for, 9and you will have purged from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
Marrying a Captive Woman
10When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives, 11if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. 12Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails 13and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. 14If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her.
The Right of the Firstborn
15If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, 16when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. 17He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.
A Rebellious Son
18If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 21Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.
Various Laws
22If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, 23you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
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.
