Unsolved Murder
Moses said to Israel:
1 Suppose the body of a murder victim is found in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you, and no one knows who the murderer is. 2 The judges and other leaders from the towns around there must find out what town is the closest to where the body was found. 3 The leaders from that town will go to their cattle herds and choose a young cow that has never been put to work. 4-5 They and some of the priests will take this cow to a nearby valley where there is a stream, but no crops. Once they reach the valley, the leaders will break the cow's neck.
The priests must be there, because the Lord your God has chosen them to be his special servants at the place of worship. The Lord has chosen them to bless the people in his name and to be judges in all legal cases, whether property or injury is involved.
6 The town leaders will wash their hands over the body of the dead cow 7 and say, “We had no part in this murder, and we don't know who did it. 8-9 But since an innocent person was murdered, we beg you, our Lord, to accept this sacrifice and forgive Israel. We are your people, and you rescued us. Please don't hold this crime against us.”
If you obey the Lord and do these things, he will forgive Israel.
Marrying a Woman Taken Prisoner in War
Moses said to Israel:
10 From time to time, you men will serve as soldiers and go off to war. The Lord your God will help you defeat your enemies, and you will take many prisoners. 11-13 One of these prisoners may be a beautiful woman, and you may want to marry her. But first you must bring her into your home, and have her shave her head, cut her nails, get rid of her foreign clothes, and start wearing Israelite clothes. She will mourn a month for her father and mother, then you can marry her.
14 Later on, if you are not happy with the woman, you can divorce her, and she can go free. But you have slept with her as your wife, so you cannot sell her as a slave or make her into your own slave.
Rights of a First-Born Son
Moses said to Israel:
15-17 Suppose a man has two wives and loves one more than the other. The first son of either wife is the man's first-born son, even if the boy's mother is the wife the man doesn't love. Later, when the man is near death and is dividing up his property, he must give a double share to his first-born son, simply because he was the first to be born.
A Son Who Rebels
Moses said to Israel:
18 A father and a mother may have a stubborn and rebellious son who refuses to obey them even after he has been punished. 19 If a son is like that, his parents must drag him to the town gate, where the leaders of the town hold their meetings. 20 The parents will tell the leaders, “This son of ours is stubborn and never obeys. He spends all his time drinking and partying.”
21 The men of the town will stone that son to death, because they must get rid of the evil he brought into the community. Everyone in Israel will be afraid when they hear how he was punished.
The Body of a Criminal
Moses said to Israel:
22 If a criminal is put to death, and you hang the dead body on a tree, 23 you must not leave it there overnight. Bury it the same day, because the dead body of a criminal hanging on a tree will bring God's curse on the land. The Lord your God is giving this land to you, so don't make it unclean by leaving the bodies of executed criminals on display.
Omuzepe omuhatjiukwa
1 “Tji pa munika omundu ngwa ṱire mokuti, mehi Muhona, Ndjambi woye, ndi me ku pe ri rire ouini woye, nape ha tjiukwa kutja owaṋi ngwe mu zepa, 2 ovanane novapangure voye ngave pite okukasaneka omikambo pokati komuṱi novihuro vyopopezu. 3 Novanane votjihuro hi tji tji ri popezu tjinene na ingwi omuṱi, ngave toore ondana ondema ndji hiya ungurisiwa, nu ndji hiya kutirwa. 4 Nowo ngave i tware komukutu mbu nomupupo mbu ha pwire, nu mbu nehi, ndi ha taurirwe nu ndi ha kuninwe, nu imbo nga rire pu ve keiteyera engoti. 5 Ovapristeri, imba ovazandu va Levi, nga ve yende ngo, owo tjinga ave pangura otjiposa ngamwa atjihe tjotjitandi tjokuzepa. Muhona, Ndjambi woye, we ve toorora okumukarera nokusera ondaya mena re. 6 Novanane avehe votjihuro hi tji tji ri popezu tjinene na ingwi omuṱi, ngave kohere omake wawo kombanda yondana ndji ondema, yengoti nda teyerwa momukutu; 7 nowo ngave hungire amave tja nai: ‘Kaweṱe mbu twa zepa omundu ngwi, nu katu nokutjiwa kutja wa ṱu i aṋi. 8 Muhona, isira otjiwaṋa tjoye Israel tji wa kutura mOengipte. Tu isira, nu o tu vara otja ovanandjo konḓiro yomundu omuhinandjo ngwi.’ 9 Tji mo tjiti ihi tji tji ri osemba momeho wa Muhona, ko nakuvarwa otja omuzepe.
Ovakazendu mba huurwa movita
10 “Muhona, Ndjambi woye, tje ku pe outoṋi movita, nove tji wa huura ovandu vawo, 11 ngahino mokati kawo mo munu mo omukazendu ngu nomuhapo omuwa, ngu wa suvere nu ngu movanga okukupa. 12 Mu twara konganda yoye; nu nge rihore ozondjise motjiuru, ne rikonde ozonyara. 13 Nozombanda, nḓa ri na zo morutu tja za kouhuura, nge ze hukure, nu nga kare mondjuwo yoye ama riri ooihe na ina oure womueze umwe; tjazumba otji mo yenene okumukupa. 14 Nu kombunda, tji u hi nokuuhara amo mu vanga komurungu, mo sokumuesa a yende ku ma vanga; nungwari ko nakusokumurandisa kovimariva nokumutatumisa, ove tjinga awa rara pu ye.
Ousemba wotjiveri
15 “Nu tji pe nomurumendu worive ngu novakazendu vevari, umwe ngwa suvera na umwe ngwe ha suverere, nu aveyevari ave mu pandukire ovanatje ovazandu, nu ingwi otjiveri a rire womukazendu ngwi eye ngwe ha suverere, 16 tji ma tye otjirumatwa tje kovazandu ve, ke nakusokuyandja ousemba wotjiveri komuzandu womukazendu ngwi ngwa suvera kutja a ha kaerisa omuzandu womukazendu ngwi ngwe ha suverere, ngu ri otjiveri katjotjiri. 17 Nungwari ma sokurizemburuka nomuzandu womukazendu ngwi ngwe ha suverere kutja onguri otjiveri, e mu pe otukondwa tuvari okuisa mouini auhe, eye tjinga e ri everi romasa we, nousemba wouveri e ri owe.
Omuzandu otjirangaranga
18 “Tji pe nomundu ngu nomuatje omuzandu, ngu notjiuru otjikukutu notjirangaranga, nu ngu ha zuu kooihe na ina tji mave mu vere, 19 ovanene ve ngave mu tware kovanane votjihuro ho, a rire mbe ke mu pangura. 20 Nowo ngave katje nai kovanane: ‘Omuatje wetu ngwi u notjiuru otjikukutu notjirangaranga, nu ka zuu ku eṱe; eye omunwe womanuwa omazeu, nu omunyandise wotjimariva.’ 21 Tjazumba imba ovarumendu avehe votjihuro ho ngave mu zepe nomawe. Komuhingo mbwi otji mamu isa mo ouvi mbwi mokati keṋu; nOvaisrael avehe mave zuu otjiṋa hi, nave tira.
Omatwako pekepeke
22 “Tji pe nomundu ngwa pangurwa kokuṱa mena rourunde we, na ṱu, norutu rwe aru turikwa komuti, 23 nu orurova rwe aru rekareka komuti mbo ouṱuku auhe. Orwo ngaru pakwe meyuva tjingero, orondu omundu ngwa turikwa komuti, eye omusengwa komurungu wa Ndjambi. Paka orurova ndwi, kokutja o ha zunḓa ehi Muhona, Ndjambi woye, nde ku pa ri rire otjirumatwa tjoye.
