Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying,
Afei, Yesu ka kyerɛɛ nnipadɔm no ne nʼasuafoɔ no sɛ,
2 The scholars and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat.
“Atwerɛsɛm no Akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ ne Farisifoɔ no na wɔkyerɛ Mose mmara no ase.
3 All things therefore, however many they may tell you to observe, observe and do, but do not ye according to their works, for they say, and do not.
Yei enti, ɛsɛ sɛ motie wɔn, na moyɛ biribiara a wɔkyerɛ mo. Nanso, monnyɛ deɛ wɔyɛ no bi ɛfiri sɛ, deɛ wɔka no, ɛnyɛ ɛno na wɔyɛ.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and difficult to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders, but they do not want to move them with their finger.
Wɔhyɛ mo, ma modi mmara a ɛyɛ den so a wɔn ankasa mpɛ sɛ wɔdi so.
5 But all their works they do in order to be seen by men. And they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the hems of their garments.
“Biribiara a wɔyɛ no yɛ ɔyɛkyerɛ. Wɔatwerɛ Onyame Asɛm abɔ wɔn moma ne wɔn nsa so, na wɔhyɛ wɔn ntadeɛ de kyerɛ sɛ wɔyɛ ateneneefoɔ.
6 And they love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Na sɛ wɔkɔ apontoɔ ase nso a, wɔpɛ sɛ daa wɔtena mpanin tenabea. Afei, wɔkɔ asɔre nso a, wɔpɛ sɛ wɔtena mpanin tenabea pa.
7 and the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be designated by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
Sɛ wode obuo kyea wɔn abɔntene so na wofrɛ wɔn ‘Rabi’ anaa ‘Owura’ a, ɛyɛ wɔn dɛ.
8 But be ye not designated Rabbi, for one is your leader, the Christ, and ye are all brothers.
“Mommma obiara mfrɛ mo saa. Ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn nko ara na ɔyɛ Owura. Mo nyinaa moyɛ pɛ sɛ anuanom.
9 And do not designate a father of you upon the earth, for one is your Father, he in the heavens.
Mommfrɛ obiara wɔ asase so ha sɛ ‘Agya,’ ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn a ɔwɔ ɔsoro no nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔfrɛ no saa.
10 And be ye not designated leaders, for one is your leader, the Christ.
Na mommma wɔmmfrɛ mo ‘Owura,’ ɛfiri sɛ, ɔbaako pɛ na ɔyɛ mo wura a ɔne Agyenkwa no.
11 But the greater of you will be your helper.
Wobrɛ wo ho ase som afoforɔ a, wobɛyɛ ɔkɛseɛ. Wopɛ sɛ woyɛ kɛse a, yɛ ɔsomfoɔ.
12 And he who will exalt himself will be made low, and he who will make himself low will be exalted.
Na obiara a ɔbɛma ne ho so no, wɔbɛbrɛ no ase; saa ara nso na obiara a ɔbɛbrɛ ne ho ase no, wɔbɛma no so.
13 Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye close up the kingdom of the heavens ahead of men. For ye enter not in, nor do ye allow those who are entering to enter in.
“Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, mosi afoforɔ Ɔsoro Ahennie ho ɛkwan. Mo a, monkɔ mu. Mo nso a, momma afoforɔ a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔkɔ mu no ɛkwan.
14 But woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye devour widows' houses, and praying long in pretence. Because of this ye will receive greater condemnation.
Nyaatwomfoɔ! Mobɔ mpaeɛ atentene wɔ mmɔntene so de kyerɛ sɛ moyɛ ateneneefoɔ wɔ ɛberɛ a motu akunafoɔ firi wɔn afie mu.
15 Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye encompass the sea and the land to make one proselyte, and when it happens, ye make him twice more a son of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
“Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ! Mokɔ ewiase afanan nyinaa sɛ mobɛnya onipa fua abɛfra mo mu. Na sɛ monya obi saa a, mosɛe no ma ɔyɛ ɔbonsam ba sene sɛdeɛ moteɛ no. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, ye blind guides, who say, Whoever may swear by the temple, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.
“Monnue! Akwankyerɛfoɔ anifirafoɔ a moka sɛ, sɛ obi de asɔredan ka ntam a, ɛno deɛ, ɛnyɛ hwee. Na sɛ ɔde sikakɔkɔɔ a ɛwɔ asɔredan no mu ka ntam deɛ a, ɛnneɛ, ntam no kyekyere onii no.
17 Ye foolish and blind men, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
Anifirafoɔ nkwaseafoɔ! Asɔredan no ne emu sikakɔkɔɔ no mu deɛ ɛwɔ he na ɛsom bo; sikakɔkɔɔ no anaa asɔredan no a ɛte sikakɔkɔɔ no ho no?
18 And, Whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gift upon it, he is obligated.
Na moka sɛ, ‘Sɛ obi ka afɔrebukyia no ntam a, ɛnyɛ hwee. Na mmom, sɛ ɔka ayɛyɛdeɛ a ɛgu afɔrebukyia no so ntam deɛ a, ɛkyekyere onii no’
19 Ye foolish and blind men, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
Anifirafoɔ! Afɔrebukyia a ɛte ayɛyɛdeɛ a ɛgu so no ho no ne ayɛyɛdeɛ a ɛgu so no mu deɛ ɛwɔ he na ɛsom bo?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all things on it.
Sɛ woka afɔrebukyia no ntam a, woka afɔrebukyia no ne ɛso ayɛyɛdeɛ no nyinaa ntam,
21 And he who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it.
na sɛ woka asɔredan no ntam a, woka asɔredan no ne Onyankopɔn a ɔte mu no nyinaa ntam.
22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it.
Na sɛ woka ɔsoro ntam a, na woreka Onyankopɔn ahennwa ne Onyankopɔn no ankasa ntam.
23 Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye tithe the mint and the anise and the cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law-justice and mercy and faith. These things must be done, and not neglecting those things.
“Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ! Moyi ntotosoɔ dudu wɔ afifideɛ a ɛwɔ mo mfikyifuo mu no ho, nanso mogya nneɛma a ɛsom bo te sɛ atɛntenenee, ahummɔborɔ ne nokorɛdie. Ɛwom sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ moyiyi ntotosoɔ dudu no deɛ, nanso ɛnsɛ sɛ mogya nneɛma a ɛsom bo no.
24 Ye blind guides, who strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel.
Anifirafoɔ akwankyerɛfoɔ! Mosɔne deɛ morenom so, yi mu nwansena nanso momene yoma!
25 Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but inside they are full of plunder and unrighteousness.
“Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ! Motwi mo kuruwa ne mo ayowaa ho fɛfɛɛfɛ nanso emu no deɛ, asisie ne pɛsɛmenkomenya ahyɛ no ma tɔ.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, so that the outside of them may also become clean.
Farisifoɔ anifirafoɔ! Montwi kuruwa no mu kane, na kuruwa no ho nyinaa bɛte!
27 Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
“Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ! Mote sɛ ɛda a wɔasra ho fɛfɛɛfɛ nanso awufoɔ nnompe ne nneɛma funu ahyɛ mu ma tɔ.
28 In this way also, ye indeed outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Moyɛ mo anim sɛ ateneneefoɔ, nanso bɔne ahodoɔ ahyɛ mo mu ma tɔ.
29 Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchers of the righteous,
“Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ! Mosisi nna akɛseɛ ma adiyifoɔ a mo ara mo agyanom kunkumm wɔn, na mode nhwiren gugu ateneneefoɔ a wɔkunkum wɔn no da so,
30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
na motwa mo ho ka sɛ, ‘Sɛ na yɛte ase saa ɛberɛ no a, anka yɛrenyɛ bɔne a yɛn agyanom yɛeɛ no.’
31 So then ye testify to yourselves that ye are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
Sɛ moka saa a, mobu mo ho fɔ sɛ moyɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ mma.
32 Then fill ye up the measure of your fathers.
Na modi wɔn anammɔn akyi yɛ saa bɔne korɔ no ara bi pɛpɛɛpɛ.
33 Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how will ye escape from the damnation of hell? (Geenna g1067)
“Awɔ! Nhurutoa mma! Mobɛyɛ dɛn adwane amanehunu ogya mu atemmuo no? (Geenna g1067)
34 Because of this, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scholars. And some of them ye will kill and crucify, and some of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city,
Mɛsoma adiyifoɔ ne anyansafoɔ ne akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ aba mo nkyɛn. Mobɛbɔ wɔn mu bi asɛnnua mu akum wɔn. Mobɛbɔ ebinom akyi mmaa wɔ mo asɔredan mu, na moataa ebi firi nkuro so akɔ nkuro so.
35 so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
Na ateneneefoɔ mogya a moahwie agu asase so nyinaa, ɛfiri Habel so de kɔsi Barakia ba Sakaria a mokumm no wɔ asɔredan ne afɔrebukyia ntam no, bɛba mo so.
36 Truly I say to you, that all these things will come upon this generation.
Mereka makyerɛ mo sɛ, atemmuo a wɔaboaboa ano no nyinaa bɛba nnɛmma yi so.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who have been sent to her. How often I wanted to gathered thy children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and ye would not.
“Ao Yerusalem, Yerusalem, wo a wokum adiyifoɔ, na wosi wɔn a wɔasoma wɔn wo nkyɛn aboɔ, mpɛn ahe na anka mepɛɛ sɛ meboaboa wo mma ano, sɛdeɛ akokɔbaatan boaboa ne mma ano ne ntaban ase, nanso moampɛ!
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
Wɔbɛgya mo efie fituo ama mo.
39 For I say to you, ye will, no, not see me henceforth, until ye say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Na mese mo sɛ, ɛfiri sɛsɛɛ morenhunu me bio kɔsi sɛ, mobɛka sɛ, ‘Nhyira ne deɛ ɔnam Awurade din mu reba no.’”
