Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Afei, Yesu ka kyerɛɛ nnipadɔm no ne nʼasuafoɔ no sɛ,
2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
“Atwerɛsɛm no Akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ ne Farisifoɔ no na wɔkyerɛ Mose mmara no ase.
3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but do not do their works; for they say, and do not do.
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 that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
Wɔhyɛ mo, ma modi mmara a ɛyɛ den so a wɔn ankasa mpɛ sɛ wɔdi so.
5 But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes 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 love the place of honor at feasts, the best 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 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
Sɛ wode obuo kyea wɔn abɔntene so na wofrɛ wɔn ‘Rabi’ anaa ‘Owura’ a, ɛyɛ wɔn dɛ.
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
“Mommma obiara mfrɛ mo saa. Ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn nko ara na ɔyɛ Owura. Mo nyinaa moyɛ pɛ sɛ anuanom.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
Mommfrɛ obiara wɔ asase so ha sɛ ‘Agya,’ ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn a ɔwɔ ɔsoro no nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔfrɛ no saa.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
Na mommma wɔmmfrɛ mo ‘Owura,’ ɛfiri sɛ, ɔbaako pɛ na ɔyɛ mo wura a ɔne Agyenkwa no.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
Wobrɛ wo ho ase som afoforɔ a, wobɛyɛ ɔkɛseɛ. Wopɛ sɛ woyɛ kɛse a, yɛ ɔsomfoɔ.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself 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, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
“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, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you do not enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
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, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna (Geenna g1067) as yourselves.
“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, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears 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 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
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 swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on 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 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
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 everything on it.
Sɛ woka afɔrebukyia no ntam a, woka afɔrebukyia no ne ɛso ayɛyɛdeɛ no nyinaa ntam,
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
na sɛ woka asɔredan no ntam a, woka asɔredan no ne Onyankopɔn a ɔte mu no nyinaa ntam.
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.
Na sɛ woka ɔsoro ntam a, na woreka Onyankopɔn ahennwa ne Onyankopɔn no ankasa ntam.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
“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 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
Anifirafoɔ akwankyerɛfoɔ! Mosɔne deɛ morenom so, yi mu nwansena nanso momene yoma!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion 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 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.
Farisifoɔ anifirafoɔ! Montwi kuruwa no mu kane, na kuruwa no ho nyinaa bɛte!
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly 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 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Moyɛ mo anim sɛ ateneneefoɔ, nanso bɔne ahodoɔ ahyɛ mo mu ma tɔ.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs 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 lived 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 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
Sɛ moka saa a, mobu mo ho fɔ sɛ moyɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ mma.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
Na modi wɔn anammɔn akyi yɛ saa bɔne korɔ no ara bi pɛpɛɛpɛ.
33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna (Geenna g1067)?
“Awɔ! Nhurutoa mma! Mobɛyɛ dɛn adwane amanehunu ogya mu atemmuo no? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and 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 that on 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 you killed 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 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Mereka makyerɛ mo sɛ, atemmuo a wɔaboaboa ano no nyinaa bɛba nnɛmma yi so.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you 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 tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you 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.’”
