Deuteronomy 17
1 You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep with any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.
“Mègatsɔ nyitsu alo alẽ si le dɔ lém alo esi nane wɔ la sa vɔe na Yehowa, wò Mawu la gbeɖegbeɖe o. Yehowa, wò Mawu la bua nunana siawo abe ŋunyɔnu ene.
2 If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant
“Ne ame aɖe, ŋutsu alo nyɔnu, le du aɖe me le anyigba blibo la dzi da le wò nubabla si nèwɔ kple Yehowa wò Mawu dzi
3 and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
to mawu bubuwo, ɣe, ɣleti alo ɣletiviwo subɔsubɔ me, nu siwo ŋu mede se na mi le vevie la,
4 and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel,
ku nya la me tsitotsito gbã, ne nàkpɔ be ɖikeke aɖe le nya la ƒe nyateƒenyenye me hã.
5 you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.
Ne nya la nye nyateƒe la, ekema woahe ŋutsu la alo nyɔnu la ayi dua godo, eye woaƒu kpee le afi ma wòaku.
6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.
Ke mègawu ame aɖeke le ɖasefo ɖeka pɛ ko ƒe ɖaseɖiɖi ta o. Ele be ɖasefoawo nade eve alo etɔ̃ kokoko.
7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.
Na ɖasefoawo naƒu kpee gbã hafi ame bubuawo naƒui. To esia me la, àɖe nu vɔ̃wo katã ɖa le mia dome.”
8 If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.
“Ne nya aɖe dzɔ si sesẽ akpa na wò dɔdrɔ̃, le kpɔɖeŋu me, ne wotsɔ hlɔ̃nya aɖe ɖe ame aɖe ŋu le esime ɖaseɖiɖi gobii aɖeke mele eŋu o, alo ne wote ame aɖe ɖe eme la, ekema ele be nàtsɔ nya la ayi Yehowa, wò Mawu la ƒe kɔkɔeƒe,
9 You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.
na nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo, eye ʋɔnudrɔ̃la si le nya drɔ̃m le ɣe ma ɣi la natso nya la me.
10 You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you,
Le eƒe nyametsotso megbe la, womagbugbɔ nya la adrɔ̃ o. Woawɔ ɖe se la dzi nyaɖenyanui.
11 according to the terms of law they give and the verdict they proclaim. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from the decision they declare to you.
Ele be woawɔ ɖe ʋɔnudrɔ̃la la ƒe nyametsotso dzi pɛpɛpɛ.
12 But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.
Ne ame si ŋu wotsɔ nya la ɖo gbe be yemaxɔ nunɔla la alo ʋɔnudrɔ̃la si Yehowa Mawu ɖo na nyadɔdrɔ̃ la ƒe nyametsotso o la, nu si woawɔe koe nye be woawui. Ele be woaɖe nu vɔ̃ wɔla siawo tɔgbi ɖa le Israelviwo dome.
13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.
Ekema ame sia ame ase nya si dzɔ ɖe ame si gbe be yemaxɔ Yehowa ƒe nyametsotso o la dzi. Nu sia ana woavɔ̃, eye womagatsi tsitre ɖe ʋɔnudrɔ̃ƒe la ƒe nyametsotso ŋu o.”
14 When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
“Ne èva ɖo anyigba si Yehowa, wò Mawu, le na wò ge dzi, eye nèxɔe la, de asi tamebubu me be, ‘Ele be fia nanɔ mía si abe dukɔ bubu siwo ƒo xlã mí la ene!’
15 you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.
Kpɔ egbɔ be yeɖo ame si, Yehowa, wò Mawu la atia la fiae. Ele be wòanye Israelvi, menye amedzro o.
16 But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’
Kpɔ egbɔ be meƒle sɔ geɖewo na eɖokui o, eye medɔ eƒe amewo ɖe Egipte be woaƒle sɔwo tso afi ma vɛ na ye hã o, elabena Yehowa gblɔ na wò be, ‘Mègatrɔ yi Egipte gbeɖe o.’
17 He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
Mele be fia la naɖe srɔ̃ geɖe o; ne menye nenema o la, eƒe dzi atrɔ ɖa tso Yehowa gbɔ. Mele be wòakpɔ hotsui guduu hã o.
18 When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
“Ne woɖoe fiae, eye wònɔ eƒe fiazikpui dzi abe fia ene la, ekema ele be wòaŋlɔ se siawo katã tso agbalẽ si le Levitɔwo, ame siwo nye nunɔlawo la si me.
19 It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.
Ele be eƒe seawo ƒe ŋɔŋlɔ sia nanɔ esi ɣe sia ɣi, eye wòaxlẽ nu tso eme gbe sia gbe le eƒe agbe me ale be, wòasrɔ̃ ale si wòavɔ̃ Yehowa, eƒe Mawu la to seawo katã dzi wɔwɔ me.
20 Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.
Se siawo xexlẽ ɣe sia ɣi ana be fia la mabu be yenyo wu Israelvi bubuawo o. Kpe ɖe esia ŋu la, axe mɔ nɛ be matrɔ tso Mawu ƒe seawo gbɔ le mɔ suetɔ kekeake nu o, eye wòana be eƒe fiaɖuɖu nadidi, eye wòadze edzi. Ekema via ŋutsuwo aɖu fia ɖe eyome.”
