< Deuteronomy 19 >

1 When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,
Sɛ Awurade mo Onyankopɔn sɛe aman a ɔde wɔn nsase rema mo na sɛ mopam wɔn na motena wɔn nkuro no mu ne wɔn afie mu a,
2 then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
monyi nkuropɔn mmiɛnsa a ɛwɔ asase no mfimfini a Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, de rema mo afa no.
3 You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.
Monyiyi akwan nkɔ hɔ na monkyɛ asase a Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, de rema mo sɛ agyapadeɛ no mu mmiɛnsa sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, sɛ obi kum obi a, ɔbɛdwane akɔ hɔ.
4 Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:
Sɛ obi anhyɛ da na ɔkum obi a ɔnni ne ho menasepɔ anaa ɔntan no dada a, onipakumfoɔ no tumi dwane kɔ saa nkuropɔn yi biara so de gye ne ho nkwa.
5 If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.
Sɛ ebia, obi ne ne yɔnko bi kɔ wiram rekɔbu nnua na sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔbaako de abonnua rebu dua bi na sɛ abonnua no hɔn firi ne dua mu kumm ne yɔnko no a, saa asɛm yi mu no, onipakumfoɔ no tumi dwane kɔ nkuropɔn no baako so de gye ne ho nkwa.
6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.
Sɛ dwanekɔbea biara mmɛn hɔ a, ɔtaafoɔ bi bɛtumi ataa onipakumfoɔ no akum no. Sɛ ɛba saa a, ɛkyerɛ sɛ, wɔakum onipakumfoɔ no wɔ ɛberɛ a wanhyɛ da akum obi. Wankum onipa, na mmom deɛ ɔyɛeɛ yɛ asiane.
7 This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.
Ne saa enti na merehyɛ mo sɛ monyi nkuropɔn mmiɛnsa nsi nkyɛn no.
8 And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,
Sɛ Awurade mo Onyankopɔn trɛ mo ɔman mu sɛdeɛ ɔkaa ho ntam kyerɛɛ mo agyanom na ɔde asase no nyinaa ma mo sɛdeɛ ɔhyɛɛ wɔn ho bɔ no a,
9 and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.
ɛsɛ sɛ moyi nkuropɔn mmiɛnsa si nkyɛn. Sɛ moto mo bo ase di mmara a mehyɛɛ mo no so ɛnnɛ yi sɛ monnɔ Awurade mo Onyankopɔn na monnante nʼakwan so a, ɛnneɛ, ɔde asase no bɛma mo.
10 Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
Monyɛ yei, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wɔnhwie mogya a ɛnni fɔ no ngu wɔ mo asase a Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, de rema mo sɛ mo agyapadeɛ no so, na moanni mogyahwieguo no ho fɔ.
11 If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
Sɛ obi tan obi enti ɔhyɛ da kɔtɛ no kumm no na ɔdwane kɔ nkuropɔn no bi so kɔtɛ a,
12 the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.
ɛsɛ sɛ mpanimfoɔ a wɔwɔ ne kuro no mu hɔ no soma ma wɔkɔpɛ no ma wɔsane de no ba kuropɔn no mu ma owufoɔ no nkurɔfoɔ nso kum no bi.
13 You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.
Mommma onipakumfoɔ no asɛm nha mo. Monyi wɔn a wɔdi awudie ho fɔ wɔ Israel nyinaa mmra, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, biribiara bɛkɔ yie ama mo.
14 You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
Sɛ moduru asase a Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, de rema mo sɛ agyapadeɛ sononko no so a, monntutu ɛhyeɛ a mo agyanom atoto ngu mmfa so nwia obi asase.
15 A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Mommmu obi a ɔdanseni baako abɛdi atia no no fɔ. Soboɔ bɛdi mu ɛberɛ a nnipa baanu anaa baasa abɛdi adanseɛ.
16 If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,
Sɛ atorɔ danseni bi ba bɛbɔ obi amumuyɛ bi ho kwaadu a,
17 both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
ɛnneɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ kwaadubɔni no ne onipa a wabɔ no kwaadu no nyinaa ba asɔfoɔ ne atemmufoɔ a wɔreyɛ Awurade adwuma no anim.
18 The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,
Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔto wɔn bo bisa nnipa no nsɛm mu yie. Na sɛ wɔhunu sɛ kwaadubɔni no retwa atorɔ a,
19 you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.
wɔde asotwe a anka ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde ma onipa a wɔabɔ no kwaadu no bɛma no. Sɛ mofa saa ɛkwan yi so a, mobɛtu amumuyɛsɛm nyinaa afiri mo mu.
20 Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.
Wɔn a wɔbɛte no bɛsuro sɛ wɔbɛyɛ saa bɔne no bi.
21 You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.
Monnhunu obiara mmɔbɔ! Mo mmara a ɛsɛ sɛ modi so no yɛ nkwa nsi nkwa ananmu, ani nsi ani ananmu, ɛse nsi ɛse ananmu, nsa nsi nsa ananmu, ɛnan nsi ɛnan ananmu.

< Deuteronomy 19 >