Deuteronomy 17
1 No ox or sheep which has a mark on it or is damaged in any way may be offered to the Lord your God: for that is disgusting 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 there is any man or woman among you, in any of the towns which the Lord your God gives you, who does evil in the eyes of the Lord your God, sinning against his agreement,
“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 By becoming a servant of other gods and worshipping them or the sun or the moon or all the stars of heaven, against my orders;
to mawu bubuwo, ɣe, ɣleti alo ɣletiviwo subɔsubɔ me, nu siwo ŋu mede se na mi le vevie la,
4 If word of this comes to your ears, then let this thing be looked into with care, and if there is no doubt that it is true, and such evil has been done in Israel;
ku nya la me tsitotsito gbã, ne nàkpɔ be ɖikeke aɖe le nya la ƒe nyateƒenyenye me hã.
5 Then you are to take the man or woman who has done the evil to the public place of your town, and they are to be stoned with stones till they are dead.
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 word of two or three witnesses, a man may be given the punishment of death; but he is not to be put to death on the word of one 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 will be the first to put him to death, and after them the hands of all the people. So you are to put away 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 you are not able to give a decision as to who is responsible for a death, or who is right in a cause, or who gave the first blow in a fight, and there is a division of opinion about it in your town: then go to the place marked out by the Lord your God;
“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 And come before the priests, the Levites, or before him who is judge at the time: and they will go into the question and give you a decision:
na nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo, eye ʋɔnudrɔ̃la si le nya drɔ̃m le ɣe ma ɣi la natso nya la me.
10 And you are to be guided by the decision they give in the place named by the Lord, and do whatever they say:
Le eƒe nyametsotso megbe la, womagbugbɔ nya la adrɔ̃ o. Woawɔ ɖe se la dzi nyaɖenyanui.
11 Acting in agreement with their teaching and the decision they give: not turning to one side or the other from the word they have given you.
Ele be woawɔ ɖe ʋɔnudrɔ̃la la ƒe nyametsotso dzi pɛpɛpɛ.
12 And any man who, in his pride, will not give ear to the priest whose place is there before the Lord your God, or to the judge, is to be put to death: you are to put away 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 And all the people, hearing of it, will be full of fear and put away their pride.
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 have come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and have taken it for a heritage and are living in it, if it is your desire to have a king over you, like the other nations round about you;
“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 Then see that you take as your king the man named by the Lord your God: let your king be one of your countrymen, not a man of another nation who is not one of yourselves.
Kpɔ egbɔ be yeɖo ame si, Yehowa, wò Mawu la atia la fiae. Ele be wòanye Israelvi, menye amedzro o.
16 And he is not to get together a great army of horses for himself, or make the people go back to Egypt to get horses for him: because the Lord has said, You will never again go back that way.
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 And he is not to have a great number of wives, for fear that his heart may be turned away; or great wealth 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 And when he has taken his place on the seat of his kingdom, he is to make in a book a copy of this law, from that which the priests, the Levites, have in their care:
“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 And it is to be with him for his reading all the days of his life, so that he may be trained in the fear of the Lord his God to keep and do all the words of this teaching and these laws:
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 So that his heart may not be lifted up over his countrymen, and he may not be turned away from the orders, to one side or the other: but that his life and the lives of his children may be long in 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.”
