Deuteronomy 21
1 If one be found slain in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess, lying in the field, [and] it be not known who hath smitten him,
“Ne mieva ɖo ŋugbedodonyigba la dzi, eye wofɔ ame aɖe si wowu da ɖe gbe me la ƒe kukua, eye ame aɖeke mekpɔ ame si wui o la,
2 then thine elders and thy judges shall go forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain;
ekema ele be miaƒe ametsitsiwo kple ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo nadzidze didime si le teƒea kple du siwo te ɖe teƒea ŋu la dome.
3 and the city that is nearest unto him that is slain, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer that hath not been wrought with, that hath not drawn in the yoke;
Mina du si te ɖe eŋu wu la ƒe ametsitsiwo natsɔ nyinɔe ɖeka si womede kɔkuti kɔ na kpɔ o la,
4 and the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto an ever-flowing watercourse, which is not tilled, nor is it sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the watercourse;
ayi balime si tɔsisi aɖe to, eye womede agble ɖi kpɔ o. Woaŋe kɔ nyinɔe la le afi ma.
5 and the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Jehovah thy God hath chosen to do service unto him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah; and according to their word shall be every controversy and every stroke.
“Nunɔlawo, ame siwo Yehowa, wò Mawu la tia be woawɔ dɔ le yeƒe ŋkume, ayra amewo, adrɔ̃ ʋɔnu, eye woahe to na amewo la
6 And all the elders of that city, that are nearest unto him that is slain, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck is broken in the watercourse,
nava klɔ asi ɖe nyinɔe la dzi,
7 and shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
eye wòagblɔ be, ‘Menye míaƒe asiwoe kɔ ʋu sia ɖi o, eye míekpɔ hlɔ̃ sia dodo teƒe hã o.
8 Forgive thy people Israel, whom thou, Jehovah, hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel; and the blood shall be expiated for them.
O! Yehowa, tsɔ nu vɔ̃ ke wò dukɔ Israel, si wò ŋutɔ nèɖe, eye mègada ame maɖifɔ sia wuwu ɖe dukɔ la dzi o. Tsɔ ame sia ƒe ʋukɔkɔɖi ƒe nu vɔ̃ ke mí.’
9 So shalt thou put away innocent blood from thy midst, when thou shalt do what is right in the eyes of Jehovah.
Ale nàɖe fɔɖiɖi sia ɖa le mia dome to Yehowa ƒe sewo dzi wɔwɔ me.”
10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and Jehovah thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou hast taken captives of them,
“Ne èyi aʋa, eye Yehowa, wò Mawu la na nèɖu futɔwo dzi,
11 and thou seest among the captives a woman of beautiful form, and hast a desire unto her, and takest her as thy wife;
eye ne èkpɔ ɖetugbi dzetugbe aɖe le aʋaléleawo dome la,
12 then thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
kplɔe yi wò aƒe me. Ele be wòaƒlɔ ta, aɖe fe,
13 and she shall put the clothes of her captivity from off her, and shall abide in thy house, and bewail her father and mother a full month, and afterwards thou mayest go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
aɖe avɔ si wòta hafi wolée la da ɖi, ata avɔ bubu, eye wòanɔ wò aƒe me, afa fofoa kple dadaa ɣleti ɖeka blibo. Le esia megbe la, àte ŋu aɖee.
14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go according to her desire; but thou shalt in no wise sell her for money; thou shalt not treat her as a slave, because thou hast humbled her.
Ke ne èɖee vɔ hafi va kpɔ be meganyo na ye o la, ele be nàna ablɔɖee. Mègadzrae o, eye mègawɔe wò ŋutɔ wò kluvi hã o, elabena ède asi eŋu xoxo.”
15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and one hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated, and the firstborn son be hers that was hated;
“Ne srɔ̃ eve le ŋutsu aɖe si, ŋutsua lɔ̃ srɔ̃a ɖeka, ke melɔ̃ evelia o, evɔ nyɔnu eveawo katã dzi vi nɛ, eye Via ŋutsu tsitsitɔ dadae nye srɔ̃a si ŋutsu la melɔ̃ o la,
16 then it shall be, in the day that he maketh his sons to inherit what he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, who is the firstborn;
mele be ŋutsu la nana domenyinu Via ŋutsu ɖevitɔ, ame si dada wòlɔ̃ la wòasɔ gbɔ wu Via ŋutsu tsitsitɔ, ame si dadaa melɔ̃ o la tɔ o.
17 but he shall acknowledge as firstborn the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that is found with him; for he is the firstfruits of his vigour: the right of the firstborn is his.
Ele na ŋutsu la be wòawɔ dukɔa ƒe sea dzi, eye wòatsɔ Via ŋutsu suetɔ ƒe domenyinu ƒe teƒe eve ana Via ŋutsu tsitsitɔ, elabena eyae nye eƒe ŋusẽ ƒe gɔmetoto, eye etɔe nye ŋgɔgbevinyenye ƒe viɖewo katã, togbɔ be eyae nye srɔ̃ si fofoa melɔ̃ o la ƒe ŋutsuvi gbãtɔ hã.”
18 If a man have an unmanageable and rebellious son, who hearkeneth not unto the voice of his father, nor unto the voice of his mother, and they have chastened him, but he hearkeneth not unto them;
“Ne viŋutsu sẽto, dzeaglã aɖe le ŋutsu aɖe si, meɖoa to fofoa kple dadaa o, togbɔ be wohea to nɛ hafi hã la,
19 then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
ekema fofoa kple dadaa nakplɔe ayi dumemetsitsiawo gbɔ,
20 and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is unmanageable and rebellious, he hearkeneth not unto our voice; he is a profligate and a drunkard.
agblɔ be, ‘Mía viŋutsu sia sẽa to, dzea aglã, eye mewɔa míaƒe gbe dzi o; gawu la, enye ame vlo kple ahanomunɔ.’
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die. And thou shalt put evil away from thy midst; and all Israel shall hear and fear.
Ekema dua me tɔwo aƒu kpee wòaku. Ne miewɔ alea la, miaɖe nu vɔ̃ sia tɔgbi ɖa le mia dome, eye Israel ɖekakpuiwo katã ase nya si dzɔ eye vɔvɔ̃ aɖo wo.
22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou have hanged him on a tree,
“Ne ame aɖe wɔ nu si dze na ku, eye wode ka ve nɛ la,
23 his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day (for he that is hanged is a curse of God); and thou shalt not defile thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
mele be eƒe ŋutilã kukua natsi kadeveti la ŋuti ŋu nake o. Ele be woaɖii gbe ma gbe ke, elabena Mawu ƒo fi de ame sia ame si woatsi ɖe ati ŋuti. Mègagblẽ kɔ ɖo na anyigba si Yehowa, wò Mawu la na wò la o.”
