Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
Afei, Yesu ka kyerɛɛ nnipadɔm no ne nʼasuafoɔ no sɛ,
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat:
“Atwerɛsɛm no Akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ ne Farisifoɔ no na wɔkyerɛ Mose mmara no ase.
3 all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not,
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 but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger.
Wɔhyɛ mo, ma modi mmara a ɛyɛ den so a wɔn ankasa mpɛ sɛ wɔdi so.
5 And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders [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 chief place in feasts and the first 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 and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
Sɛ wode obuo kyea wɔn abɔntene so na wofrɛ wɔn ‘Rabi’ anaa ‘Owura’ a, ɛyɛ wɔn dɛ.
8 But ye, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all ye are brethren.
“Mommma obiara mfrɛ mo saa. Ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn nko ara na ɔyɛ Owura. Mo nyinaa moyɛ pɛ sɛ anuanom.
9 And call not [any one] your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens.
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 instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ.
Na mommma wɔmmfrɛ mo ‘Owura,’ ɛfiri sɛ, ɔbaako pɛ na ɔyɛ mo wura a ɔne Agyenkwa no.
11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant.
Wobrɛ wo ho ase som afoforɔ a, wobɛyɛ ɔkɛseɛ. Wopɛ sɛ woyɛ kɛse a, yɛ ɔsomfoɔ.
12 And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall 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 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for ye do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in.
“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.
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 ye compass the sea and the dry [land] to make one proselyte, and when he is become [such], ye make him twofold more [the] son of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
“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, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
“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 Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which 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, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.
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 [Fools and] blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which 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 that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it.
Sɛ woka afɔrebukyia no ntam a, woka afɔrebukyia no ne ɛso ayɛyɛdeɛ no nyinaa ntam,
21 And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it.
na sɛ woka asɔredan no ntam a, woka asɔredan no ne Onyankopɔn a ɔte mu no nyinaa ntam.
22 And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon 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 ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside.
“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 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel.
Anifirafoɔ akwankyerɛfoɔ! Mosɔne deɛ morenom so, yi mu nwansena nanso momene yoma!
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance.
“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 Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean.
Farisifoɔ anifirafoɔ! Montwi kuruwa no mu kane, na kuruwa no ho nyinaa bɛte!
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and 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 Thus also ye, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Moyɛ mo anim sɛ ateneneefoɔ, nanso bɔne ahodoɔ ahyɛ mo mu ma tɔ.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just,
“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 ye say, If we had been 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 So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets:
Sɛ moka saa a, mobu mo ho fɔ sɛ moyɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ mma.
32 and ye, fill ye up the measure of your fathers.
Na modi wɔn anammɔn akyi yɛ saa bɔne korɔ no ara bi pɛpɛɛpɛ.
“Awɔ! Nhurutoa mma! Mobɛyɛ dɛn adwane amanehunu ogya mu atemmuo no? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and [some] of them ye will kill and crucify, and [some] of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will 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 so that all righteous blood shed upon the earth should come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple 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 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Mereka makyerɛ mo sɛ, atemmuo a wɔaboaboa ano no nyinaa bɛba nnɛmma yi so.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [the city] that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye 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 unto you desolate;
Wɔbɛgya mo efie fituo ama mo.
39 for I say unto you, Ye shall in no wise see me henceforth until ye say, Blessed [be] he that 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.’”
