< Deuteronomy 19 >
1 After the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he's giving you, and after 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 choose three sanctuary towns in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
monyi nkuropɔn mmiɛnsa a ɛwɔ asase no mfimfini a Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, de rema mo afa no.
3 You are build roads to these towns. Divide the country the Lord is giving you into three sections. This way anyone who kills someone else can easily run to these towns for protection.
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 This is what is to happen when a person accidentally kills someone else without meaning to, and runs to one of these sanctuary towns to save their life.
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 For example, if a man goes to cut wood in the forest with his friend and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the head flies off the handle and hits and kills his friend, he may run to one of these towns 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 in his anger might chase after the man and catch up with him and kill him, if it's a long distance. The man would be killed even though he didn't deserve to die, because he hadn't meant to cause 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 the reason why I'm giving this order to choose three sanctuary towns.
Ne saa enti na merehyɛ mo sɛ monyi nkuropɔn mmiɛnsa nsi nkyɛn no.
8 Should the Lord your God expand your territory, as he promised your forefathers, and give you all the land he said he would,
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 are careful to keep all these commandments I'm giving you today, loving the Lord your God and always following his ways, then you are to choose three additional three sanctuary towns.
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 In this way the blood of innocent people won't not be shed in the country the Lord your God is giving you to own and you won't be responsible for the death of innocent people who aren't guilty of losing their lives.
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 On the other hand, if a man hates someone, hides in wait, and attacks and kills them, and then the killer runs to one of the sanctuary towns,
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 home town must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger to be killed.
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 Show him no mercy. You are to eliminate from Israel the guilt of shedding the blood of the innocent, and then all will be well.
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 Don't move your neighbor's boundary marker. It was placed there by your ancestors to mark the land allotment you will receive in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
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 The evidence given by a single witness is not enough to prove a sin or a crime against someone, never mind what offense they are alleged to have committed. The facts must be confirmed by the evidence given by 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 someone falsely accuses another person of a crime,
Sɛ atorɔ danseni bi ba bɛbɔ obi amumuyɛ bi ho kwaadu a,
17 both those involved must come to be judged in the presence of the Lord by the priests and judges who are then in office.
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 conduct a full investigation, and if the accuser proves to be a liar who has made false accusations
Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔto wɔn bo bisa nnipa no nsɛm mu yie. Na sɛ wɔhunu sɛ kwaadubɔni no retwa atorɔ a,
19 then you must punish the accuser in the same way they wanted to punish their victim. You must eliminate this 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. Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid, and won't ever do anything so evil.
Wɔn a wɔbɛte no bɛsuro sɛ wɔbɛyɛ saa bɔne no bi.
21 Don't show any mercy. The rule is 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.