Deuteronomy 17
1 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God an ox, or a sheep, wherein is a blemish, even any evil thing; for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy 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 be found in the midst of thee, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that doeth that which is evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing His covenant,
“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 and hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have commanded not;
to mawu bubuwo, ɣe, ɣleti alo ɣletiviwo subɔsubɔ me, nu siwo ŋu mede se na mi le vevie la,
4 and it be told thee, and thou hear it, then shalt thou inquire diligently, and, behold, if it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel;
ku nya la me tsitotsito gbã, ne nàkpɔ be ɖikeke aɖe le nya la ƒe nyateƒenyenye me hã.
5 then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, who have done this evil thing, unto thy gates, even the man or the woman; and thou shalt stone them with stones, that they die.
Ne nya la nye nyateƒe la, ekema woahe ŋutsu la alo nyɔnu la ayi dua godo, eye woaƒu kpee le afi ma wòaku.
6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is to die be put to death; at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Ke mègawu ame aɖeke le ɖasefo ɖeka pɛ ko ƒe ɖaseɖiɖi ta o. Ele be ɖasefoawo nade eve alo etɔ̃ kokoko.
7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.
Na ɖasefoawo naƒu kpee gbã hafi ame bubuawo naƒui. To esia me la, àɖe nu vɔ̃wo katã ɖa le mia dome.”
8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, even matters of controversy within thy gates; then shalt thou arise, and get thee up unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose.
“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 thou shall come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days; and thou shalt inquire; and they shall declare unto thee the sentence of judgment.
na nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo, eye ʋɔnudrɔ̃la si le nya drɔ̃m le ɣe ma ɣi la natso nya la me.
10 And thou shalt do according to the tenor of the sentence, which they shall declare unto thee from that place which the LORD shall choose; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall teach thee.
Le eƒe nyametsotso megbe la, womagbugbɔ nya la adrɔ̃ o. Woawɔ ɖe se la dzi nyaɖenyanui.
11 According to the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do; thou shalt not turn aside from the sentence which they shall declare unto thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.
Ele be woawɔ ɖe ʋɔnudrɔ̃la la ƒe nyametsotso dzi pɛpɛpɛ.
12 And the man that doeth presumptuously, in not hearkening unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and thou shalt exterminate 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 shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
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 thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein; and shalt say: 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me';
“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 thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose; one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother.
Kpɔ egbɔ be yeɖo ame si, Yehowa, wò Mawu la atia la fiae. Ele be wòanye Israelvi, menye amedzro o.
16 Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses; forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you: 'Ye shall henceforth return no more 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 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself 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 it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests the Levites.
“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 shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;
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 that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of 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.”
