Deuteronomy 21
1 IF one be found slain in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain 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 thy elders and thy judges shall come 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 it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which 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 a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley:
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 the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:
“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 next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
nava klɔ asi ɖe nyinɔe la dzi,
7 And they 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 Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven 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 the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.
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 the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
“Ne èyi aʋa, eye Yehowa, wò Mawu la na nèɖu futɔwo dzi,
11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
eye ne èkpɔ ɖetugbi dzetugbe aɖe le aʋaléleawo dome la,
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine 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 raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt 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 whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, 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 another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if 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, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed 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 the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; 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 a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken 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 stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, 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: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; 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 to be put to death, and thou hang 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 accursed of God; ) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord 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.”
