Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes, and to His disciples,
Tete Yesu gblɔ na ameha la kple eƒe nusrɔ̃lawo be,
2 saying, “On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees;
“Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo nɔ Mose ƒe zi dzi,
3 all, then, as much as they may say to you to observe, observe and do, but according to their works do not do, for they say, and do not do;
eya ta miɖo to wo, eye miawɔ nu sia nu si wogblɔ na mi la, gake migawɔ nu si wowɔna la o, elabena woawo ŋutɔ mewɔna ɖe nu siwo fiam wole la dzi o.
4 for they bind together burdens [too] heavy and grievous to bear, and lay [them] on the shoulders of men, but with their finger they will not move them.
Woblaa agba kpekpewo tsɔna ɖoa amewo ƒe abɔta, gake woawo ŋutɔ mele klalo be yewoatsɔ yewoƒe asibidɛ akpe ɖe ameawo ŋu gɔ̃ hã o.
5 And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
“Nu sia nu si wowɔna la, ɖe wowɔnɛ ko be yewoadze abe ame nyuiwo ene le gota. Woƒe mawunya kpukpui, ŋkuɖodzinu siwo wosana ɖe ŋgonu kple abɔ la kekena wua ame sia ame tɔ, eye wowɔa woƒe awutogbowo wololona be amewo nakpɔ be yewonye ame kɔkɔewo.
6 they also cherish the first couches at the banquets, and the first seats in the synagogues,
Wolɔ̃a kplɔ̃tanɔnɔ le nuɖuƒewo, eye wolɔ̃a ŋgɔgbezikpuiwo dzi nɔnɔ le woƒe ƒuƒoƒewo.
7 and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
Ne wole ablɔ dzi yina, eye amewo le ŋkɔ dam ɖe wo dzi be, ‘Nufiala’ kple ‘Aƒetɔ’ la, evivia wo nu ŋutɔ.
8 And you may not be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher—the Christ, and you are all brothers;
“Migana woayɔ mi be ‘Rabi’ o, elabena ame ɖeka koe nye miaƒe Nufiala, eye mi katã la nɔviwo mienye.
9 and you may not call [any] your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens,
Migayɔ ame aɖeke le anyigba dzi afi sia be ‘fofo’ o, elabena ‘Fofo’ ɖeka koe le mia si, eyae le dziƒo.
10 nor may you be called teachers, for one is your teacher—the Christ.
Migana hã be woayɔ mi be kplɔlawo o, elabena Kplɔla ɖeka koe li na mi, eyae nye Kristo la.
11 And the greater of you will be your servant,
Ke ame si nye amegã le mia dome la, netsɔ eɖokui wɔ subɔlae boŋ.
12 and whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be exalted.
Ame siwo doa wo ɖokuiwo ɖe dzi la, woaɖiɖi wo ɖe anyi. Ke ame siwo bɔbɔa wo ɖokuiwo ɖe anyi la, woado wo ɖe dzi.
13 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men, for you do not go in, nor do you permit those going in to enter.
“Baba na mi, mi Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo, mi alakpanuwɔlawo! Mietu dziƒofiaɖuƒe la ƒe agbo ɖe amewo nu. Miawo ŋutɔ miele eme yi ge o, eya ta mieɖe mɔ be ame siwo le agbagba dzem be yewoage ɖe eme la hã nayi eme o. [
14 [[Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretense make long prayers, because of this you will receive more abundant judgment.]]
“Baba na mi, mi Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo, mi alakpanuwɔlawo! Miekpɔ mɔ le ahosiwo ŋu hexɔa woƒe aƒewo le wo si sesẽtɔe, eye emegbe la, miedoa gbe didiwo ɖa! Esia ta miaƒe tohehe asesẽ wu ame bubuawo tɔ!]
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you go around the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen—you make him a son of Gehenna twofold more than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
“Baba na mi, mi Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo, mi alakpanuwɔlawo! Mietsana le anyigba dzi kple atsiaƒuwo dzi, ɛ̃, afi sia afi ko be miawɔ ame ɖeka wòazu Yudatɔ le xɔse me, eye ne ezui la, miewɔnɛ wòzua dzomavɔmevi zi gbɔ zi eve wu miawo ŋutɔ. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who are saying, Whoever may swear by the temple, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the temple—is debtor!
“Baba na mi, mi kplɔla ŋkuagbãtɔwo! Miegblɔna be, ‘Ne ame aɖe yɔ gbedoxɔ ta nui la, medze vɔ̃ o, gake ne eyɔ sika si le gbedoxɔ me ta nui la, atam la blae’
17 Fools and blind! For which [is] greater, the gold, or the temple that is sanctifying the gold?
Mi bometsila ŋkuagbãtɔwo! Kae lolo wu, sika la alo gbedoxɔ si wɔ sika la gɔ̃ hã be wòle dzadzɛea?
18 And, Whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gift that is on it—is debtor!
Miawo kee gblɔ be, ‘Ame si ta vɔsamlekpui la la, ate ŋu ada le atam si wòka la dzi faa, gake ne ame aɖe ta nunana si le vɔsamlekpui la dzi la, edze agɔ vevie nenye be wòda le ŋugbe si wòdo la dzi.’
19 Fools and blind! For which [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift?
Mi ŋkuagbãtɔwo! Kae le vevie wu, nunana si le vɔsamlekpui la dzi loo alo vɔsamlekpui la ŋutɔ si nana be nunana ŋuti kɔnaa?
20 He therefore who swore by the altar, swears by it, and by all things on it;
Nenye be mieta vɔsamlekpui la la, ekema mietae kple nu siwo katã le edzi,
21 and he who swore by the temple, swears by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it;
eye ne mieta gbedoxɔ la, ekema mietae kple Mawu, ame si nɔa eme la.
22 and he who swore by Heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting on it.
Nenye be mieta dziƒo la, minyae be mieta Mawu ƒe fiazikpui kple Mawu, ame si nɔa edzi la.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and neglected the weightier things of the Law—judgment, and kindness, and faith; these it was necessary to do, and those not to neglect.
“Baba na mi, mi Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo, mi alakpanuwɔlawo! Mienaa ahamɛ, sikɔni kple tsyo ƒe ewoliawo gɔ̃ hã, gake miegblẽ se la ƒe nu vevitɔ siwo nye afia nyui tsotso, nublanuikpɔkpɔ kple nuteƒewɔwɔ la ɖi. Ele be miawɔ ɖe esiawo hã dzi, eye mele be miagbe ekemɛawo hã o.
24 Blind guides! Who are straining out the gnat, and are swallowing the camel.
Mi kplɔla ŋkuagbãtɔwo! Mieɖea nudzodzoe suetɔ kekeake le miaƒe nunonowo me ƒua gbe, gake miemia miaƒe kposɔ ya.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
“Baba na mi, mi Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo, mi alakpatɔwo! Mieklɔa kplu kple nuɖugba ŋuti, gake wo me yɔ fũu kple ŋukeklẽ kple ɖokuitɔdidi.
26 Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them may also become clean.
Farisitɔ ŋkuagbãtɔwo! Miklɔ kplu la kple nuɖugba la me gbã, ekema wo godo hã aɖi nyuie.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you are like to whitewashed graves, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness;
“Baba na mi, mi Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo, mi alakpanuwɔlawo! Ɖeko miele abe yɔdokpe siwo wosi akalo na la ene, esiwo dzena le gota nyuie, ke wo me yɔ fũu kple ame kukuwo ƒe ƒuwo kple nu makɔmakɔ bubuwo.
28 so also you outwardly indeed appear to men righteous, and within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Miawo hã, nenema kee miedze le gota le amewo gbɔ abe ame dzɔdzɔewo ene, gake mia me yɔ fũu kple alakpanuwɔwɔ kple vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the graves of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the righteous,
“Baba na mi, mi Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo, mi alakpanuwɔlawo! Miewɔ ŋkuɖodzikpe na nyagblɔɖilawo, eye mieɖo atsyɔ̃ na ame dzɔdzɔewo ƒe yɔdowo,
30 and 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.
eye miegblɔ be, ‘Ne ɖe míenɔ agbe le mía fofowo ŋɔli la, míawɔ ɖeka kpli wo le nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe ʋukɔkɔɖi me o’
31 So that you testify to yourselves that you are sons of them who murdered the prophets;
Ale mieɖi ɖase le miawo ŋutɔ ɖokui ŋu be, mienye ame siwo wu nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe dzidzimeviwo.
32 and you fill up the measure of your fathers.
Enyo ŋutɔ, azɔ miwu nu vɔ̃ dɔ si gɔme mia fofowo dze la nu.
“Mi dawo! Dawo ƒe dzidzimeviwo! Aleke miawɔ asi le dzomavɔʋe ƒe fɔbubu nu? (Geenna g1067)
34 Because of this, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and of them you will kill and crucify, and of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and will pursue from city to city,
Eya ta mele nyagblɔɖilawo, nunyalawo kple nufiala siwo me Gbɔgbɔ la yɔ fũu la hã ɖom ɖe mi, ke miawo la, miawu wo dometɔ aɖewo alo aklã wo ɖe atitsoga ŋu, miaƒo ɖewo le miaƒe ƒuƒoƒewo, eye miati geɖewo hã ƒe agbe yome tso afii yi afi mɛ.
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood being poured out on the earth from the blood of Abel the righteous, to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar:
Ne miewɔ esiawo la, ekema ame kɔkɔe siwo wowu le anyigba dzi tso keke Abel dzi va se ɖe Zekaria, Barakia ƒe vi si miewu le vɔsamlekpui kple kɔkɔeƒe la dome le gbedoxɔa me la, ƒe ʋu ava mia dzi.
36 truly I say to you, all these things will come on this generation.
Vavã, mele egblɔm na mi be, tohehe siwo katã wodzra ɖo ɖi tso ɣe ma ɣi ke va se ɖe fifia la ava dzidzime sia dzi.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that are killing the prophets, and stoning those sent to you, how often I willed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her own chickens under the wings, and you did not will.
“O! Yerusalem, Yerusalem, wò du si me tɔwo wu nyagblɔɖilawo, eye woƒu kpe ame siwo Mawu ɖo ɖe wò. Medi zi geɖe be maƒo viwòwo nu ƒu abe ale si koklo ƒoa viawo nu ƒui ɖe eƒe aʋalawo te ene, gake wogbe, womena mɔm o.
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate;
Fifia miaƒe aƒee ma zu aƒedo.
39 for I say to you, you may not see Me from now on, until you may say, Blessed [is] He who is coming in the Name of the LORD.”
Ke mele egblɔm na mi be, miegale kpɔ nye ge o va se ɖe esime miagblɔ be, ‘Woayra ame si gbɔna le Aƒetɔ la ƒe ŋkɔ me.’”
