< Exodus 22 >

1 Yahweh also said, “If someone steals a bull or a sheep, and then slaughters it [to sell it or to sacrifice it] or sells its [meat to someone else], he must pay five bulls for the bull [that he stole], and [he must pay] four sheep for the sheep [that he stole].
“Sɛ obi kowia nantwi anaa oguan na okum no anaa ɔtɔn no a, ɔde anantwi anum besi nantwi baako anan mu. Na ɔde nguan anan asi oguan baako biara anan mu.
2 If a thief is caught while he is breaking into someone else’s house [at night], if [the one who catches him] kills the thief, he is not guilty of murdering him.
“Sɛ wohu ɔkorɔmfo sɛ ɔrewura ofi bi mu anadwo na wokum no a, nea okum no no nni fɔ.
3 But if that happens during the daytime, [the one who killed the thief] is guilty of murdering him. The thief must pay for what he stole. If he has no [animals with which to pay for the one that he stole], he must be sold to [become someone’s else’s slave and the money must be used] to pay for what he stole.
Na sɛ asɛm no si awia de a, wɔmfa no sɛ ɛyɛ awudi enti onipa a okum ɔkorɔmfo no di fɔ. “Sɛ mokyere ɔkorɔmfo bi a, momma ontua nneɛma a wawia no nyinaa ho ka na sɛ wantumi antua a, montɔn no sɛ akoa mfa no ntua ka no.
4 If the thief still has the animal when he is caught, whether it is a bull or a donkey or a sheep, and it is still alive, the thief must give back [the stolen animal as well as giving] two [additional] animals for each one that he stole.
Sɛ mokyere no sɛ ɔrewia nantwi anaa afurum anaa oguan a onwui anaa biribi foforo bi a, mommɔ no dekode a owiae no ho ka mpemanim.
5 If someone allows his animals to (graze/eat the grass) in his field or in his vineyard, and if they stray away and eat the crops in another person’s field, the owner of the animals must pay [the owner of those crops] by giving him the best crops from his own field or vineyard.
“Sɛ obi hyɛ da gyaa nʼaboa ma ɔkɔ obi afum kodidi wɔ hɔ, sɛe nnɔbae a, ɔmfa ɔno ara ne nnɔbae mu nea ɛsɔ ani pa ara no mmetua ka.
6 Suppose someone starts a fire in his own field, and the fire spreads through the grass and starts burning in someone else’s field, and the fire burns grain that is growing or grain that is already [cut and] stacked. Then the person who started the fire must pay completely for the damage.
“Sɛ obi rehyew nʼafuw, na ogya no tra kɔtɔ ɔfoforo afuw mu, hyew, sɛe ne nnɔbae a, nea ɔsɔɔ gya no betua nnɔbae a asɛe no nyinaa ho ka.
7 Suppose someone gives to another person some money or other valuable goods and asks him to guard them [in his house for a while]. If those things are stolen from that person’s house, if the thief is caught, he must pay back twice [as much as he stole].
“Sɛ obi ma ɔfoforo sika anaa ade foforo bi sɛ ɔmfa nsie mma no na wowia na sɛ wɔkyere ɔkorɔmfo no a, obetua ne mpemanim.
8 But if the thief is not caught, the owner of the house [from which the things were stolen] must stand before the judges, so that the judges can determine whether [the owner of the house] was the one who took the other man’s goods [and sold them to someone else].
Na sɛ wɔankyere ɔkorɔmfo no a, wɔde onipa a wɔde agyapade no hyɛɛ ne nsa no bɛba Onyankopɔn anim abɛhwehwɛ sɛ ɔno ankasa na owiaa ne yɔnko no anaasɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno.
9 If two people argue about which one of them owns a bull or a donkey or a sheep or some clothing, or something else that has been lost, the two people who each claim/say that the item belongs to them must stand before the judges. The one whom the judges declare is lying must pay back [to the real owner] twice as many bulls or donkeys or sheep or pieces of clothing.
Sɛ ɛba sɛ nantwi, afurum, oguan, ntama anaa biribi foforo bi yera na nea nʼade ayera no de nʼani kari obi sɛ ɔno na wafa dekode no, na onii no san se ɛnyɛ ɔno na wafa a, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde nnipa baanu no nyinaa ba Onyankopɔn anim ma ɔhwehwɛ mu. Ɔhwehwɛ mu na nea obedi fɔ no, obetua ade a ɛyerae no ho ka mmɔho abien ama ɔbaako no.
10 Suppose someone gives his donkey or bull or sheep or some other animal to someone else and asks him to take care of it [for a while], and the animal dies or is injured or is stolen while no one is watching.
“Sɛ obi de afurum, nantwi, oguan anaa aboa foforo bi ma ne yɔnko bi ayɛn na aboa no wu anaa opira anaa oguan na sɛ obi anhu ammɛka a,
11 Then the person [who was taking care of the animal] must (swear/solemnly declare), knowing that God is listening, that he did not steal the animal. If he did not steal it the owner of the animal must accept/believe that the other person is telling the truth, and the other person will not have to pay anything back to the owner.
ɛsɛ sɛ nea ogyee aboa no ayɛn no ka ntam sɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno na wawia aboa no, na ne wura no gye to mu a, onnye biribiara nsi anan mu.
12 But if the animal was stolen [while he was supposed to be taking care of it], the man who promised to take care of it must pay back the owner for the animal.
Nanso sɛ wia na wowiaa aboa no anaa dekode no wɔ ne nkyɛn de a, na ɛsɛ sɛ sohwɛfo a wowiaa aboa no anaa dekode no fii ne nkyɛn no tua ne wura no ka.
13 If [he says that] the animal was killed by wild animals, he must bring back the remains of the animal that was killed and show it to the animal’s owner. If he does that, he will not have to pay anything for the animal.
Sɛ akekaboa na okum no a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔde aboa no funu ba bɛkyerɛ. Ɔyɛ no saa a, ɔrentua ho ka biara.
14 If someone borrows an animal, and if that animal is hurt or dies when its owner is not there, the one who borrowed it must pay the owner for the animal.
“Sɛ obi fɛm aboa bi anaa biribi foforo bi fi ne yɔnko nkyɛn na sɛ aboa no wu anaa opira, bere a ne wura no nni hɔ a, ɛsɛ sɛ onipa a ɔfɛm saa aboa no tua ka.
15 But if that happens when the owner of the animal is there, the one who borrowed it will not have to pay back anything. If the man who borrowed it only rented it, the money that he paid to rent it will be enough to pay for the animal [dying or being injured].”
Na sɛ ne wura no wɔ hɔ de a, ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔfɛmfo no tua ka, efisɛ wobuu eyi nyinaa fraa ɔfɛm no ho akatua mu.
16 “If a man persuades a girl/woman to have sex with him, a girl/woman who (is a virgin/has never had sex with any man) and who is not engaged to be married, he must pay the bride price for her and marry her.
“Sɛ ɔbarima bi kɔdaadaa ɔbea bi a ɔnyɛɛ ne ho ade na ɔne no da a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ ne ho ade na ɔware no.
17 But if her father refuses to allow her to marry him, he must pay to the woman’s father the amount of money that is equal to the amount of bride price money that men pay for virgins.
Sɛ ɔbea no agya se ɔmpene aware no so a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbarima no tua ne ti sika.
18 You must execute any woman who (practices sorcery/is a shaman).
“Munkum mmea nkonyaayifo.
19 You must execute any person who has sex with an animal.
“Ɔbarima biara a ɔbɛfa aboa bi no, wonkum no.
20 You [must offer sacrifices] only to Yahweh. You must execute anyone who offers a sacrifice to any [other] god.
“Obiara a obefi Awurade akyi abɔ onyame foforo bi afɔre no, wonkum no.
21 You must not mistreat a foreigner [who comes to live among you]. Do not forget that you were previously foreigners in Egypt.
“Monnyɛ ɔhɔho ayayade, efisɛ na mo nso moyɛ ahɔho wɔ Misraim.
22 You must not mistreat any widow or any orphan.
“Munnsisi akunafo anaa ayisaa;
23 If you mistreat them and they cry out to me [for help], I will hear them.
na sɛ moyɛ saa na wosu frɛ me a, megye wɔn so.
24 And I will be angry with you, and I will cause you to be killed in a war [MTY]. Your wives will become widows, and your children will no longer have fathers.
Mede mʼabufuw betia mo na mama atamfo dɔm akum mo na mo yerenom nso adan akunafo ama mo mma nso ayɛ ayisaa bi.
25 If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest on the money.
“Sɛ wobɔ wo yɔnko Hebrini bosea a, nnye ho mfɛntom biara.
26 If he gives you his cloak to guarantee [that he will pay the money back], you must give the cloak back to him before the sun goes down,
Sɛ wugye ne ntama de si awowa a, anadwo no ara, fa nʼade kɔma no.
27 because he needs it to keep him warm [during the night]. (That is the only covering that poor people have when they sleep at night./What else will he cover himself with during the night?) [RHQ] [If you do not act mercifully toward him by returning his cloak], when he cries out to me asking for my help, I will help him, because I [always act] mercifully.
Efisɛ ebia na ntama a ɔwɔ de kata ne ho de ka ne ho hyew ara ne no; woagye yi, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na watumi ada? Sɛ woamfa ankɔma no na sɛ osu frɛ me a, metie na mahu no mmɔbɔ, efisɛ meyɛ mmɔborɔhunufo.
28 Do not (revile/speak evil about) me, and do not (curse/ask me to do harmful things to) any ruler of your people.
“Monnkasa ntia Onyankopɔn na monnome aban mu mpanyimfo anaa mo atemmufo anaa wɔn a wodi mo so.
29 (Do not withhold from/Give) me the best parts of the grain that you harvest and of the olive oil and the wine that you produce.
“Momfa mo nnɔbae mu nkyɛmu du mu baako mmrɛ me ntɛm so. “Saa ara nso na muntua mo mmakan mmarima nkwagye ho ka no.
30 You must dedicate your firstborn sons to me. Similarly, your firstborn [male] cattle and sheep belong to me. After those animals are born, allow them to stay with their mothers for seven days. On the eighth day, offer them to me [as a sacrifice].
Ma wo nantwi anaa wo guan abakan no ne ne na ntena nnanson, na da a ɛto so awotwe no, fa no brɛ me.
31 You are people who are (completely dedicated to/set apart for) me. [And I detest] the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals. Therefore you should not eat such meat. Instead, throw it where the dogs [can eat it].”
“Esiane sɛ moyɛ kronkron ma me nti, monnwe aboa biara a akekaboa akyere no akum no. Munnyaw ne funu no mma akraman mmɛwe.

< Exodus 22 >