Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Tete Yesu gblɔ na ameha la kple eƒe nusrɔ̃lawo be,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat.
“Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo nɔ Mose ƒe zi dzi,
3 All therefore, whatever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do: but do not ye according to their works: for they say, and do not.
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 heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay [them] on men's shoulders; but they [themselves] will not move them with one of their fingers.
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 But all their works they do to be seen by men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders 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 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Wolɔ̃a kplɔ̃tanɔnɔ le nuɖuƒewo, eye wolɔ̃a ŋgɔgbezikpuiwo dzi nɔnɔ le woƒe ƒuƒoƒewo.
7 And greetings in the markets, 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 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren.
“Migana woayɔ mi be ‘Rabi’ o, elabena ame ɖeka koe nye miaƒe Nufiala, eye mi katã la nɔviwo mienye.
9 And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father who is in heaven.
Migayɔ ame aɖeke le anyigba dzi afi sia be ‘fofo’ o, elabena ‘Fofo’ ɖeka koe le mia si, eyae le dziƒo.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, [even] Christ.
Migana hã be woayɔ mi be kplɔlawo o, elabena Kplɔla ɖeka koe li na mi, eyae nye Kristo la.
11 But he that is greatest among you, shall be your servant.
Ke ame si nye amegã le mia dome la, netsɔ eɖokui wɔ subɔlae boŋ.
12 And whoever shall exalt himself, shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself, shall 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 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering, to go in.
“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! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
“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! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell 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, [ye] blind guides, who say, Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a 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 [Ye] fools, and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Mi bometsila ŋkuagbãtɔwo! Kae lolo wu, sika la alo gbedoxɔ si wɔ sika la gɔ̃ hã be wòle dzadzɛea?
18 And whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
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 [Ye] fools, and blind: for which [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth 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 Whoever therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things upon it.
Nenye be mieta vɔsamlekpui la la, ekema mietae kple nu siwo katã le edzi,
21 And whoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it.
eye ne mieta gbedoxɔ la, ekema mietae kple Mawu, ame si nɔa eme la.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth upon 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! for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ye ought to have done, and not to leave the others undone.
“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 [Ye] blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a 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! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
“Baba na mi, mi Sefialawo kple Farisitɔwo, mi alakpatɔwo! Mieklɔa kplu kple nuɖugba ŋuti, gake wo me yɔ fũu kple ŋukeklẽ kple ɖokuitɔdidi.
26 [Thou] blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Farisitɔ ŋkuagbãtɔwo! Miklɔ kplu la kple nuɖugba la me gbã, ekema wo godo hã aɖi nyuie.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whitened sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men's] bones, 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 Thus ye also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
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 ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers 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 Wherefore ye are witnesses to yourselves, that ye are the children of them who killed the prophets.
Ale mieɖi ɖase le miawo ŋutɔ ɖokui ŋu be, mienye ame siwo wu nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe dzidzimeviwo.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Enyo ŋutɔ, azɔ miwu nu vɔ̃ dɔ si gɔme mia fofowo dze la nu.
33 [Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Geenna g1067)
“Mi dawo! Dawo ƒe dzidzimeviwo! Aleke miawɔ asi le dzomavɔʋe ƒe fɔbubu nu? (Geenna g1067)
34 Wherefore behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and [some] of them ye will kill and crucify, and [some] of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute [them] 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 upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew 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 Verily I say to you, all these things shall come upon 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 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not!
“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, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh 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.’”
