Mose 5 19
1 “Ne Yehowa, wò Mawu la tsrɔ̃ dukɔ siwo teƒe xɔ ge nàla, eye ne èle woƒe duwo kple aƒewo me la,
When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,
2 ekema nàtia du etɔ̃ siwo le anyigba si Yehowa, wò Mawu la le nàwom la titina lɔƒo la na ɖokuiwò.
then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
3 Ɖe mɔwo ɖe wo dome, eye nàma anyigba si Yehowa, wò Mawu la le nawòm abe wò domenyinu ene la ɖe akpa etɔ̃ me, ale be ne ame aɖe wu nɔvia la, wòasi ayi afi ma.
You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.
4 “Nu si ta wòle be du siawo nanɔ anyi ɖo la woe nye:
Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:
5 Ne ame aɖe kple nɔvia aɖe woyi nake fɔ ge le ave me, eye fia la dzo le esi, eye wòwu nɔvia la, amewula la asi ayi du mawo dometɔ ɖeka me, eye wòanɔ dedie.
If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.
6 Ne menye nenema o la, hlɔ̃biala la ati eyome kple dɔmedzoe, atui ne sitsoƒedu la gbɔ didi akpa, eye wòawui togbɔ be medze na ku hafi o, elabena menye ɖe wòɖoe hafi wu nɔvia o.
Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.
7 Nu sia ta meɖoe na wò be nàtia du etɔ̃ da ɖi na ɖokuiwò.
This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.
8 “Yehowa wò Mawu akeke wò anyigba la ƒe liƒowo ɖe edzi abe ale si wòdo ŋugbe na tɔgbuiwòwo ene, eye wòatsɔ anyigba blibo si ŋugbe wòdo la na wò.
And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,
9 Esia aku ɖe ale si nèwɔ eƒe se siwo katã mele dedem na wò egbe, be nàlɔ̃ Yehowa wò Mawu, eye nàzɔ ɖe eƒe ɖoɖowo nu la dzi. Ne esia va eme la, ele be nàgawɔ du bubu etɔ̃ Sitsoƒeduwoe.
and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.
10 Ale nàte ŋu axɔ ame maɖifɔwo ɖe agbe le anyigba si Yehowa wò Mawu tsɔ na wò la dzi, eye ʋukɔkɔɖi dzodzro ƒe agba manɔ dziwò o.
Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
11 “Ke ne ame aɖe lé fu nɔvia, de xa ɖi nɛ hewui, eye wòsi yi sitsoƒedu siawo dometɔ ɖeka me la,
If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
12 eƒe dumemetsitsiwo aɖo du ɖee, ana woakplɔe ava aƒee, eye woatsɔe ade asi na ame kuku la ƒe hlɔ̃biala be wòawui.
the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.
13 Mègakpɔ nublanui nɛ o! Ɖe hlɔ̃dolawo katã ɖa le Israelviwo dome! Eya ko hafi nu sia nu ayi edzi nyuie na mi.
You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.
14 “Ne èva ɖo anyigba si Yehowa, wò Mawu la le na wò ge la dzi la, ɖo ŋku edzi be, mèkpɔ mɔ aho ame aɖeke ƒe liƒotiwo agbugbɔ wo atu ale be nàfi eƒe anyigba gbeɖegbeɖe o.”
You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
15 “Mègabu fɔ ame aɖeke le ɖasefo ɖeka ko ƒe ɖaseɖiɖi ta o. Ele be ɖasefoawo nade eve godoo; anyo wu ne woade etɔ̃.
A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
16 Ne ame aɖe ɖi aʋatsoɖase hegblɔ be yekpɔ ame aɖe wòwɔ nu vɔ̃ esime amea mewɔ nu vɔ̃ la o la,
If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,
17 na woakplɔ ame eveawo ayi nunɔlawo kple ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo gbɔ le Yehowa ŋkume.
both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
18 Woabia gbe wo tsitotsito, eye ne wokpɔ be ɖasefo la ka aʋatso la,
The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,
19 woahe to si wòbu be woahe na ame kemɛ la hafi la na eya ŋutɔ boŋ. To mɔ sia dzi, eye nàɖe nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ ɖa le mia dome.
you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.
20 “Ekema ame siwo asee la avɔ̃ na aʋatsoɖaseɖiɖi.
Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.
21 Mègakpɔ nublanui na aʋatsoɖasefo aɖeke o. Le nya sia tɔgbiwo me la, se si dzi nàkpɔe nye: agbe ɖe agbe teƒe, ŋku ɖe ŋku teƒe, aɖu ɖe aɖu teƒe, asi ɖe asi teƒe, afɔ ɖe afɔ teƒe.”
You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.
