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,
After the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he's giving you, and after 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 choose three sanctuary towns in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
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 build roads to these towns. Divide the country the Lord is giving you into three sections. This way anyone who kills someone else can easily run to these towns for protection.
4 “Nu si ta wòle be du siawo nanɔ anyi ɖo la woe nye:
This is what is to happen when a person accidentally kills someone else without meaning to, and runs to one of these sanctuary towns to save their life.
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.
For example, if a man goes to cut wood in the forest with his friend and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the head flies off the handle and hits and kills his friend, he may run to one of these towns 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 in his anger might chase after the man and catch up with him and kill him, if it's a long distance. The man would be killed even though he didn't deserve to die, because he hadn't meant to cause any harm.
7 Nu sia ta meɖoe na wò be nàtia du etɔ̃ da ɖi na ɖokuiwò.
This is the reason why I'm giving this order to choose three sanctuary towns.
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.
Should the Lord your God expand your territory, as he promised your forefathers, and give you all the land he said he would,
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 are careful to keep all these commandments I'm giving you today, loving the Lord your God and always following his ways, then you are to choose three additional three sanctuary towns.
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.
In this way the blood of innocent people won't not be shed in the country the Lord your God is giving you to own and you won't be responsible for the death of innocent people who aren't guilty of losing their lives.
11 “Ke ne ame aɖe lé fu nɔvia, de xa ɖi nɛ hewui, eye wòsi yi sitsoƒedu siawo dometɔ ɖeka me la,
On the other hand, if a man hates someone, hides in wait, and attacks and kills them, and then the killer runs to one of the sanctuary towns,
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 home town must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger to be killed.
13 Mègakpɔ nublanui nɛ o! Ɖe hlɔ̃dolawo katã ɖa le Israelviwo dome! Eya ko hafi nu sia nu ayi edzi nyuie na mi.
Show him no mercy. You are to eliminate from Israel the guilt of shedding the blood of the innocent, and then all will be well.
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.”
Don't move your neighbor's boundary marker. It was placed there by your ancestors to mark the land allotment you will receive in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
15 “Mègabu fɔ ame aɖeke le ɖasefo ɖeka ko ƒe ɖaseɖiɖi ta o. Ele be ɖasefoawo nade eve godoo; anyo wu ne woade etɔ̃.
The evidence given by a single witness is not enough to prove a sin or a crime against someone, never mind what offense they are alleged to have committed. The facts must be confirmed by the evidence given by 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 someone falsely accuses another person of a crime,
17 na woakplɔ ame eveawo ayi nunɔlawo kple ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo gbɔ le Yehowa ŋkume.
both those involved must come to be judged in the presence of the Lord by the priests and judges who are then in office.
18 Woabia gbe wo tsitotsito, eye ne wokpɔ be ɖasefo la ka aʋatso la,
The judges shall conduct a full investigation, and if the accuser proves to be a liar who has made false accusations
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.
then you must punish the accuser in the same way they wanted to punish their victim. You must eliminate this 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. Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid, and won't ever do anything so evil.
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.”
Don't show any mercy. The rule is life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.
