Mose 4 35
1 Esi Israelviwo ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Yɔdan tɔsisi la to, le Moab gbedzi, le Yeriko kasa la, Yehowa gblɔ na Mose be,
And the Lord also spoke these things to Moses in the plains of Moab, above the Jordan, opposite Jericho:
2 “Na Israelviwo natsɔ du tɔxɛ aɖewo kple lãnyiƒe siwo ƒo xlã wo la ana Levi ƒe viwo abe woƒe domenyinu ene.
“Instruct the sons of Israel, so that they may give to the Levites, from their possessions,
3 Woƒe aƒewo anɔ du siawo me, eye anyigba siwo ƒo xlã wo la azu lãnyiƒewo na woƒe nyiwo, alẽwo kple lã bubuawo.
cities as dwelling places, with their surrounding suburbs, so that they may lodge in the towns, and so that the suburbs may be for cattle and beasts of burden.
4 “Mina woƒe lãnyiƒewo nakeke mita alafa ene blaatɔ̃ tso duawo ƒe gliwo gbɔ do ɖe afi sia afi.
The suburbs shall extend from the outer walls of the cities, all around, for the space of one thousand steps.
5 Ale miadzidze du la ƒe ɣedzeƒe gome wòakeke mita alafa asiekɛ, dziehe gome mita alafa asiekɛ, ɣetoɖoƒe gome mita alafa asiekɛ kple anyiehe gome mita alafa asiekɛ, eye du la nanɔ titina. Esia anye lãnyiƒe na wo anɔ duawo ŋu.
Facing the east, there shall be two thousand cubits, and facing the south, similarly, there shall be two thousand cubits. Toward the sea, also, which looks out toward the west, there shall be the same measure, and the northern region shall be bounded by equal limits. And the cities shall be in the center, and the suburbs shall be outside.
6 “Mitsɔ Sitsoƒedu adeawo na Levi ƒe viwo. Ne ame aɖe wu ame le nu maɖowɔ me, eye wòƒu du ge ɖe Sitsoƒedu ade siawo kple du blaene-vɔ-eve bubu me la, anɔ dedie.
Now, from the towns which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for the assistance of fugitives, so that he who has shed blood may flee to them. And, aside from these, there shall be forty-two other towns,
7 Woatsɔ du blaene-vɔ-enyi siawo kple lãnyiƒe siwo ƒo xlã wo la ana Levi ƒe viwo.
that is, all together forty-eight with their suburbs.
8 Du siawo anɔ anyigba la ƒe akpa vovovowo. To siwo lolo, eye du geɖewo le wo si la, woana duawo Levi ƒe viwo wòasɔ gbɔ, ke to suewo ana du ʋɛ aɖewo Levi ƒe viwo.”
And concerning these cities, which shall be given from the possessions of the sons of Israel: from those who have more, more shall be taken, and from those who have less, less shall be taken. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the measure of their inheritance.”
9 Yehowa gblɔ na Mose be,
The Lord said to Moses:
10 “Ƒo nu na Israelviwo, eye nàgblɔ na wo be, ‘Ne mietso Yɔdan, eye mieɖo Kanaanyigba dzi la,
“Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: When you will have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11 mitia Sitsoƒeduwo da ɖi, ale be ne ame aɖe do hlɔ̃ le nu maɖowɔ me la, wòasi ayi wo dometɔ ɖeka me.
discern which cities ought to be for the protection of fugitives who have shed blood unwillingly.
12 Du siawo anye xɔnameteƒewo tso ame kuku la ƒe ƒometɔ siwo adi be yewoabia hlɔ̃ la ƒe asi me. Womawu hlɔ̃dola la o va se ɖe esime woadrɔ̃ ʋɔnui, akpɔe be eɖi fɔ.
And when a fugitive is in these, the kinsman of the deceased shall not be able to kill him, until he stands in the sight of the multitude and his case is judged.
13 Du ade siawo si miena la anye miaƒe Sitsoƒeduwo.
Then, among those cities which are separated for relief to fugitives,
14 Mina du etɔ̃ nanɔ Yɔdan ƒe akpa sia, eye etɔ̃ nanɔ Kanaan abe Sitsoƒeduwo ene.
three shall be across the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan,
15 Du siawo manye sitsoƒewo na Israelviwo ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ na amedzrowo kple mɔzɔlawo hã.
as much for the sons of Israel as for newcomers and sojourners, so that anyone who has shed blood unwillingly may flee to these places.
16 “‘Ke ne ame aɖe axlã gakpo aɖe ɖe nɔvia wòaku la, woatsɔe abe hlɔ̃dodo ene, eye woawu hlɔ̃dola la.
If anyone will have struck someone with iron, and he who was struck will have died, then he shall be guilty of homicide, and he himself shall die.
17 Ne woƒu kpe gã aɖe ame aɖe wòku la, hlɔ̃dodoe; woawu hlɔ̃dola la hã.
If he will have thrown a stone, and he who has been struck lies dead, then he shall be punished similarly.
18 Nenema kee woawɔ ame si atsɔ nu si wowɔ kple ati la aƒo nɔvia wòaku.
If he who has been struck with wood passes away, he shall be avenged by the blood of the one who struck him.
19 Hlɔ̃biala la nawu hlɔ̃dola la ne edo goe.
The close relative of the deceased shall put to death the murderer; as soon as he apprehends him, he shall put him to death.
20 Ale ne ame aɖe le fuléle ta, wòtsɔ nane ƒu nɔvia alo tso mɔ nɛ,
If, out of hatred, anyone assaults a man, or throws anything at him with ill intent,
21 alo tu kɔe kple dɔmedzoe wòku la, edo hlɔ̃. Hlɔ̃biala nawu hlɔ̃dola la.
or, while being his enemy, strikes him with his hand, and so he has died, the attacker shall be guilty of murder. The kinsman of the deceased, as soon as he finds him, shall cut his throat.
22 “‘Gake ne fuléle mele amea me o, ko kasia wòlɔ ame aɖe ƒu anyi alo da nane tamemaɖomaɖotɔe wòdze ame aɖe,
But if by chance, and without hatred
23 alo ne mekpɔe o, eye wòƒu kpe si ate ŋu awui, eye wòku la, ekema zi ale si menye futɔ na amea o, eye meɖo be yeawɔ nuvevie o hafi ta la,
or animosity, he will have done any of these things,
24 woadrɔ̃ ʋɔnui, akpɔ be nyadzɔɖeamedzi koe loo alo ɖe yewoaɖe asi le hlɔ̃dola la ŋu na ame kuku la ƒe hlɔ̃biala mahã.
and this has been proven in the hearing of the people, and the questions have been aired, between the one who struck and the close relative,
25 Ne wotso nya me be nyadzɔɖeamedzi koe la, ekema ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo axɔ na hlɔ̃dola la tso hlɔ̃biala la ƒe asi me. Woaɖe mɔ na hlɔ̃dola la wòanɔ Sitsoƒedu la me, eye wòanɔ afi ma va se ɖe esime nunɔlagã la naku.
then the innocent one shall be freed from the hand of the revenger, and he shall be returned by this judgment into the city to which he had fled, and he shall stay there until the high priest, who has been anointed with the holy oil, dies.
26 “‘Ne hlɔ̃dola la do go le sitsoƒedu la me,
If the one who has killed has been found beyond the limits of the cities which have been assigned to the exiled,
27 eye hlɔ̃biala la kpɔe le du la godo hewui la, ekema hlɔ̃biala la medo hlɔ̃ o,
and he has been struck by him who is avenging blood, he who killed him shall not be harmed.
28 elabena ɖe wòle be hlɔ̃dola la nanɔ sitsoƒedu la me va se ɖe esime nunɔlagã la naku hafi. Ke le nunɔlagã la ƒe ku megbe la, hlɔ̃dola la ate ŋu atrɔ ayi wo de.
For the fugitive ought to have resided in the city, until the death of the high priest. Then, after he is dead, the one who has killed shall be returned to his own land.
29 “‘Esiawoe nye se siwo dzi Israelviwo katã nawɔ tso dzidzime yi dzidzime.
These things shall be a perpetual ordinance in all your habitations.
30 “‘Ele be woawu hlɔ̃dolawo katã, gake ele be ɖasefowo nasɔ gbɔ wu ɖeka. Womawu hlɔ̃dola aɖeke si ŋu ɖasefo ɖeka pɛ ko ɖi ɖase le o.
The punishment of a murderer shall be based upon testimony; but no one shall be condemned upon the testimony of only one person.
31 “‘Ne wodrɔ̃ ʋɔnu ame aɖe, tso nya me be ewu ame la, ekema ele be woawui kokoko. Womaxe alo axɔ naneke ɖe eƒe agbe ta o.
You shall not accept money from him who is guilty of blood, and he shall be put to death promptly.
32 “‘Nenema ke womaxɔ naneke le hlɔ̃dola si yi sitsoƒedu aɖe me la si, aɖe mɔ nɛ be wòatrɔ ayi wo de hafi nunɔlagã la naku o.
Exiles and fugitives, prior to the death of the high priest, are by no means able to be returned to their own cities.
33 “‘Ale womagblẽ kɔ ɖo na anyigba la o, elabena hlɔ̃dodo gblẽa kɔ ɖo na anyigba la. Gawu la, nu si woate ŋu atsɔ alé avu ɖe hlɔ̃dodo ta koe nye hlɔ̃dola la wuwu.
Do not pollute the land of your habitation, so as to stain it with the blood of the innocent; neither is it able to be expiated in any way other than by the blood of him who has shed the blood of another.
34 Migado ŋunyɔ anyigba si dzi nɔ ge miala la o, elabena nye, Yehowa, mele afi ma nɔ ge.’”
And so shall your possession be cleansed, while I myself am abiding with you. For I am the Lord, who lives among the sons of Israel.”
