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,
Yahweh told this to Moses/me [while the Israeli people were] on the plain in the Moab region near the Jordan [River], across from Jericho:
2 “Na Israelviwo natsɔ du tɔxɛ aɖewo kple lãnyiƒe siwo ƒo xlã wo la ana Levi ƒe viwo abe woƒe domenyinu ene.
“Tell the Israeli people that from the land that they will receive, they must give to the descendants of Levi some cities in which they can live. They must also give them some land around these cities.
3 Woƒe aƒewo anɔ du siawo me, eye anyigba siwo ƒo xlã wo la azu lãnyiƒewo na woƒe nyiwo, alẽwo kple lã bubuawo.
Those will be for the descendants of Levi to live in, and around the cities will be land for their cattle and flocks of sheep and goats and other animals.
4 “Mina woƒe lãnyiƒewo nakeke mita alafa ene blaatɔ̃ tso duawo ƒe gliwo gbɔ do ɖe afi sia afi.
“The land that you give them for their animals must extend out for (1,500 feet/450 meters) from the walls of the cities.
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.
Also measure (3,000 feet/900 meters) in each direction out from the walls of each city. That additional land will be land for their animals outside the walls of the cities.”
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.
“Six of the cities that you give to the descendants of Levi will be cities to which people [can run] to be safe. If someone [accidentally] kills someone else, the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities to be safe.
7 Woatsɔ du blaene-vɔ-enyi siawo kple lãnyiƒe siwo ƒo xlã wo la ana Levi ƒe viwo.
You must also give to the descendants of Levi 42 other cities and the land around those cities, for their animals,
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.”
The Israeli tribes that have the most people must give them more cities than the tribes that have fewer people give. Each tribe must give some of its cities to the descendants of Levi, but the tribes that have more land must give more cities, and the tribes that have less land will give fewer cities.”
9 Yehowa gblɔ na Mose be,
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
10 “Ƒo nu na Israelviwo, eye nàgblɔ na wo be, ‘Ne mietso Yɔdan, eye mieɖo Kanaanyigba dzi la,
“Tell this to the Israeli people: When you cross the Jordan [River] and enter the Canaan [region],
11 mitia Sitsoƒeduwo da ɖi, ale be ne ame aɖe do hlɔ̃ le nu maɖowɔ me la, wòasi ayi wo dometɔ ɖeka me.
you must choose some cities to which people can run to be safe/protected. If someone kills another person (accidentally/without planning to do that), the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities and be safe.
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.
One of the relatives of the person who was killed may think he must avenge his relative’s death [by killing the murderer]. But in that city, the killer will be safe [because the people in that city would kill those relatives if they tried to get revenge there]. The man who killed someone accidentally [must] be put on trial in a court.
13 Du ade siawo si miena la anye miaƒe Sitsoƒeduwo.
You must set apart six cities to be cities to which someone who killed another person accidentally may run and be safe.
14 Mina du etɔ̃ nanɔ Yɔdan ƒe akpa sia, eye etɔ̃ nanɔ Kanaan abe Sitsoƒeduwo ene.
There must be three of those cities on the east side of the Jordan [River] and three that will be [on the west side], in the Canaan region.
15 Du siawo manye sitsoƒewo na Israelviwo ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ na amedzrowo kple mɔzɔlawo hã.
Those six cities will be cities where Israeli people may run to and be safe, and where foreigners and other people who are living among you can also run to and be safe. Any of those people who accidentally kills someone may run to one of those cities [and be safe/protected there].
16 “‘Ke ne ame aɖe axlã gakpo aɖe ɖe nɔvia wòaku la, woatsɔe abe hlɔ̃dodo ene, eye woawu hlɔ̃dola la.
“But [you must consider that] anyone who kills another person with an iron weapon or with a big rock or with a piece of wood, is a murderer, and the one who killed the other person must be executed.
17 Ne woƒu kpe gã aɖe ame aɖe wòku la, hlɔ̃dodoe; woawu hlɔ̃dola la hã.
18 Nenema kee woawɔ ame si atsɔ nu si wowɔ kple ati la aƒo nɔvia wòaku.
19 Hlɔ̃biala la nawu hlɔ̃dola la ne edo goe.
A relative of the person who was murdered must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
20 Ale ne ame aɖe le fuléle ta, wòtsɔ nane ƒu nɔvia alo tso mɔ nɛ,
If someone shoves another person [over a cliff] or throws something at another person
21 alo tu kɔe kple dɔmedzoe wòku la, edo hlɔ̃. Hlɔ̃biala nawu hlɔ̃dola la.
or hits that person with his hand/fist and causes that person to die, if he did it because he hated that person, then you must consider that he is a murderer, and must be executed. A relative of the person who was killed must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
22 “‘Gake ne fuléle mele amea me o, ko kasia wòlɔ ame aɖe ƒu anyi alo da nane tamemaɖomaɖotɔe wòdze ame aɖe,
“But someone might accidentally shove someone else, or accidentally throw something at another person and hit him, not because he hates that person.
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 he might drop a rock on someone that he did not see. If the one who does that does not plan to hurt anyone and does not hate the person that was killed,
24 woadrɔ̃ ʋɔnui, akpɔ be nyadzɔɖeamedzi koe loo alo ɖe yewoaɖe asi le hlɔ̃dola la ŋu na ame kuku la ƒe hlɔ̃biala mahã.
the people of that city must decide whether the relative of the dead person [has the right to get revenge], or whether the one who killed the other person [truly did it (accidentally/without planning to do it)].
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.
[If they decide that the killer planned to kill the other person, they must not allow him to stay in their city. But if they decide that it was done accidentally], they must protect the killer from being killed by the dead person’s relative. They must send the killer to one of the cities where he will be safe/protected, and allow him to stay there until the Supreme Priest dies. [After that, the killer may go back to his home, because the dead person’s relative no longer has the right to get revenge].
26 “‘Ne hlɔ̃dola la do go le sitsoƒedu la me,
“But [while the Supreme Priest is still living], the person who is in that safe city must not leave that city.
27 eye hlɔ̃biala la kpɔe le du la godo hewui la, ekema hlɔ̃biala la medo hlɔ̃ o,
If he goes outside the city, and if a relative of the dead person finds him, that relative is permitted to kill that person, [and people will not consider that the relative is guilty of murder.]
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.
The killer must stay in that city where he will be safe/protected until the Supreme Priest dies. [He will be safe from revenge after that, because the death of the Supreme Priest will be considered to be a sacrifice to atone for that murder]. After that, the killer may return to his home.
29 “‘Esiawoe nye se siwo dzi Israelviwo katã nawɔ tso dzidzime yi dzidzime.
“You must always obey those regulations, wherever you live.
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.
“If someone [is accused of] killing another person, the one who is accused may be executed only if there are people who saw him do it. There must be more than one witness; no one is permitted to be executed if there was only one (witness/person who saw him do it).
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.
“If there is a murderer who truly should be executed, do not [spare his life by] accepting (a ransom/money for him not to be killed). He must be executed.
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.
“If someone has run to a city where he will be safe/protected, do not allow him to give you money in order that you will permit him to return to his home before the Supreme Priest dies.
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.
“You must execute people who truly murder others. If you did not do that, you would be causing the people who live in the land to become unacceptable to me. Anyone who deliberately kills an innocent person must be executed.
34 Migado ŋunyɔ anyigba si dzi nɔ ge miala la o, elabena nye, Yehowa, mele afi ma nɔ ge.’”
I am Yahweh, and I live among you Israelis, so do not spoil/pollute the land by allowing people to murder others without being punished.”
