5 Mose 19

1 Sɛ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, sɛe aman a ɔde wɔn nsase rema mo no, na sɛ mopam wɔn na motena wɔn nkurow mu ne wɔn afi mu a,

WHEN the Lord thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the Lord thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

2 munyi nkuropɔn abiɛsa a ɛwɔ asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, de rema mo no mfimfini.

Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.

3 Munyiyi akwan nkɔ hɔ na monkyɛ asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn, de rema mo sɛ agyapade no mu abiɛsa sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, sɛ obi kum obi a, obeguan akɔ hɔ.

Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

4 Sɛ obi anhyɛ da na okum obi a onni ne ho menasepɔw anaa ɔntan no dedaw a, nea ne nsa apa no tumi guan kɔ saa nkuropɔn yi biara so de gye ne ho nkwa.

And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

5 Sɛ ebia, obi ne ne yɔnko bi kɔ wuram sɛ wɔrekobu nnua na sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔbaako him abonnua no sɛ ɔde rebu dua bi na sɛ abonnua no hɔn fi ne dua mu kum ne yɔnko no a, saa onipa no tumi guan kɔ nkuropɔn no baako so de gye ne ho nkwa.

As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

6 Sɛ anyɛ saa a ɔweretɔni no de abufuw bɛtaa no. Sɛ ɔkwan no ware dodo a ɔbɛto no akum no bi, a anka ɔmfata owu, esiane sɛ ɔnnam adwemmɔne biara so na okum no.

Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

7 Eyi nti na merehyɛ mo sɛ munyi nkuropɔn abiɛsa nsi nkyɛn no.

Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

8 Sɛ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, trɛw mo man mu sɛnea ɔkaa ho ntam kyerɛɛ mo agyanom no na ɔde asase no nyinaa ma mo sɛnea ɔhyɛɛ wɔn ho bɔ no a,

And if the Lord thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;

9 esiane sɛ motɔ mo bo ase di mmara a mehyɛ mo nnɛ yi sɛ monnɔ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, na daa monnantew nʼakwan so no so nti na, ɛsɛ sɛ muyi nkuropɔn abiɛsa si nkyɛn no.

If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:

10 Monyɛ eyi, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wɔrenhwie mogya a enni fɔ no ngu mo asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, de rema mo sɛ mo agyapade no so, na moanni mogyahwiegu ho fɔ.

That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

11 Sɛ obi fi nitan mu hyɛ da kɔtɛw obi pira no, kum no na oguan kɔ nkuropɔn yi mu baako so a,

But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:

12 ɛsɛ sɛ mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ ne kurow no mu hɔ no soma ma wɔkɔfa no fi kuropɔn no mu brɛ ɔweretɔni no ma okum no.

Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

13 Munnya ahummɔbɔ biara. Munyi awudi ho afɔdi biara mfi Israel na ama asi mo yiye.

Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

14 Sɛ mudu asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, de rema mo sɛ agyapade no so a, munntutu mo yɔnkonom ntɔmmɛ a mo agyanom asisi no ngu.

Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.

15 Mummmu obi a ɔdanseni baako pɛ abedi atia no no fɔ. Sobobɔ bedi mu, bere a nnipa baanu anaa baasa abedi adanse atia obi.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

16 Sɛ atoro danseni bi ba bɛbɔ obi amumɔyɛ bi ho kwaadu a,

If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

17 ɛsɛ sɛ nnipa baanu a wodi asɛm no nyinaa ba asɔfo ne atemmufo a wɔreyɛ Awurade adwuma no anim.

Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

18 Ɛsɛ sɛ atemmufo no yɛ nhwehwɛmu a emu dɔ yiye, na sɛ ɛda adi sɛ ɔdanseni no retwa atoro, a ɔredi adansekurum agu ne yɔnko Israelni no so a,

And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

19 ɛno de, monyɛ ɔdansekurumni no sɛnea anka ɔpɛe sɛ wɔyɛ ne yɔnko no. Muntu abɔnefo ase mfi mo mu.

Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

20 Nnipa nkae no bɛte na wɔasuro, na wɔrenyɛ saa bɔne no wɔ mo mu bio.

And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

21 Munnhu obiara mmɔbɔ! Mo mmara a ɛsɛ sɛ mudi so no yɛ nkwa nsi nkwa anan mu, aniwa nsi aniwa anan mu, ɛse nsi se anan mu, nsa nsi nsa anan mu na nan nsi nan anan mu.

And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.