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,

After Yahweh our God has gotten rid of the people-groups from the land that he is giving to you, and after you have expelled them from their cities and you start to live in their houses,

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

you must divide into three parts the land that he is giving to you. Then choose a city in each part. You must make good roads [in order that people can get to those cities easily]. Someone who kills another person can escape to one of those cities [to be safe/protected].

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.

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.

“This is the rule about someone who has killed another person. If someone (accidentally/without planning to) kills another person who was not his enemy, he may escape to one of those cities and be safe/protected there.

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.

For example, if two men go into the forest to cut some wood, if the axe head comes off the handle while one of them is chopping down a tree and the axe head strikes and kills the other man, the man [who was using the axe] will be allowed to run to one of those cities and be safe there, [because the people of that city will protect him].

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.

Because he accidentally killed someone, and because the man was not his enemy, he can try to run to one of those cities. If there were only one city, it may be a long distance to that city. Then if the relative of the man who was killed [MTY], the man who is supposed/expected to get revenge, is very angry, he may be able to catch the other person before he arrives at that city.

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

[To prevent that from happening], you must choose three cities, not only one, [in order that someone can get to one of those cities quickly].

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,

“If you do everything that I am today commanding you to do, and if you love Yahweh our God, and if you conduct your lives as he wants you to do, Yahweh our God will give you much more land than you will have when you first occupy it, which is what he promised to do. He will give you all the land which he promised your ancestors that he would give to you. When he gives you that land, you must select three more cities [to which people may escape].

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.

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.

Do this in order that people who (are innocent/have killed someone else without planning to) will not die, and you will not be guilty for [allowing] them to be executed, in the land that Yahweh is giving to you.

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

“But suppose someone hates his enemy and hides and waits for that person [to come along the road]. Then [when he passes by, suddenly] he attacks him and murders him. If the attacker flees to one of those cities [to be protected there],

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.

the elders of the city [where the murdered man lived must not protect the attacker. They]. must send someone to the city to which the other man escaped, and bring him to [MTY] the relative who is supposed/expected to get revenge, so that he may execute that man.

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

You must not pity those who murder other people! Instead, you must execute them, in order that the people in the land of Israel will not murder [MTY] innocent people, and in order that things will go well for you.”

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.

“[When you are living] in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, do not move the markers of your neighbors’ property boundaries which were placed there long ago.”

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.

“If someone is accused of committing a crime, one (witness/person who says, ‘I saw him do it’) is not enough. There must be at least two (witnesses/people who say, ‘We saw him do it’). [If there is only one witness], the judge must not believe that what he says is true.

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

“If someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him,

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

both of them must go to the place where the people worship, to [talk to] the priests and judges who are serving at that time.

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,

The judges must (investigate the case carefully/try to find out which one is telling the truth). If [the judges determine that] one of them has accused the other falsely,

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

that person must be punished in the same way that the other one would have been punished [if the judge decided that he (was guilty/had done what is wrong)]. By punishing such people, you will get rid of this evil practice among you.

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

And/Because when that person is punished, everyone will hear what has happened, and they will be afraid, and no one will dare to act that way any more.

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.

You must not pity people who are punished like that. The rule should be that a person who has murdered someone else must be executed; one of a person’s eyes must be gouged out if he has gouged out someone else’s eye, one tooth of a person who has knocked out the tooth of another person must be knocked out; one hand of a person who has cut off the hand of another person must likewise be cut off; one foot of a person who has cut off the foot of another person must also be cut off.”