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 your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,

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

you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.

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.

You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which the LORD your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.

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 case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him 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 goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these 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.

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.

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

Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.

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 the LORD your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your 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.

and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to 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.

This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on 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 if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees 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 bring him there, 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.

Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with 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.

You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess.

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 that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

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

If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

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 who 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 is a false witness, and has 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 you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.

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

Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit 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.

Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.