5 Mose 21

1 Sɛ wohu sɛ wɔakum obi da afum wɔ asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn, de rema mo no so, na sɛ munnim owudifo no a,

“When there will have been found in the land, which the Lord your God will give to you, the corpse of a man who has been killed, and it is not known who is guilty of the murder,

2 mo ntuanofo ne atemmufo no bɛkɔ akosusuw ɔkwan a ɛda nea owufo no da hɔ ne kurow a ɛbɛn no ntam.

your judges and those greater by birth shall go out and measure, from the place of the corpse, the distance to each of the surrounding cities.

3 Afei, mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ kurow a ɛbɛn owufo no pɛɛ no mfa nantwi ba a ɔnyɛɛ adwuma da na ɔntwee konnua da

And in whichever one they perceive to be closer than the others, the elders shall take a calf from the herd, one which has not pulled with a yoke, nor tilled with a plow.

4 na wonni nʼanim mfa no nkɔ subon a womfuntumii anaa wonnuaa hwee wɔ hɔ da na nsu sen wɔ mu. Subon no mu na ɛsɛ sɛ wobu nantwi ba no kɔn mu.

And they shall lead it into a rough and stony valley, one which has never been tilled or sown. And in that place, they shall cut the neck of the calf.

5 Lewifo asɔfo bɛba hɔ, efisɛ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, paw wɔn sɛ wɔnka asɛm na wonhyira wɔ Awurade din mu. Na wɔn na wosi ntawntaw ne dɛmdi asenni ne asotwe so dua.

And the priests the sons of Levi shall approach, those whom the Lord your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and to decide every controversy by their word, and to judge which things are clean and which are unclean.

6 Ɛsɛ sɛ kurow a ɛbɛn funu no mu mpanyimfo no hohoro wɔn nsa gu nantwi ba a wobuu ne kɔn mu no so,

And those greater by birth of that city, nearest to the one who was slain, shall go and shall wash their hands over the calf that was killed in the valley.

7 na wɔaka se, “Ɛnyɛ yɛn nsa na ehwiee mogya yi gui, na yɛn ani anhu nso.

And they shall say: ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.

8 Awurade, gye saa mpata ma wo man Israel a wugyee wɔn no. Mfa mogya a edi bem yi ho so nto wo nkurɔfo Israel so.” Wowie eyi a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ, wɔayi ɛso a ɛda wɔn so no afi hɔ.

Be merciful to your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O Lord, and do not charge them with innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel.’ And so the guilt of the blood will be taken away from them.

9 Sɛ wodi saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi so na wɔyɛ nea ɛteɛ wɔ Awurade ani so a, na moayi awudi no ho afɔbu afi mo atenae hɔ.

Then you will be free from the blood that was shed against the innocent, when you will have done as the Lord has instructed you.

10 Sɛ mokɔ ɔko tia mo atamfo na Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, dan wɔn hyɛ mo nsa na mofa wɔn nnommum,

If you have gone out to fight against your enemies, and the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand, and if, as you are leading away the captives,

11 na sɛ muhu ɔbea hoɔfɛfo bi wɔ wɔn mu na, mopɛ sɛ mofa no sɛ ɔyere a, mutumi ware no.

you see among the number of the captives a beautiful woman, and you love her, and you are willing to have her as a wife:

12 Momfa no mmra mo fi na munyi ne ti, mmubu ne werɛw,

then you shall lead her into your house. And she shall shave off her hair, and cut her nails short,

13 na munyi ntade a na ɔhyɛ wɔ bere a mokyeree no no ngu hɔ. Na ɔntena mo fi nsu nʼagya ne ne na ɔsram akyi ansa na, moatumi akɔ ne ho sɛ ɔyere na wo nso woayɛ no okunu.

and remove the garment in which she was captured. And she shall sit in your house and weep for her father and mother, for one month. And after that, you shall enter to her and sleep with her, and she shall be your wife.

14 Sɛ mo ani nnye ne ho a, momma no nkɔ baabiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔkɔ. Monntɔn no na monnyɛ no sɛ afenaa, efisɛ moagu nʼanim ase.

But if afterwards she does not sit well in your mind, you shall set her free. You cannot sell her for money, nor can you oppress her by force. For you have humiliated her.

15 Sɛ ɔbarima wɔ yerenom baanu na ɔdɔ ɔbaako kyɛn nea ɔka ho no, na wɔn baanu no mu biara ne no wɔ ɔbabarima, nanso nʼabakan no yɛ ɔbea a ɔmpɛ nʼasɛm no babarima,

If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other hated, and they have produced children by him, and if the son of the hated wife is the firstborn,

16 na sɛ ɔhyɛ nsamansew de ma ne mmabarima a, ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔde kyɛfa kɛse no ma ɔbabarima kumaa a ɔyɛ ne yere a ɔdɔ no no babarima no.

and if he wishes to divide his substance among his sons: he cannot make the son of the beloved wife the firstborn, and so prefer him before the son of the hated wife.

17 Ɔbɛfa ne babarima a ɔyɛ ɔyere a ɔmpɛ nʼasɛm no sɛ nʼabakan no anam so ama no nʼagyapade no mmɔho abien. Saa ɔbabarima no yɛ nʼagya no ahoɔden nsɛnkyerɛnne a edi kan. Ɛno nti, abakan kyɛfa yɛ ne dea.

Instead, he shall acknowledge the son of the hated wife as the firstborn, and he shall give to him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the first among his children, and the rights of the firstborn are owed to him.

18 Sɛ ɔbarima bi wɔ ɔbabarima a ɔyɛ asoɔden ne otuatewfo a ontie nʼagya ne ne na asɛm wɔ bere a wɔteɛ no so a,

If a man produces a disobedient and reckless son, who will not listen to the orders of his father or mother, and, having been corrected, shows contempt for obedience:

19 nea ɛsɛ sɛ ɛba ara ne sɛ, agya no ne ɛna no de wɔn babarima no bɛkɔ mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ kurow no pon ano no anim.

they shall take him and lead him to the elders of the city and to the gate of judgment.

20 Wɔbɛpae mu aka akyerɛ mpanyimfo no se, “Yɛn babarima yi yɛ ɔsoɔdenfo ne otuatewfo a ontie yɛn asɛm. Ɔyɛ odidifo ne ɔkɔwensani.”

And they shall say to them: ‘This our son is reckless and disobedient. He shows contempt when listening to our admonitions. He occupies himself with carousing, and self-indulgence, and feasting.’

21 Ɛba saa a, ɛsɛ sɛ mmarima a wɔwɔ kurow no mu nyinaa siw no abo kum no. Ɛsɛ sɛ mutu bɔne ase fi mo mu. Israel nyinaa bɛte na wɔabɔ hu.

Then the people of the city shall stone him to death. And he shall die, so that you may take away the evil from your midst. And so may all of Israel, upon hearing it, be very afraid.

22 Sɛ obi yɛ amumɔyɛsɛm bi a ɛfata owu na enti wokum no na wɔde no sɛn dua so a,

When a man will have sinned in a matter which is punished by death, and, having been judged unto death, he has been hanged on a gallows:

23 ɛnsɛ sɛ nʼamu no sɛn dua no so ma ade kye so. Ɛsɛ sɛ da no ara, musie amu no, efisɛ obiara a wɔsɛn no wɔ dua so no wɔ Onyankopɔn nnome ase. Munngu asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, de rema mo sɛ agyapade no ho fi.

his corpse shall not remain on the tree. Instead, he shall be buried on the same day. For he who hangs from a tree has been cursed by God, and you shall not defile your land, which the Lord your God will give to you as a possession.”