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,
“Suppose someone has been murdered in a field in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, and you do not know who killed that person.
2 mo ntuanofo ne atemmufo no bɛkɔ akosusuw ɔkwan a ɛda nea owufo no da hɔ ne kurow a ɛbɛn no ntam.
[If that happens], your elders and judges must go out to where that person’s corpse was found and measure the distance from there to each of the nearby towns.
3 Afei, mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ kurow a ɛbɛn owufo no pɛɛ no mfa nantwi ba a ɔnyɛɛ adwuma da na ɔntwee konnua da
Then the elders in the town that is closest to where the corpse was found must select a young cow that has never been used for doing work.
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.
They must take it to a place near a stream where the ground has never been plowed or planted. They must break its neck there in that valley.
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.
The priests must go there also, because Yahweh our God has chosen them from the tribe of Levi to serve him and to be his representatives [MTY] when they bless people. And he has also chosen them to settle disputes in which someone has been injured.
6 Ɛsɛ sɛ kurow a ɛbɛn funu no mu mpanyimfo no hohoro wɔn nsa gu nantwi ba a wobuu ne kɔn mu no so,
The elders from the closest town must wash their hands over the young cow whose neck was broken,
7 na wɔaka se, “Ɛnyɛ yɛn nsa na ehwiee mogya yi gui, na yɛn ani anhu nso.
and they must say, ‘We did not murder this person [MTY], and we did not see who did 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.
Yahweh, forgive us, your Israeli people whom you rescued [from Egypt]. Do not consider (us to be guilty/that we should be punished because) of murdering someone who (is innocent/had not done something that is wrong). Instead, forgive us.’
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.
By doing that, you will be doing what Yahweh considers to be right, and you will not be considered to be guilty for murdering that person.”
10 Sɛ mokɔ ɔko tia mo atamfo na Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, dan wɔn hyɛ mo nsa na mofa wɔn nnommum,
“When you [soldiers] go to fight against your enemies, and Yahweh our God enables you to defeat them [IDM], and (they become your prisoners/you capture them),
11 na sɛ muhu ɔbea hoɔfɛfo bi wɔ wɔn mu na, mopɛ sɛ mofa no sɛ ɔyere a, mutumi ware no.
one of you may see among them a beautiful woman that he likes, and he may want to marry her.
12 Momfa no mmra mo fi na munyi ne ti, mmubu ne werɛw,
He should take her to his home, and there she must shave [all the hair off] her head and cut her fingernails [to signify that now she does not belong to her people-group any more, but instead she is becoming an Israeli].
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.
She must take off the clothes that she was wearing when she was captured, [and put on Israeli clothes]. She must stay in that man’s house and mourn for a month because of [leaving] her parents. After that, he will be allowed to marry her.
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.
Later, if he no longer is pleased with her, he will be permitted to allow her to leave him. But because she was forced to have sex with him, he will not be allowed to treat her like a slave [and sell her to someone else].”
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,
“Suppose that a man has two wives, but he likes one of them and dislikes the other one. And suppose that they both give birth to sons, and the oldest son is the child of the woman that he does not like.
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.
On the day when that man decides how he will divide his possessions for his sons to possess [after he dies], he must not favor the son of the wife that he loves by giving him [a bigger share, ] the share that the older son should receive.
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.
He must give to the older son, the son of the wife whom he does not like, twice as much of his possessions. That son is his firstborn son, and he must be given the share that he should receive because of his being that man’s firstborn son.”
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,
“Suppose there is a boy who is very stubborn and always (rebelling against/disobeying) [his parents], and who will not heed what they say to him. And suppose that they punish him but he still does not pay attention to what they tell him [MTY].
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.
If that happens, his parents must take him to the (gate of/central meeting place in) the city where he lives and have him stand in front of the elders of the city.
20 Wɔbɛpae mu aka akyerɛ mpanyimfo no se, “Yɛn babarima yi yɛ ɔsoɔdenfo ne otuatewfo a ontie yɛn asɛm. Ɔyɛ odidifo ne ɔkɔwensani.”
Then the parents must say to the elders of that city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and always rebelling against us. He will not pay attention to what we tell him [MTY]. He wastes a lot of money (OR, eats too much food) and gets drunk.’
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 all the elders of that city must execute him by throwing stones at him. By doing that, you will get rid of this evil practice among you. And everyone in Israel will hear [about what happened] and they will be afraid [to do what he did].”
22 Sɛ obi yɛ amumɔyɛsɛm bi a ɛfata owu na enti wokum no na wɔde no sɛn dua so a,
“If someone is executed for having committed a crime for which he deserves to die, and you hang his corpse on a post,
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.
you must not allow his corpse to remain there all night. You must bury it on the day that he died, because [God] has cursed anyone whose corpse is allowed to remain on a post. [You must bury the corpse that day], in order that you do not defile the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you.”
