3 Mose 19

1 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se,

Yahweh also said to Moses/me,

2 “Ka kyerɛ Israelfo no se, ‘Monyɛ kronkron, efisɛ me Awurade a meyɛ mo Nyankopɔn no, meyɛ kronkron.

“Speak to all the people of Israel and tell them this: You must be holy, because I, Yahweh your God, am holy, [and I want you to be like me].

3 “‘Ɛsɛ sɛ mode nidi ma mo nanom ne mo agyanom na mudi me homeda mmara no so, efisɛ meyɛ Awurade mo Nyankopɔn.

‘Each of you must respect your father and your mother. And you must (honor/treat respectfully) the Sabbath days. I am Yahweh, your God, [and that is what I am commanding you to do].

4 “‘Monnsom ohoni, anaa monnyɛ nnade anyame bi mma mo ho. Mene Awurade mo Nyankopɔn.

‘Do not worship idols or make metal statues of gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh, your God, [and I am the only one you must worship].

5 “‘Sɛ mobɔ asomdwoe afɔre ma Awurade a momfa ɔkwan pa so mmɔ na asɔ Awurade ani.

‘Then you bring an offering to maintain fellowship with me, offer it in a way that will cause me to accept it.

6 Da a mobɛbɔ saa afɔre no, munni no da no ara, na aboro so koraa na ɛsɛ sɛ mudi no adekyee. Monhyew nea ebedi nnansa no.

The meat should be eaten on the day that you sacrifice it, but you are permitted to eat some of it on the next day. Anything that remains until the third/next day must be completely burned.

7 Na nea mubedi no nnansa so no yɛ akyiwade ma me, enti mɛpo.

For any of it to be eaten on the third day is very displeasing to me, and I will not accept that offering.

8 Sɛ mudi no nnansa so a, mudi ho fɔ na moagu Awurade kronkronyɛ nso ho fi, na wobetwa mo asu afi Awurade nkurɔfo mu.

I will punish anyone who eats it [after the second day], because he will not have respected that what I say is holy. And that person must no longer be allowed to associate with my people.

9 “‘Sɛ mutwa mo nnɔbae a, munntwa nnɔbae a ɛwɔ mo mfuw nhanoa no. Sɛ moretwa a, aba a ebegu fam no nso, monntase.

‘Then you harvest your grain, leave the grain at the very edge of the field, and do not pick up the grain that has fallen on the ground.

10 Saa ara na mo bobe so aba no nso, ɛnsɛ sɛ motew ne nyinaa. Na nea ɛbɛtew agu ase no nso, monntase. Munnyaw mma ahiafo ne akwantufo a wɔbɛfa hɔ no na mene Awurade mo Nyankopɔn.

And when you harvest your grapes, do not go back a second time to try to harvest some more, and do not pick up the grapes that have fallen on the ground. Leave those things for the poor people and for foreigners who are living among you. I, Yahweh your God, [am commanding those things].

11 “‘Mommmɔ korɔn. “‘Munntwa atoro. “‘Na munnsisi obiara.

‘Do not steal anything. ‘Do not tell lies. ‘Do not deceive each other.

12 “‘Monnka ntamhunu mfa ngu mo Nyankopɔn din ho fi, efisɛ mene Awurade.

‘Do not show that you do not respect me by using/saying my name to falsely promise that you will do something. [Do not forget that] I am Yahweh, your God.

13 “‘Nwia wo yɔnko na munnsisi obi. “‘Na mo apaafo nso, muntua wɔn ka ntɛm. Na sɛ ɛka bi bɛtɔ mo ne wɔn ntam a, mommma ade nkye so.

‘Do not cheat anyone or steal from anyone. [‘If you have agreed to] pay your workers at the end of the day, [do what you have promised]; do not keep those wages until the next day.

14 “‘Monnnome ɔsotifo na munntwintwan onifuraefo akwan mu. Munsuro mo Nyankopɔn; Mene Awurade.

‘Do not curse deaf people, and do not put things in the path of blind people to cause them to stumble.

15 “‘Ɛsɛ sɛ bere biara atemmufo bu atɛntrenee a wɔnhwɛ sɛ nea worebu no atɛn no yɛ ohiani anaa ɔdefo. Ɛsɛ sɛ daa wɔn atemmu yɛ pɛpɛɛpɛ.

‘Always [LIT] judge people fairly [DOU]. Do not do special favors for either poor people or rich people.

16 “‘Munnni nseku. “‘Mfa bɔne bi ho asɛm nto wo yɔnko so, na mene Awurade.

‘Do not spread false rumors about other people. ‘Do not say anything [in court] that would result in some [innocent] person being executed. I, Yahweh, [am commanding this].

17 “‘Ntan wo nua. Ka obiara a ɔyɛ bɔne anim; mma ɔbɔnefo mfa ne ho nni. Sɛ woyɛ saa a, wo nso wudi ho fɔ saa ara.

‘Do not hate anyone. Instead, honestly rebuke those who ought to be rebuked, in order that you also will not be guilty.

18 “‘Ntɔ were. Nnya obi ho menasepɔw; na mmom, dɔ wo yɔnko sɛ wo ho, na mene Awurade.

‘Do not try to get revenge against someone or be angry with someone for a long time. Instead, love other people like you love yourself. I, Yahweh your God, [am commanding this].

19 “‘Munni me mmara so. “‘Mma wo nantwi mforo aboa foforo bi. “‘Nnua afifide a egu ahorow abien wɔ wʼafuw mu. “‘Nhyɛ atade a wɔde atam ahorow abien na anwen.

‘Obey my laws. ‘Do not allow two different kinds of animals to mate with each other. ‘Do not plant two different kinds of seed in the [same] field. ‘Do not wear clothing made from two different kinds of material.

20 “‘Sɛ obi ne afenaa bi a obi asi no asiwa da a, ɛsɛ sɛ wodi wɔn asɛm wɔ asennii nanso ɛnsɛ sɛ wokum wɔn, efisɛ afenaa no nne ho.

‘If a man has sex with a slave woman who has been promised to marry some other man, but she has not been bought by that man and is still a slave, the man who had sex with her must be punished. But because she is still a slave, she and the man who had sex with her must not be killed.

21 Ɔbarima no na ɔde nʼafɔdi afɔrebɔde bɛbrɛ Awurade wɔ Ahyiae Ntamadan no kwan ano. Ɛsɛ sɛ afɔrebɔde no yɛ odwennini.

However, that man must bring a ram to [be slaughtered at] the entrance of the Sacred Tent area, to be an offering in order that he no longer be guilty for his sin.

22 Ɔsɔfo no de odwennini no bɛyɛ mpata ama ɔbarima no bɔne a ɔyɛe no na ama wɔde ne bɔne no akyɛ no.

The priest will offer that ram to me in order that the man will be forgiven for the sin that he committed, and I will forgive him.

23 “‘Sɛ mokɔ asase bi so kodua nnuaba ahorow pii a, nnɔbaetwa abiɛsa a edi kan no, munnni, efisɛ wobu no sɛ ɛho agu fi.

‘When you enter the land [that I have promised to give to you], and when you plant various kinds of fruit trees, you must not eat any of their fruit for three years [DOU].

24 Na ne mfe anan so no, momfa aba no nyinaa mma Awurade mfa nkamfo no.

In the fourth year all of their fruit must be set aside to belong to me; it must be brought to me to be an offering to praise me.

25 Na ne mfe anum so no, aba no yɛ mo dea. Eyi bɛma mo nnɔbae so ato. Mene Awurade mo Nyankopɔn.

But in the fifth/next year, you will be permitted to eat their fruit. If you do that, your trees will produce much fruit. I, Yahweh your God, [am promising that].

26 “‘Monnwe aboa biara a wɔnsɔnee ne mu mogya no nam. “‘Mommfa mo ho nkɔ asumansɛm anaa abayisɛm mu.

‘Do not eat any meat that still has [the animal’s] blood in it. ‘Do not consult spirits to find out what will happen in the future, and do not practice sorcery.

27 “‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ mutwitwa mo moma so nwi twitwa mo abɔgyesɛ so.

‘Do not shave the hair at the sides of your heads [like pagan people do].

28 “‘Munntwitwa mo honam mma awufo anaa monnyɛ agyiraehyɛde ahorow wɔ mo ho. Mene Awurade.

‘Do not cut your bodies [when you are mourning] for people who have died, and do not put tattoos on your bodies. I, Yahweh your God, [am commanding this].

29 “‘Mma wo babea nkɔbɔ aguaman mfa ngu ne ho fi na asase no annan abɔnefo ne nguamanfo asase.

‘Do not disgrace your daughters by forcing them to become prostitutes. If you cause them to become prostitutes, soon the land will be filled with prostitutes and all other kinds of people’s wicked behavior.

30 “‘Munni me homeda mmara no so na munni me kronkronbea no ni, efisɛ mene Awurade.

‘Honor my Sabbath days and revere my Sacred Tent, because I, Yahweh, [live there].

31 “‘Monnkɔ asuman anaa ahonhom nkyɛn abisa mmfa ngu mo ho fi, na mene Awurade mo Nyankopɔn.

‘Do not seek advice from those who (consult/talk with) the spirits of dead people [DOU], because if you do that, they will defile you. I, Yahweh your God, [am the one you should consult].

32 “‘Momfa obu ne nidi mma mpanyimfo wɔ Onyamesuro mu. Mene Awurade.

‘Stand up when old people [enter the room], and show that you respect them, and also revere me, your God; [that is what] I, Yahweh, [am commanding].

33 “‘Sɛ ɔhɔho bɛtena mo mu a munnsisi no.

‘When foreigners live among you [in your land], do not mistreat them.

34 Mummu wɔn sɛnea mubu onipa biara. Monnodɔ wɔn sɛ mo ho na monkae sɛ, na mo nso moyɛ ahɔho wɔ Misraim asase so. Mene Awurade mo Nyankopɔn.

You must treat them like you treat your fellow-citizens. Love them like you love yourselves, and do not forget that once, when you were foreigners in Egypt, [you were badly mistreated by the people of Egypt]. I, Yahweh your God, [am commanding you to do this].

35 “‘Mommfa atoro nsusuwde nsusuw, nkari anaa nkan mo biribiara.

‘When you are measuring things, to see how long they are or how much they weigh or how many there are,

36 Momfa nokware nsania, nkaribo ne asusuwde a eye. Mene Awurade mo Nyankopɔn a mede mo fi Misraim bae no.

use correct [measuring sticks and] scales and weights [on the scales] and measuring baskets and other measuring containers. I Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, [am giving you these laws].

37 “‘Munni me mmaransɛm ne mʼahyɛde no nyinaa so, na mene Awurade.’”

‘Obey carefully [DOU] all my laws and decrees, because I, Yahweh, [am the one who am commanding them].’”