Mateo 20
1 Yesu san buu wɔn bɛ foforo bi se, “Ɔsoro Ahenni te sɛ okuafo bi a ofii adi anɔpa bi sɛ ɔrekɔhwehwɛ nnipa abɔ wɔn paa.
“[In order to illustrate how God rewards people], I will compare [the way] God [MTY/EUP] rules his people with what the owner of an estate [did]. Early in the morning the owner of the estate went to [the market] where [people who wanted work gathered]. He went there to hire laborers to work in his vineyard.
2 Ne nsa kaa apaafo no, ɔne wɔn hyehyɛɛ sɛ obetua wɔn da koro adwuma so akatua.
He promised the men whom he hired that he would pay them the standard wage [for working] one day. Then he sent them to his vineyards.
3 “Ankyɛ ofii adi bio kohuu nnipa bi nso, sɛ wogyinagyina hɔ a wɔnyɛ hwee.
At nine o’clock [that same morning] he went back [to the market]. There he saw more men who did not have work.
4 Ɔfaa wɔn nso de wɔn kɔɔ nʼafuw no mu. Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn nso se, obetua wɔn nea eye.
He said to them, ‘Go to my vineyard as other men have done, [and work there]. I will pay you whatever is a just [wage].’ [So they also went to his vineyard and began to work].
5 Enti wɔkɔe. “Ɔsan kɔɔ owigyinae ne nnɔn abiɛsa bere mu kɔbɔɔ nnipa foforo paa ne wɔn yɛɛ nhyehyɛe koro no ara bi.
At noon and at three o’clock he again went [to the market] and found [other laborers whom he promised to pay a fair wage].
6 Ɔsan fii adi bɛyɛ nnɔnnum bere mu, kohuu sɛ nnipa bi gyinagyina hɔ. Obisaa wɔn se, ‘Adɛn nti na da mu yi nyinaa mugyinagyina ha a monyɛ hwee?’
At five o’clock he went [to the market again] and saw other [men] standing [there who were not working]. He said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day and not working?’
7 “Wobuae se, ‘Obi mmɛbɔɔ yɛn paa ɛ.’ “Ɛhɔ ara na ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, ‘Ɛno de, mo nso monkɔyɛ adwuma wɔ mʼafum.’
They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘[I will hire you]. Go to my vineyard as other men have done, [and work there.’ So they went].
8 “Eduu anwummere no, ɔfrɛɛ nea otua nʼapaafo no ka no ka kyerɛɛ no se, ‘Hwɛ na tua wɔn ka, fi wɔn a wɔbaa akyiri yi no so kosi wɔn a wɔbaa kan no so.’
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Tell the men to come so that you can give them their wages. First, pay the men who started working last, and pay the men last who started working first.’
9 “Apaafo a ɔfaa wɔn akyiri no nyinaa, otuaa wɔn da koro apaade.
The [manager] paid the standard daily wage to each of the men who did not start working until five o’clock [in the afternoon].
10 Wɔn a wɔfaa wɔn kan no nso bae. Wosusuw sɛ wobenya sika a ɛboro wɔn a wɔfaa wɔn akyiri no de no. Nanso wɔn nso wotuaa wɔn sɛnea wotuaa wɔn a wɔbaa akyiri no ara pɛ.
When the men who had begun working early [in the morning] went [to get their wages], they thought that they would receive more than the standard wage. But they also received only the standard wage.
11 Wɔn nsa kaa wɔn apaade no, anyɛ wɔn dɛ.
So they complained to the owner of the vineyard [because they thought their payment was unfair].
12 Wɔka kyerɛɛ afuw wura no se, ‘Nnipa a wɔbaa akyiri no yɛɛ adwuma dɔnhwerew baako pɛ, nanso yɛn a yɛyɛɛ adwuma fi anɔpa maa owia hyee yɛn no, womaa yɛne wɔn nyinaa akatua pɛ.’
They said [to him], ‘[You are not being fair!] The men who started working after [all of the rest of us started] worked for [only] one hour! You have [paid] them the same [wage] as [you paid] us! But we worked hard [all] day [IDM], [including working in the] hottest part of the day!’
13 “Obuaa wɔn mu baako se, ‘Damfo, menyɛɛ wo bɔne biara. Me ne wo anni ano sɛ, metua wo da koro adwuma so akatua ana?
The owner of the vineyard said to one of those [who complained], ‘Friend, I did not treat you unfairly. You agreed with me [to work the whole day] for the standard wage [RHQ].
14 Fa sika a wo nsa aka no na kɔ. Efi me pɛ mu na meretua wɔn a wɔbaa kan ne wɔn a wɔbaa akyiri no nyinaa ka pɛ.
[Stop complaining to me]! Take your wage and go! I desire to give the same wage that I gave you to the men who began working after all of you [had begun working].
15 Mmara bi siw me ho kwan sɛ mede me sika yɛ nea mepɛ? Anaasɛ mʼayamye nti na wʼani abere yi?’
I certainly have a right to [spend my money] as I desire [RHQ], [including paying those laborers what I desire to pay them]. (You should not be envious about my being generous!/Are you angry [MET] because I am generous?) [RHQ]’”
16 “Asɛm a Yesu ka de wiee ne sɛ, ‘Saa ara na wɔn a wodi akyi no bedi kan, na wɔn a wodi kan no nso bedi akyi.’”
[Then Jesus said to us], “Similarly, [God will reward] well [some] people who [seem to be] less important now, and he will not reward [some] people who [seem to be] more important [now].”
17 Yesu sii mu sɛ ɔrekɔ Yerusalem no, ɔde nʼasuafo no kaa ne ho.
When Jesus was walking [on the road] up to Jerusalem, [along with us] twelve [disciples], he took us to a place by ourselves [in order that he could talk to us privately]. Then he said to us,
18 Wɔrekɔ no, ɔtwee nʼasuafo no gyinaa nkyɛn baabi ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Yɛrekɔ Yerusalem. Wobeyi me ama asɔfo mpanyin ne kyerɛwsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfo, na wɔabu me kumfɔ.
“Listen carefully! We are [now] going up to Jerusalem. [While we are there, someone] will enable the chief priests and the men who teach the [Jewish] laws to seize [me], the one who came from heaven, [and they will put me on trial]. They will condemn me [and say] that I should be killed {the authorities should kill me}.
19 Wɔde me bɛhyɛ Roma aban nsa, na wɔadi me ho fɛw, abɔ me asennua mu, na ne nnansa so no, mɛsɔre afi awufo mu.”
[Then they] will put me in the hands of non-Jews so that they can make fun of me, whip me, [and kill me by] nailing me to a cross. But on the third day [after that], [God] will cause me to live again.”
20 Sebedeo mma Yakobo ne Yohane ne wɔn na baa Yesu nkyɛn. Ɔbea yi de adesrɛde bi bɛtoo Yesu anim.
Then the mother of James and John brought her two sons to Jesus. She bowed down before Jesus and asked him to do her a favor.
21 Yesu bisaa no se, “Dɛn na wopɛ sɛ menyɛ mma wo?” Obuaa no se, “Mepɛ sɛ, sɛ wokɔ wʼahenni mu a, me mma baanu yi mu baako tena wo nifa so, na ɔbaako nso tena wo benkum so.”
Jesus said to her, “What do you want [me to do for you]?” She said to him, “Permit these two sons of mine to sit next to you (OR, Permit these two sons of mine to sit next to you at your right side and at your left side) [and rule with you] [MTY] when you become king.”
22 Nanso Yesu ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Wunnim nea worebisa no.” Afei ɔdan ne ho bisaa Yakobo ne Yohane se, “Mubetumi anom kuruwa a merebɛnom ano no bi ana?” Wobuaa no se, “Yebetumi!”
Jesus said to [her and her sons], “You do not understand what you are asking for. Can you suffer like I am about to suffer [IDM]?” [James and John] answered him, “Yes, we are able [to do that].”
23 Yesu ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Me kuruwa ano de, mubetumi anom, nanso minni tumi sɛ miyi wɔn a wɔbɛtena me nifa anaa me benkum so. Saa afa no wɔ hɔ ma wɔn a mʼAgya ayi wɔn no.”
Then Jesus said to them, “Yes, you will suffer as I will suffer [IDM]. But I am not the one who chooses the ones who [will] sit next to me [and rule with me]. [God], my Father, will give those places [MTY] to the ones whom he appoints.”
24 Asuafo du a aka no tee nea Yakobo ne Yohane akobisa no, wɔn bo fuwii.
When we ten [other disciples] heard [what James and John had requested], we became angry with them [because we also wanted to rule with Jesus in the highest positions].
25 Yesu frɛɛ wɔn nyinaa ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Munim sɛ ahene ne atumfo di wɔn a wɔhyɛ wɔn ase no so. Saa ara nso na wɔn a wodi wɔn so no nso di afoforo so.
[So] Jesus called all of us together and said [to us], “You know that those who rule the non-Jews [enjoy] showing them that they are powerful. Their chief rulers [enjoy] commanding the people under them.
26 Nanso mo de, ɛnte saa wɔ mo mu. Mmom, obiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔyɛ ɔkɛse wɔ mo mu no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ mo somfo.
You [should] not be like them. On the contrary, everyone among you who wants [God to consider] him great must become [like] a servant for [the rest of] you.
27 Obiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔyɛ odikanfo wɔ mo mu no, ɔnyɛ mo akoa.
And everyone among you who wants [God to consider him] to be the most important must become [like] a slave for [the rest of] you.
28 Onipa Ba no amma sɛ wɔnsom no, na mmom ɔbɛsomee, na ɔde ne kra too hɔ sɛ mpata maa nnipa nyinaa.”
[You should imitate me]. [Even though I am] the one who came from heaven, I did not come to be served {in order that people would serve me}. On the contrary, I [came in order] to serve [others] and to [IDM] allow myself to be killed {other people to kill me}, so that [my dying would be like] a payment to rescue many [people from being punished for their sins].” [MTY]
29 Yesu ne nʼasuafo fi Yeriko rekɔ no, nnipadɔm tu dii wɔn akyi.
As we were leaving Jericho [city], a large crowd of people followed [us].
30 Wɔrekɔ no, wɔkɔfaa baabi a anifuraefo baanu bi tete. Anifuraefo yi tee sɛ Yesu retwa mu no, wɔteɛteɛɛ mu se, “Awurade, Dawid Ba, hu yɛn mmɔbɔ!”
[As we walked along, we saw] two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they yelled [to him], “Lord, Descendant of [King] David, [you are the Messiah] Take pity on us!”
31 Nnipadɔm a wodi Yesu akyi no teɛteɛɛ wɔn se wommua wɔn ano. Nanso anifuraefo no kɔɔ so teɛteɛɛ mu se, “Awurade, Dawid Ba, hu yɛn mmɔbɔ!”
[People in] the crowd scolded them [and] told them to be quiet. But the blind men yelled even louder, “Lord, Descendant of [King] David, [you are the Messiah] Have pity on us!”
32 Yesu duu nea wɔtete hɔ no, ogyina bisaa wɔn se, “Dɛn na mopɛ sɛ meyɛ ma mo?”
Jesus stopped and called them [to come to him]. [Then] he said [to them], “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Awurade, yɛpɛ sɛ yehu ade!”
They said to him, “Lord, heal our eyes [IDM] [so that we can see]!”
34 Anifuraefo no yɛɛ Yesu mmɔbɔ. Ɔde ne nsa kekaa wɔn ani, na prɛko pɛ wohuu ade, na wodii nʼakyi.
Jesus [felt] sorry [for them and] touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they went with Jesus.
