Mateo 23
1 Afei, Yesu ka kyerɛɛ nnipadɔm no ne nʼasuafoɔ no sɛ,
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples:
2 “Atwerɛsɛm no Akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ ne Farisifoɔ no na wɔkyerɛ Mose mmara no ase.
“The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,
3 Yei enti, ɛsɛ sɛ motie wɔn, na moyɛ biribiara a wɔkyerɛ mo. Nanso, monnyɛ deɛ wɔyɛ no bi ɛfiri sɛ, deɛ wɔka no, ɛnyɛ ɛno na wɔyɛ.
so obey them and do everything they tell you. But don't follow what they do, because they don't practice what they preach.
4 Wɔhyɛ mo, ma modi mmara a ɛyɛ den so a wɔn ankasa mpɛ sɛ wɔdi so.
They tie up heavy burdens, and place them on people's shoulders, but they themselves don't lift a finger to help them.
5 “Biribiara a wɔyɛ no yɛ ɔyɛkyerɛ. Wɔatwerɛ Onyame Asɛm abɔ wɔn moma ne wɔn nsa so, na wɔhyɛ wɔn ntadeɛ de kyerɛ sɛ wɔyɛ ateneneefoɔ.
Everything they do is to make sure they get noticed. They make themselves large prayer boxes to wear and long tassels on their clothes.
6 Na sɛ wɔkɔ apontoɔ ase nso a, wɔpɛ sɛ daa wɔtena mpanin tenabea. Afei, wɔkɔ asɔre nso a, wɔpɛ sɛ wɔtena mpanin tenabea pa.
They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues.
7 Sɛ wode obuo kyea wɔn abɔntene so na wofrɛ wɔn ‘Rabi’ anaa ‘Owura’ a, ɛyɛ wɔn dɛ.
They love to be greeted with respect in the market places, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’
8 “Mommma obiara mfrɛ mo saa. Ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn nko ara na ɔyɛ Owura. Mo nyinaa moyɛ pɛ sɛ anuanom.
Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 Mommfrɛ obiara wɔ asase so ha sɛ ‘Agya,’ ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn a ɔwɔ ɔsoro no nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔfrɛ no saa.
Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Na mommma wɔmmfrɛ mo ‘Owura,’ ɛfiri sɛ, ɔbaako pɛ na ɔyɛ mo wura a ɔne Agyenkwa no.
Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah.
11 Wobrɛ wo ho ase som afoforɔ a, wobɛyɛ ɔkɛseɛ. Wopɛ sɛ woyɛ kɛse a, yɛ ɔsomfoɔ.
The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 Na obiara a ɔbɛma ne ho so no, wɔbɛbrɛ no ase; saa ara nso na obiara a ɔbɛbrɛ ne ho ase no, wɔbɛma no so.
Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
13 “Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, mosi afoforɔ Ɔsoro Ahennie ho ɛkwan. Mo a, monkɔ mu. Mo nso a, momma afoforɔ a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔkɔ mu no ɛkwan.
But what a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You slam shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves don't go in, yet you don't let anyone in who is trying to enter.
14 Nyaatwomfoɔ! Mobɔ mpaeɛ atentene wɔ mmɔntene so de kyerɛ sɛ moyɛ ateneneefoɔ wɔ ɛberɛ a motu akunafoɔ firi wɔn afie mu.
15 “Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ! Mokɔ ewiase afanan nyinaa sɛ mobɛnya onipa fua abɛfra mo mu. Na sɛ monya obi saa a, mosɛe no ma ɔyɛ ɔbonsam ba sene sɛdeɛ moteɛ no. (Geenna g1067)
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when you do, you make him twice a son of darkness as you are yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 “Monnue! Akwankyerɛfoɔ anifirafoɔ a moka sɛ, sɛ obi de asɔredan ka ntam a, ɛno deɛ, ɛnyɛ hwee. Na sɛ ɔde sikakɔkɔɔ a ɛwɔ asɔredan no mu ka ntam deɛ a, ɛnneɛ, ntam no kyekyere onii no.
What a disaster is coming on those of you who say, ‘If you swear by the Temple that doesn't count, but if you swear by the gold of the Temple, then you have to keep your oath.’ How foolish and blind you are!
17 Anifirafoɔ nkwaseafoɔ! Asɔredan no ne emu sikakɔkɔɔ no mu deɛ ɛwɔ he na ɛsom bo; sikakɔkɔɔ no anaa asɔredan no a ɛte sikakɔkɔɔ no ho no?
What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?
18 Na moka sɛ, ‘Sɛ obi ka afɔrebukyia no ntam a, ɛnyɛ hwee. Na mmom, sɛ ɔka ayɛyɛdeɛ a ɛgu afɔrebukyia no so ntam deɛ a, ɛkyekyere onii no’
You say, ‘If you swear on the altar that doesn't count, but if you swear on the sacrifice that's on the altar, then you have to keep your oath.’
19 Anifirafoɔ! Afɔrebukyia a ɛte ayɛyɛdeɛ a ɛgu so no ho no ne ayɛyɛdeɛ a ɛgu so no mu deɛ ɛwɔ he na ɛsom bo?
How blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy?
20 Sɛ woka afɔrebukyia no ntam a, woka afɔrebukyia no ne ɛso ayɛyɛdeɛ no nyinaa ntam,
If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it.
21 na sɛ woka asɔredan no ntam a, woka asɔredan no ne Onyankopɔn a ɔte mu no nyinaa ntam.
If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there.
22 Na sɛ woka ɔsoro ntam a, na woreka Onyankopɔn ahennwa ne Onyankopɔn no ankasa ntam.
If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
23 “Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ! Moyi ntotosoɔ dudu wɔ afifideɛ a ɛwɔ mo mfikyifuo mu no ho, nanso mogya nneɛma a ɛsom bo te sɛ atɛntenenee, ahummɔborɔ ne nokorɛdie. Ɛwom sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ moyiyi ntotosoɔ dudu no deɛ, nanso ɛnsɛ sɛ mogya nneɛma a ɛsom bo no.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay a tithe of mint, aniseed, and cumin, but you neglect the vital aspects of the law—doing good, showing mercy, exercising trust. Yes, you should pay your tithe, but don't forget these other things.
24 Anifirafoɔ akwankyerɛfoɔ! Mosɔne deɛ morenom so, yi mu nwansena nanso momene yoma!
You blind guides—you strain what you drink to keep out a fly but then you swallow a camel!
25 “Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ! Motwi mo kuruwa ne mo ayowaa ho fɛfɛɛfɛ nanso emu no deɛ, asisie ne pɛsɛmenkomenya ahyɛ no ma tɔ.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you're full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Farisifoɔ anifirafoɔ! Montwi kuruwa no mu kane, na kuruwa no ho nyinaa bɛte!
You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
27 “Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ! Mote sɛ ɛda a wɔasra ho fɛfɛɛfɛ nanso awufoɔ nnompe ne nneɛma funu ahyɛ mu ma tɔ.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, looking good on the outside, but on the inside full of skeletons and all kinds of rottenness.
28 Moyɛ mo anim sɛ ateneneefoɔ, nanso bɔne ahodoɔ ahyɛ mo mu ma tɔ.
You're just the same. On the outside you look like good people to others, but on the inside you're full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Monnue! Mo Farisifoɔ ne Atwerɛsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nyaatwomfoɔ! Mosisi nna akɛseɛ ma adiyifoɔ a mo ara mo agyanom kunkumm wɔn, na mode nhwiren gugu ateneneefoɔ a wɔkunkum wɔn no da so,
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs as memorials to the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the good,
30 na motwa mo ho ka sɛ, ‘Sɛ na yɛte ase saa ɛberɛ no a, anka yɛrenyɛ bɔne a yɛn agyanom yɛeɛ no.’
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the times of our ancestors we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 Sɛ moka saa a, mobu mo ho fɔ sɛ moyɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ mma.
But by saying this you testify against yourselves, proving that you belong to those who murdered the prophets!
32 Na modi wɔn anammɔn akyi yɛ saa bɔne korɔ no ara bi pɛpɛɛpɛ.
So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods!
You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of condemnation? (Geenna g1067)
34 Mɛsoma adiyifoɔ ne anyansafoɔ ne akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ aba mo nkyɛn. Mobɛbɔ wɔn mu bi asɛnnua mu akum wɔn. Mobɛbɔ ebinom akyi mmaa wɔ mo asɔredan mu, na moataa ebi firi nkuro so akɔ nkuro so.
That's why I'm sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. Some of them you will kill, some of them you will crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, hunting them from town to town.
35 Na ateneneefoɔ mogya a moahwie agu asase so nyinaa, ɛfiri Habel so de kɔsi Barakia ba Sakaria a mokumm no wɔ asɔredan ne afɔrebukyia ntam no, bɛba mo so.
As a result, you will be held accountable for the blood of all the good people that has been poured out on the land—from the blood of Abel, who did what was right, to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the Temple and the altar.
36 Mereka makyerɛ mo sɛ, atemmuo a wɔaboaboa ano no nyinaa bɛba nnɛmma yi so.
I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation.
37 “Ao Yerusalem, Yerusalem, wo a wokum adiyifoɔ, na wosi wɔn a wɔasoma wɔn wo nkyɛn aboɔ, mpɛn ahe na anka mepɛɛ sɛ meboaboa wo mma ano, sɛdeɛ akokɔbaatan boaboa ne mma ano ne ntaban ase, nanso moampɛ!
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! So often I wanted to gather your children as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings—but you wouldn't let me.
38 Wɔbɛgya mo efie fituo ama mo.
Now look—your house is left abandoned, totally empty.
39 Na mese mo sɛ, ɛfiri sɛsɛɛ morenhunu me bio kɔsi sɛ, mobɛka sɛ, ‘Nhyira ne deɛ ɔnam Awurade din mu reba no.’”
I tell you this: you won't see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
