4 Mose 35

1 Ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ bɔɔ atenaseɛ wɔ Yordan ho, Moab tata so a ɛne Yeriko di nhwɛanimu no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ,

And the Lord also spoke these things to Moses in the plains of Moab, above the Jordan, opposite Jericho:

2 “Ka kyerɛ Israelfoɔ no na wɔmfa wɔn agyapadeɛ no mu bi a ɛyɛ nkuro ne ɛho mmoa adidibea mma Lewifoɔ.

“Instruct the sons of Israel, so that they may give to the Levites, from their possessions,

3 Nkuro no mu na wɔbɛtena na wɔn anantwie, wɔn nnwan ne wɔn mmoa a aka no nso akɔ adidi wɔ adidibea hɔ.

cities as dwelling places, with their surrounding suburbs, so that they may lodge in the towns, and so that the suburbs may be for cattle and beasts of burden.

4 “Wɔn mmoa adidibea no kɛseɛ bɛfiri kuro no afasuo ho a ne fa biara tɛtrɛtɛ yɛ anammɔn apem ne ahanum.

The suburbs shall extend from the outer walls of the cities, all around, for the space of one thousand steps.

5 Monsusu anammɔn mpensa mfiri kuro no afasuo no ho wɔ nʼafanan nyinaa. Yei bɛyɛ adidibea kɛseɛ ama nkuro no.

Facing the east, there shall be two thousand cubits, and facing the south, similarly, there shall be two thousand cubits. Toward the sea, also, which looks out toward the west, there shall be the same measure, and the northern region shall be bounded by equal limits. And the cities shall be in the center, and the suburbs shall be outside.

6 “Momma Lewifoɔ no dwanekɔbea nkuropɔn nsia, baabi a obi a wafom akum ɔfoforɔ no bɛtumi adwane akɔ. Momfa nkuro aduanan mmienu nka wɔn ho.

Now, from the towns which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for the assistance of fugitives, so that he who has shed blood may flee to them. And, aside from these, there shall be forty-two other towns,

7 Ne nyinaa bɛyɛ nkuro aduanan nwɔtwe ne ho adidibea.

that is, all together forty-eight with their suburbs.

8 Saa nkuro yi bɛfiri Israelfoɔ no agyapadeɛ mu. Mmusuakuo no mu akɛseɛ bɛma Lewifoɔ no nkuro bebree na mmusuakuo nketewa no ama kakraa. Abusuakuo biara bɛma sɛdeɛ nʼagyapadeɛ kɛseɛ teɛ.”

And concerning these cities, which shall be given from the possessions of the sons of Israel: from those who have more, more shall be taken, and from those who have less, less shall be taken. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the measure of their inheritance.”

9 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ,

The Lord said to Moses:

10 “Ka kyerɛ nnipa no sɛ, sɛ wɔduru asase no so a,

“Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: When you will have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 wɔnyi Dwanekɔbea Nkuro a wɔde bɛma obiara a wafom akum onipa na ɔpɛ sɛ ɔdwane kɔ hɔ.

discern which cities ought to be for the protection of fugitives who have shed blood unwillingly.

12 Saa nkuro yi bɛyɛ dwanekɔbea ama owudifoɔ no afiri owufoɔ no abusuafoɔ a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔtɔ owufoɔ no wuo so awere; na ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔkum owudifoɔ no, gye sɛ wɔadi nʼasɛm abu no kumfɔ.

And when a fugitive is in these, the kinsman of the deceased shall not be able to kill him, until he stands in the sight of the multitude and his case is judged.

13 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsisi Dwanekɔbea Nkuro yi mu mmiɛnsa wɔ Kanaan asase so

Then, among those cities which are separated for relief to fugitives,

14 na wɔsisi mmiɛnsa nso wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan apueeɛ fam.

three shall be across the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan,

15 Ɛnyɛ Israelfoɔ nko na ɛhɔ bɛyɛ wɔn dwanekɔbea, na mmom, ɛbɛyɛ dwanekɔbea ama ahɔhoɔ ne akwantufoɔ nyinaa.

as much for the sons of Israel as for newcomers and sojourners, so that anyone who has shed blood unwillingly may flee to these places.

16 “Nanso, sɛ obi de dadeɛ poma sin bi bɔ obi kum no a, wɔfa no sɛ wadi awu, enti ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum owudifoɔ no.

If anyone will have struck someone with iron, and he who was struck will have died, then he shall be guilty of homicide, and he himself shall die.

17 Anaasɛ, sɛ wɔde ɛboɔ kɛseɛ bi bɔɔ owufoɔ no a, ɛyɛ awudie enti ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum owudifoɔ no.

If he will have thrown a stone, and he who has been struck lies dead, then he shall be punished similarly.

18 Saa ara nso na sɛ wɔde dua na wɔde kumm no a, ɛte ara ne no.

If he who has been struck with wood passes away, he shall be avenged by the blood of the one who struck him.

19 Sɛ ɔweretɔfoɔ no hyia owudifoɔ no baabiara a, ɔwɔ ho kwan sɛ ɔkum no bi.

The close relative of the deceased shall put to death the murderer; as soon as he apprehends him, he shall put him to death.

20 Enti, sɛ obi nam ɔtan so to biribi bɔ obi, anaasɛ ɔtetɛ no,

If, out of hatred, anyone assaults a man, or throws anything at him with ill intent,

21 anaa ɔde abufuo bɔ no kuturuku na onii no wu a, ɔyɛ owudifoɔ enti ɛsɛ sɛ ɔweretɔfoɔ no kum owudifoɔ no.

or, while being his enemy, strikes him with his hand, and so he has died, the attacker shall be guilty of murder. The kinsman of the deceased, as soon as he finds him, shall cut his throat.

22 “Na sɛ nkwanhyia no mu, sɛ obi anhyɛ da na ɔtoo biribi anaa ɛboɔ bi a wanto no abufuo so, na ɔnnim sɛ ɛbɛbɔ obi

But if by chance, and without hatred

23 anaasɛ ɛnyɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛha ne ɔtamfoɔ, na sɛ onipa ko no wu a,

or animosity, he will have done any of these things,

24 ɛsɛ sɛ wɔdi asɛm no. Wɔbɛhwɛ sɛ ɛyɛ nkwanhyia anaa ɛnyɛ nkwanhyia, anaasɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde saa onipa no hyɛ owufoɔ no weretɔni nsa anaa wɔmmfa no nhyɛ ne sa.

and this has been proven in the hearing of the people, and the questions have been aired, between the one who struck and the close relative,

25 Sɛ wɔsi gyinaeɛ sɛ ɛyɛ nkwanhyia a, nnipa no bɛgye owudifoɔ no afiri ɔweretɔfoɔ no nsam. Wɔbɛma owudifoɔ no atena Dwanekɔbea Kuro no mu hɔ ara akɔsi sɛ ɔsɔfopanin bɛwu.

then the innocent one shall be freed from the hand of the revenger, and he shall be returned by this judgment into the city to which he had fled, and he shall stay there until the high priest, who has been anointed with the holy oil, dies.

26 “Sɛ owudifoɔ no firi kuro no mu

If the one who has killed has been found beyond the limits of the cities which have been assigned to the exiled,

27 na ɔweretɔni no hyia no na ɔkum no tua ka a, wɔmmfa no sɛ ɛyɛ awudie,

and he has been struck by him who is avenging blood, he who killed him shall not be harmed.

28 ɛfiri sɛ, anka ɛsɛ sɛ owudifoɔ no tena kuro no mu kɔsi mmerɛ a ɔsɔfopanin no bɛwu. Ɔsɔfopanin no wuo akyi no, owudifoɔ no tumi kɔ ne kurom.

For the fugitive ought to have resided in the city, until the death of the high priest. Then, after he is dead, the one who has killed shall be returned to his own land.

29 “Yei yɛ Israelfoɔ mmara a ɛwɔ hɔ daa firi awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ so kɔsi awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ so.

These things shall be a perpetual ordinance in all your habitations.

30 “Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum awudifoɔ nyinaa. Nanso gye sɛ adansefoɔ boro onipa baako di tia no ansa na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum no. Sɛ onipa baako di adanseɛ tia no nso a, ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔkum no.

The punishment of a murderer shall be based upon testimony; but no one shall be condemned upon the testimony of only one person.

31 “Ɛberɛ biara a wɔbɛbua obi kumfɔ no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔwuo a wɔnnye mpata biara.

You shall not accept money from him who is guilty of blood, and he shall be put to death promptly.

32 “Odwanefoɔ bi a ɔhyɛ Dwanekɔbea Kuropɔn no mu no nso nni ho ɛkwan sɛ ɔtua sika ma wɔma no ɛkwan kɔ ne kurom ansa na ɔsɔfopanin no awu.

Exiles and fugitives, prior to the death of the high priest, are by no means able to be returned to their own cities.

33 “Yei na ɛbɛma awerɛhyɛmu sɛ asase a mote so no ho rengu fi, ɛfiri sɛ, awudie gu asase ho fi. Wɔrentumi nyɛ mpatadeɛ foforɔ biara mma awudie gye sɛ wɔkum owudifoɔ no.

Do not pollute the land of your habitation, so as to stain it with the blood of the innocent; neither is it able to be expiated in any way other than by the blood of him who has shed the blood of another.

34 Monngu asase a morekɔtena so no ho fi, ɛfiri sɛ, Me, Awurade mete hɔ bi. Mene Awurade a mete Israelfoɔ mu no.”

And so shall your possession be cleansed, while I myself am abiding with you. For I am the Lord, who lives among the sons of Israel.”