Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Afei, Yesu ka kyerɛɛ nnipadɔm no ne nʼasuafo no se,
2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
“Kyerɛwsɛm no Akyerɛkyerɛfo ne Farisifo no na wɔkyerɛ Mose mmara no ase.
3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.
Eyi nti, ɛsɛ sɛ mutie wɔn, na moyɛ biribiara a wɔkyerɛ mo. Nanso monnyɛ nea wɔyɛ no bi efisɛ nea wɔka no, ɛnyɛ ɛno na wɔyɛ.
4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
Wɔhyɛ mo ma mudi mmara a ɛyɛ den so a wɔn ankasa mpɛ sɛ wodi so.
5 But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
“Biribiara a wɔyɛ no yɛ ɔyɛkyerɛ. Wɔde sɛbɛ a kyerɛw nsɛm bi hyɛ mu sɛn wɔn nsa, hyɛ ntade yuu kyerɛ sɛ wɔyɛ atreneefo.
6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
Na wɔkɔ aponto ase nso a, wɔpɛ sɛ daa wɔtena mpanyin tenabea; wɔkɔ asɔre nso a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔtena mpanyin tenabea pa.
7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
Sɛ wode obu kyia wɔn wɔ abɔnten so na wofrɛ wɔn ‘Rabi’ anaa ‘Owura’ a ɛyɛ wɔn dɛ.
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
“Mommma obiara mmfrɛ mo sa. Efisɛ Onyankopɔn nko ara na ɔyɛ Owura. Mo nyinaa moyɛ pɛ sɛ anuanom.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
Mommfrɛ obiara wɔ asase so ha sɛ ‘Agya,’ efisɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔwɔ ɔsoro no nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔfrɛ no saa.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
Na mommma wɔmmfrɛ mo ‘Owura,’ efisɛ ɔbaako pɛ na ɔyɛ mo wura a ɔne Agyenkwa no.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
Wobrɛ wo ho ase som afoforo a, wobɛyɛ ɔkɛse. Wopɛ sɛ woyɛ ɔkɛse a, yɛ ɔsomfo.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
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.
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
“Munnue! Mo Farisifo ne Kyerɛwsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfo nyaatwomfo, efisɛ musiw afoforo Ɔsoro Ahenni ho kwan. Mo a, monkɔ mu. Mo nso a, momma afoforo a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔkɔ mu no kwan.
14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
Nyaatwomfo! Mobɔ mpae atenten wɔ mmɔnten so de kyerɛ sɛ moyɛ atreneefo wɔ bere a mutu akunafo fi wɔn afi mu.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
“Munnue! Mo Farisifo ne Kyerɛwsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfo nyaatwomfo! Mokɔ wiase afanan nyinaa sɛ mubenya onipa baako abɛfra mo mu. Na sɛ munya obi saa a, mosɛe no ma ɔyɛ ɔbonsam ba sen sɛnea mote no. (Geenna g1067)
16 “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
“Munnue! Akwankyerɛfo anifuraefo a moka se, sɛ obi de asɔredan ka ntam a, ɛno de, ɛnyɛ hwee. Na sɛ ɔde sikakɔkɔɔ a ɛwɔ asɔredan no mu ka ntam de a, ɛno de, ntam no kyekyere onii no.
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
Anifuraefo nkwaseafo! Asɔredan no ne emu sikakɔkɔɔ no mu nea ɛwɔ he na ɛsom bo; sikakɔkɔɔ no anaa asɔredan no a ɛtew sikakɔkɔɔ no ho no?
18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’
Na moka se, ‘Sɛ obi ka afɔremuka no ntam a, ɛnyɛ hwee. Na mmom, sɛ ɔka ayɛyɛde a egu afɔremuka no so ntam de a, ɛkyekye onii! no’
19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
Anifuraefo! Afɔremuka a ɛtew ayɛyɛde a egu so no ho no, ne ayɛyɛde a egu so no mu nea ɛwɔ he na ɛsom bo?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.
Sɛ woka afɔremuka no ntam a, woka afɔremuka no ne ɛso ayɛyɛde no nyinaa ntam,
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
na sɛ woka asɔredan no ntam a, woka asɔredan no ne Onyankopɔn a ɔte mu no nyinaa ntam.
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.
Na sɛ woka ɔsoro ntam a, na woreka Onyankopɔn ahengua ne Onyankopɔn no ankasa ntam.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
“Munnue! Mo Farisifo ne Kyerɛwsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfo nyaatwomfo! Muyi ntotoso du du wɔ afifide a ɛwɔ mo mfikyifuw mu no ho, nanso mugyaw nneɛma a ɛsom bo te sɛ atɛntrenee, ahummɔbɔ ne nokwaredi. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ muyiyi ntotoso du du no de, nanso ɛnsɛ sɛ mugyaw nneɛma a ɛsom bo no.
24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
Akwankyerɛfo anifuraefo! Mosɔn nea monom so, yi mu nwansena nanso momene yoma!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
“Munnue! Mo Farisifo ne Kyerɛwsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfo nyaatwomfo! Mutwiw mo kuruwa ne mo asanka ho fɛfɛɛfɛ nanso emu no de, amim ne pɛsɛmenkominya ahyɛ no ma tɔ.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.
Farisifo anifuraefo! Muntwiw kuruwa no mu kan, na kuruwa no ho nyinaa bɛtew!
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness.
“Munnue! Mo Farisifo ne Kyerɛwsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfo! Mote sɛ ɔda a wɔasra ho fɛfɛɛfɛ nanso awufo nnompe ne nneɛma funu ahyɛ mu ma tɔ.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Moyɛ mo anim sɛ atreneefo, nanso bɔne ahorow ahyɛ mo mu ma tɔ.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
“Munnue! Mo Farisifo ne Kyerɛwsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfo nyaatwomfo! Musisi ada akɛse ma adiyifo a mo ara mo agyanom kunkum wɔn, na mode nhwiren gugu atreneefo a wokunkum wɔn no nna so,
30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
na mutwa mo ho ka se, ‘Sɛ na yɛte ase saa bere no a, anka yɛrenyɛ bɔne a yɛn agyanom yɛe no.’
31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
Sɛ moka saa a, mubu mo ho fɔ sɛ moyɛ atirimɔdenfo mma.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
Munni wɔn anammɔn akyi nyɛ saa bɔne koro no ara bi pɛpɛɛpɛ.
33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? (Geenna g1067)
“Awɔ! Nhurutoa mma! Mobɛyɛ dɛn aguan amanehunu gya mu atemmu no? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
Mɛsoma adiyifo ne anyansafo ne akyerɛkyerɛfo aba mo nkyɛn. Mobɛbɔ wɔn mu bi asennua mu akum wɔn. Mobɛbɔ ebinom akyi mmaa wɔ mo asɔredan mu, na moataa bi afi nkurow so akɔ nkurow so.
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
Na atreneefo mogya a moahwie agu asase so nyinaa, efi Habel so de kosi Barakia ba Sakaria a mukum no asɔredan ne afɔremuka ntam no, bɛba mo so.
36 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Mereka akyerɛ mo se, atemmu a wɔaboaboa ano no nyinaa bɛba nnɛmma yi so.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
“Ao Yerusalem, Yerusalem, wo a wukum adiyifo, na wusiw wɔn a wɔasoma wɔn wo nkyɛn abo, mpɛn ahe na anka mepɛɛ sɛ meboaboa wo mma ano, sɛnea akokɔbeatan boaboa ne mma ano wɔ ne ntaban ase, nanso moampɛ!
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
Wobegyaw mo fi ofituw ama mo.
39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Na mise mo sɛ, efi sesɛɛ morenhu me bio kosi sɛ mobɛka se, ‘Nhyira ne nea ɔnam Awurade din mu reba no.’”
