4 Mose 18

1 Awurade kasa kyerɛɛ Aaron sɛ, “Wo, wo mmammarima ne wʼabusuafoɔ a wɔfiri Lewi abusuakuo mu no, mfomsoɔ biara a ɛfa kronkronbea hɔ no ho asodie bɛda mo so. Na sɛ biribi ankɔ so yie wɔ asɔfodwuma no mu a, wɔbɛbisa wo ne wo mmammarima ho asɛm.

Yahweh said to Aaron, “You and your sons and the other members of your father’s family are the ones (who will be punished/whom I will punish) [if anything bad happens to the things] inside the Sacred Tent. But only you and your sons will be punished if the priests do something bad.

2 Fa wo nkurɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ Lewi abusuakuo no mu ma wɔmmoa wo mmammarima wɔ dwumadie kronkron no a wɔyɛ no Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan no anim.

Require that those who belong to your tribe, the tribe of Levi, must assist you and your sons while you perform your work at the Sacred Tent.

3 Ɛsɛ sɛ Lewifoɔ no hwɛ yie na wɔansɔ biribiara a ɛyɛ kronkron wɔ afɔrebukyia no so mu. Sɛ wɔyɛ saa a, mɛsɛe wo ne wɔn.

But while they do that work, they must not go near the sacred items inside the tent or near the altar. If they do that, they will die, and you will die, too!

4 Obiara a ɔmfiri Lewi abusua mu nni ho kwan sɛ ɔboa wo ɛkwan biara so.

They may assist you in doing all the work to take care of the Sacred Tent, but no one else is permitted to come near the place where you are working.

5 “Kae sɛ asɔfoɔ no nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔdi dwuma a ɛho te wɔ kronkronbea hɔ ne afɔrebukyia no so. Sɛ wodi saa mmara yi so a, Onyankopɔn abufuo no remma Israelfoɔ no so bio sɛ wɔabu mmara yi so.

“You are the ones who will do the sacred work inside the Sacred Tent and at the altar. If you obey these instructions, I will not become very angry with the Israeli people again.

6 Meka bio sɛ, Lewifoɔ a wɔyɛ wo nkurɔfoɔ no na wɔmmoa wo wɔ Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan no mu dwumadie no. Wɔyɛ akyɛdeɛ firi Awurade hɔ ma wo.

I myself have chosen the descendants of Levi from the other Israelis in order that they may be your special helpers. They are like a gift that I have given you to work at the Sacred Tent.

7 Nanso, wo ne wo mmammarima asɔfoɔ no ankasa na mobɛdi dwuma a ɛho te wɔ afɔrebukyia no so ne deɛ ɛwɔ ntwamutam no mu, na asɔfodwuma no deɛ, ɛyɛ mo ara mo dom akyɛdeɛ dwumadie. Onipa foforɔ biara a ɔbɛyɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛdi dwuma no bi no bɛwu.”

But it is you and your sons, who are the priests, who must perform all the rituals concerning the altar and with what happens inside the Very Holy Place. I am giving to you this work of serving as priests. So anyone else who tries to do that work must be executed.”

8 Awurade sane ka kyerɛɛ Aaron sɛ: “Mede akyɛdeɛ a nkurɔfoɔ de abrɛ Awurade no nyinaa ama asɔfoɔ no; saa akyɛdeɛ yi a wɔhim no Awurade anim nam so de kyɛɛ no wɔ afɔrebukyia no anim no no, daa daa mmara enti, ɛyɛ mo ne mo mmammarima dea.

Yahweh also said to Aaron, “I myself have appointed you to take care of all the sacred offerings that the Israeli people bring to me. I have given all these sacred offerings to you and to your sons. You and your descendants will get a share of these offerings permanently.

9 Aduane afɔrebɔ, bɔne afɔrebɔ ne afɔbuo afɔrebɔ nyinaa yɛ mo dea, agye emu bi a wɔhye no wɔ afɔrebukyia so de kyɛ Awurade no nko ara. Yeinom nyinaa yɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ a ɛyɛ kronkron pa ara.

The parts of the offerings that are not completely burned on the altar belong to you. Those parts of the sacred offerings, including the offerings of grain, the offerings for sins and for the people to be forgiven for not giving me what they are required to give, are set apart, and are to be given to you and your sons.

10 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔdi no baabi a ɛyɛ kronkron pa ara. Na mmarima nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔdie.

You must eat those offerings in a sacred place, [near the Sacred Tent]. You and all of the other males [in your clan] may eat them, but you must consider those offerings to be holy/dedicated to me.

11 “Akyɛdeɛ afoforɔ a wɔnam him a wɔbɛhim wɔ afɔrebukyia no so de bɛkyɛ me no yɛ wo ne wʼabusuafoɔ, wo mmammarima ne wo mmammaa nyinaa dea. Na wʼabusuafoɔ nyinaa tumi di bi, agye obi a saa ɛberɛ no na ne ho nte.

“The priests lift up high the sacred offerings while they are standing in front of the altar. All of those offerings that the Israelis offer to me belong to you and your sons and daughters. They will always be your share. All the members of your family who [have performed the rituals to cause them to] be acceptable to me are permitted to eat from these offerings.

12 “Otwa berɛ a ɛdi ɛkan mu akyɛdeɛ a nnipa no de bɛba sɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ a wɔde rebrɛ Awurade no a ɛyɛ ngo pa, bobesa pa, aburoo ne afudeɛ biara no, ne nyinaa yɛ mo dea.

“am [also] giving to you the first food that people harvest each year and bring to me—the best [olive] oil and new wine and grain.

13 Sɛ mo abusuafoɔ hwɛ na wɔn ho te a, wɔtumi di yeinom nyinaa bi.

All of the first crops that people harvest and bring to me belong to you. Anyone in your family who has [performed the ritual to] become acceptable to me is permitted to eat that food.

14 “Deɛ wɔde bɛma Awurade biara yɛ mo dea.

“Everything in Israel that is set apart to belong to me also belongs to you.

15 Israelfoɔ abakan ne wɔn mmoa nyinaa abakan a wɔde brɛ Awurade yɛ mo dea. Nanso mmoa a memmaa mo ɛkwan sɛ wɔnwe wɔn nam no deɛ, monnnye wɔn abakan. Na mmom, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtua sika kakra de si abakan biara anan.

The firstborn males, both humans and domestic animals, that are offered to me, will be yours. But people must buy back their firstborn sons and the firstborn animals that may not be used for sacrifices.

16 Sɛ abakan no di bosome a, na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde ɔgye boɔ a ɛyɛ dwetɛ gram aduonum nsia sɛdeɛ kronkronbea hɔ nkariboɔ a ɛyɛ gram dubaako ne nkyemu anum mu baako no teɛ no ba.

They must buy them back when they are one month old. The price that they must pay [for each one] is five pieces of silver. They must weigh the silver on the scales that are in the Sacred Tent.

17 “Nanso anantwie, nnwan ne mpɔnkye mmakan deɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔgye wɔn. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde wɔn bɔ afɔdeɛ ma Awurade. Wɔn mogya na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde pete afɔrebukyia no so na wɔhye wɔn sradeɛ no sɛ ogya afɔdeɛ. Ɛyɛ adeɛ a Awurade ani sɔ.

“But they are not permitted to buy back the firstborn cattle or sheep or goats. They are holy and have been set apart for me. [Slaughter them and] sprinkle their blood on the altar. Then completely burn the fat of those animals [on the altar] to be an offering to me. The smell as they burn will be very pleasing to me.

18 Saa mmoa yi nyinaa ɛnam bɛyɛ mo dea. Ne yan ne ne srɛ nifa a wɔbɛhim no afɔrebukyia no anim de akyerɛ sɛ wɔde ama Awurade no nso, mobɛfa.

The meat from those offerings will be yours, just like the breast and right thigh of animals that are presented to me to maintain fellowship with me as the priest lifts them up high in front of the altar are yours.

19 Mede afɔrebɔdeɛ a Israelfoɔ de bɛbrɛ Awurade a wɔbɛhim no no nyinaa ma mo ne mo abusuafoɔ. Mo ne mo abusuafoɔ mfa na monni. Yei yɛ bɔhyɛ a ɛda mo ne Awurade ne mo asefoɔ ntam daa nyinaa.”

Anything that the Israeli people present to me as holy/sacred gifts, I am giving to you. They are for you and your sons and daughters [to eat]. They will always be your share. This is an agreement that I am making with you, an agreement that will (last forever/never be changed). I am also making this agreement with your descendants.”

20 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Aaron sɛ, “Mo asɔfoɔ no nso, ɛnsɛ sɛ mopɛ agyapadeɛ ne akatua foforɔ biara. Na me ara na me ho hia mo.

Yahweh also said to Aaron, “You priests will not receive any of the land or the property like the [other] Israeli people will receive. I am what you will receive.

21 “Na Lewi abusuakuo deɛ, wɔfiri Israel asase so ho adwumadeɛ ntotosoɔ dudu no mu na ɛbɛtua wɔn ka.

“Then the Israeli people bring to me a tenth of all [the crops and of their newborn animals], I will give that to you descendants of Levi. That will be your payment for the work you do at the Sacred Tent.

22 Ɛfiri ɛnnɛ rekorɔ, Israelfoɔ a wɔnyɛ asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ no nni ho kwan sɛ wɔkɔ kronkron mu kronkron hɔ. Wɔyɛ saa a, wɔbɛbu wɔn fɔ na wɔawuwu.

The other Israelis must not go near that tent. If they go near it, [I will consider that their doing that is a sin, and] they will die for committing that sin.

23 Lewifoɔ no nko ara na wɔbɛyɛ adwuma wɔ hɔ. Sɛ wɔanyɛ a, wɔbɛbu wɔn fɔ. Ɛyɛ mmara a ɛda hɔ afebɔɔ sɛ ɛnsɛ sɛ Lewini biara nya agyapadeɛ wɔ Israelman mu.

Only the descendants of Levi are permitted to work at the Sacred Tent, and they will be punished if anything bad happens to it. That is a law that will never be changed. You descendants of Levi will not receive any land among the other Israeli people,

24 Mmom, ntotosoɔ dudu a ɔmanfoɔ de ba ma wɔhim no afɔrebukyia no anim de ma Awurade no na ɛsɛ sɛ Lewifoɔ no fa. Yei yɛ agyapadeɛ, enti ɛho nhia sɛ wɔpɛ agyapadeɛ foforɔ bi bio.”

because I will give you one tenth of all the [crops and animals] that the Israelis bring to be offerings to me. That is why I said that you will not receive any land like the other Israelis will receive.”

25 Awurade sane ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ,

Yahweh said to Moses/me,

26 “Ka kyerɛ Lewifoɔ no sɛ, ntotosoɔ dudu a wɔnya no, wɔmfa nkyɛmu edu mu baako mma Awurade. Ɛbɛyɛ ntotosoɔ dudu mu ntotosoɔ dudu a wɔnam him a wɔbɛhim no afɔrebukyia no anim de ama Awurade no so.

“Tell this to the descendants of Levi: ‘When you receive one tenth of all [the crops and animals] from the Israeli people, you must give one tenth of all that to me to be a sacred offering.

27 Na Awurade bɛgye no sɛ mo afɔrebɔdeɛ a ɛdi ɛkan a ɛyɛ aduane ne nsã a mode rema no sɛdeɛ ɛfiri mo ara mo agyapadeɛ mu.

Just like the other Israelis give one tenth of the grain and wine that they produce,

28 Saa ntotosoɔ dudu mu ntotosoɔ dudu yi a mobɛnya yi mu na mode bɛma ɔsɔfoɔ Aaron sɛ Awurade kyɛfa.

you must give to me one tenth of all that you receive from them. That will be your sacred offering to me. You must present it to Aaron.

29 Biribiara a wɔde bɛma mo no, momfa emu deɛ ɛyɛ pa ara na ɛyɛ kronkron no mma Awurade.

Select the best parts of the things that are given to you to give them to me.’

30 “Na wɔbɛfa no sɛ deɛ ɛfiri mo ankasa mo ayuporobea ne mo nsakyibea hɔ.

“Also, tell this to the descendants of Levi: ‘When you present those best portions of grain and wine as your offering to me, I will consider that those gifts are as though they came from your own grain fields and vineyards.

31 Aaron ne ne mmammarima ne nʼabusuafoɔ bɛtumi adi no wɔ wɔn fie anaa baabiara a wɔpɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ wɔn adwuma a wɔyɛ no wɔ Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan mu no ho akatua.

You descendants of Levi and your families are permitted to eat [the rest of] that food, and you may eat it wherever [you want to], because it is your payment for the work that you do at the Sacred Tent.

32 Mo Lewifoɔ no, sɛ mogye Awurade ntotosoɔ dudu no na mode emu nkyɛmu edu a ɛsɔ ani mu baako ma asɔfoɔ no a, monni afɔbuo biara. Nanso, monhwɛ yie na akyɛdeɛ kronkron a Israelfoɔ de aba no, moammu no ade teta bi. Sɛ moyɛ saa a, mobɛwuwu.”

If you give to the priests the best portions of what you receive, you will not be punished [by me] for accepting one tenth of the gifts that the people bring to me. But you must consider those gifts to be sacred/holy. If you sin [by eating those things in ways that are contrary to these regulations that I have given to you], you will be executed.’”