Luka 18
1 Gbe ɖeka la, Yesu do lo sia na eƒe nusrɔ̃lawo be wòatsɔ fia wo be ehiã be woanɔ gbedodoɖa dzi ɖaa, eye ɖeɖi megate wo ŋu o.
Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never despair.
2 Egblɔ na wo be, “Ʋɔnudrɔ̃la aɖe nɔ du gã aɖe me. Ame sia mevɔ̃a Mawu o, eye mebua ame aɖeke hã ɖe naneke me o.
“There was,” he said, “in a certain town a judge, who had no fear of God nor regard for people.
3 Ahosi aɖe si hã nɔ dua me la vaa ʋɔnudrɔ̃la sia gbɔ gbe sia gbe va nɔ kuku ɖem nɛ be, ‘Ɖem le nye ketɔ si me.’
In the same town there was a widow who went to him again and again, and said ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’
4 “Hena ɣeyiɣi aɖe la, egbe be yemaɖo toe o. Ke mlɔeba la, egblɔ na eɖokui be, ‘Togbɔ be nyemevɔ̃a Mawu alo bua amewo ɖe naneke me o hã la,
For a time the judge refused, but afterward he said to himself ‘Although I am without fear of God or regard for people,
5 le ahosi sia ƒe fuɖeɖe nam atraɖii ta la, makpɔ egbɔ be wotrɔ nu si nye etɔ la nɛ ale be magana be nu nati kɔ nam mlɔeba la le eƒe fuɖeɖe nam ta o!’”
yet, as this widow is so troublesome, I will grant her justice, to stop her from plaguing me with her endless visits.’”
6 Aƒetɔ la yi edzi be, “Mise nu si ʋɔnudrɔ̃la madzɔmadzɔ la gblɔ.
Then the Master added, “Listen to what this iniquitous judge says!
7 Miebu be Mawu matso afia na eƒe ame tiatia siwo le kuku ɖem nɛ zã kple keli la oa? Ɖe magbɔ dzi ɖi na wo oa?
And God – won’t he see that his own people, who cry to him night and day, have justice done them – though he holds his hand?
8 Mele egblɔm na mi be aɖe wo enumake. Gake biabia lae nye be nenye be Nye, Amegbetɔ Vi la metrɔ gbɔ ɖe, ame neni makpɔ siwo ƒe xɔse anɔ te le anyigba dzi?”
He will, I tell you, give them justice soon enough! Yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
9 Azɔ Yesu do lo sia na ame siwo dana be yewonye ame dzɔdzɔewo, eye womekpɔa ame bubu ɖe naneke me o la be,
Another time, speaking to people who were satisfied that they were religious, and who regarded everyone else with scorn, Jesus told this parable –
10 “Ame eve aɖewo yi gbedoxɔ me be yewoado gbe ɖa. Ɖeka nye Farisitɔ, eye evelia nye nudzɔla aɖe.
“Two men went up into the Temple Courts to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax-gatherer.
11 Farisitɔ la do gbe ɖa be, ‘Meda akpe na Mawu be nyemenye nu vɔ̃ wɔla abe ame bubuwo ene o, adzodalawo, ame madzɔmadzɔwo, ahasiwɔlawo, vevietɔ abe nudzɔla si le afi mɛ ɖa ene o.
The Pharisee stood forward and began praying to himself in this way – ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – thieves, rogues, adulterers – or even like this tax-gatherer.
12 Metsia nu dɔna zi eve le kɔsiɖa ɖeka me, eye metsɔa nye nukpɔkpɔwo ƒe ewolia naa Mawu.’
I fast twice a week, and give a tenth of everything I get to God.’
13 “Gake nudzɔla la nɔ tsitre ɖe adzɔge afi aɖe ke, eye melɔ̃ be yeawu mo hã dzi akpɔ dziƒo o; ke boŋ eƒo akɔta hegblɔ be, ‘Mawu, kpɔ nublanui na nye nu vɔ̃ wɔla sia.’
Meanwhile the tax-gatherer stood at a distance, not venturing even to raise his eyes to heaven, but he kept striking his breast and saying ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 Mele egblɔm na mi be nudzɔla sia trɔ yi aƒe me kple dzidzɔ, elabena Mawu tso afia nɛ. Ke wometsɔ Farisitɔ la ƒe nu vɔ̃ kee o, elabena woabɔbɔ dadalawo katã ɖe anyi eye woado ame siwo bɔbɔa wo ɖokui la ɖe dzi.”
This man, I tell you, went home pardoned, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, while everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”
15 Gbe ɖeka la, dzila aɖewo kplɔ wo viwo vɛ be Yesu nada asi ɖe wo dzi ayra wo. Gake esi nusrɔ̃lawo kpɔ esia la, wonya wo be womegaɖe fu na Aƒetɔ la o.
Some of the people were bringing even their babies to Jesus, for him to touch them; but, when the disciples saw it, they began to find fault with those who had brought them.
16 Ke Yesu yɔ ɖeviawo va eɖokui gbɔe, eye wògblɔ be, “Mina ɖevi suewo nava gbɔnye, eye migaxe mɔ na wo o, elabena ame sia tɔgbiwo tɔe nye mawufiaɖuƒe la.
Jesus, however, called the little children to him. “Let the little children come to me,” he said, “and do not hinder them, for it is to the childlike that the kingdom of God belongs.
17 Le nyateƒe me la, mele egblɔm na mi be ame si maxɔ mawufiaɖuƒe la abe ɖevi sue ene o la mage ɖe eme gbeɖe o.”
I tell you, unless a man receives the kingdom of God like a child, he will not enter it at all.”
18 Gbe ɖeka la, Yudatɔwo ƒe kplɔla ɖeka biae be, “Nufiala nyui, nu ka tututu wòle be mawɔ hafi ate ŋu anyi agbe mavɔ dome?” (aiōnios g166)
And one of the leaders asked Jesus this question – “Good teacher, what must I do if I am to gain eternal life?” (aiōnios g166)
19 Yesu biae be, “Ebu be ènya nu si gblɔm nèle esi nèyɔm be ame nyuia? Le nyateƒe me la, ame aɖeke menyo o, negbe Mawu ɖeka ko.
“Why do you call me good?” answered Jesus. “No one is good but God.
20 Ke le wò biabia ŋu la, magblɔ be ènya seawo xoxo be, ‘Mègawɔ ahasi o, mègafi fi o, mègawu ame o, mègada alakpa o, bu fofowò kple dawò kple bubuawo.’”
You know the commandments – Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not say what is false about others, Honor your father and your mother.”
21 Ŋutsua ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Mewɔ ɖe se siawo katã dzi tso keke nye ɖevime ke.”
“I have observed all these,” he replied, “from childhood.”
22 Yesu gblɔ nɛ be, “Esusɔ nu vevi ɖeka nàwɔ, yi nàdzra nu siwo katã le asiwò, eye nàtsɔ ga la na ame dahewo; esia anye kesinɔnu na wò le dziƒo, ekema va nàdze yonyeme.”
Hearing this, Jesus said to him, “There is one thing still lacking in you; sell everything that you have, and distribute to the poor, and you will have wealth in heaven; then come and follow me.”
23 Gake esi ŋutsua se nya sia la, etrɔ dzo nublanuitɔe, elabena kesinɔtɔ gã aɖe wònye.
But the man became greatly distressed on hearing this, for he was extremely rich.
24 Yesu nɔ eyome kpɔm esi wòyina, eye wògblɔ be, “Asesẽ na kesinɔtɔ ŋutɔ be wòage ɖe mawufiaɖuƒe la me!
Seeing this, Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!
25 Anɔ bɔbɔe na kposɔ be wòato abi ƒe vo me ado, tsɔ wu be kesinɔtɔ nage ɖe mawufiaɖuƒe la me.”
It is easier, indeed, for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!”
26 Ame siwo le afi ma se nya si wògblɔ la gblɔ be, “Nenye be esesẽ alea ɖe, ekema ame ka koŋ ate ŋu akpɔ ɖeɖe sia?”
“Then who can be saved?” asked those who heard this.
27 Yesu ɖo eŋu be, “Mawu ate ŋu awɔ nu si amegbetɔ mate ŋu awɔ o!”
But Jesus said, “What is impossible with people is possible with God.”
28 Petro gblɔ nɛ be, “Míawo la, míegblẽ míaƒe aƒewo kple nu sia nu ɖi dze yowòme.”
“But we,” said Peter, “we left what belonged to us and followed you.”
29 Yesu ɖo eŋu be, “Esia le eme vavã, eye ame sia ame si gblẽ eƒe aƒe, srɔ̃a, nɔviawo, dzilawo alo viawo ɖi ɖe mawufiaɖuƒea ta la,
“I tell you,” he answered, “that there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
31 Azɔ Yesu yɔ nusrɔ̃la wuieveawo va eɖokui gbɔ, gblɔ na wo be, “Abe ale si mienyae ene la, míeyina Yerusalem. Ne míeɖo afi ma la, nyagblɔɖi siwo katã nyagblɔɖilawo gblɔ ɖi tso Amegbetɔ Vi la ŋu la le eme va ge.
Gathering the Twelve around him, Jesus said to them, “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem; and there everything that is written in the prophets will be done to the Son of Man.
32 Woatsɔm ade asi na Ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo be woaɖu fewu le ŋunye, ado ŋukpem nyuie, woaɖe ta ɖe ŋunye,
For he will be given up to the Gentiles, mocked, insulted and spat on;
33 aƒom, eye woawum. Eye le ŋkeke etɔ̃a gbe la, mafɔ tso ku me.”
they will scourge him, and then put him to death; and on the third day he will rise again.”
34 Nusrɔ̃lawo mese eƒe nya siwo wògblɔ la ɖeka pɛ hã gɔme o, elabena edze abe ele nu ƒom na wo le lododo me ene.
The apostles did not comprehend any of this. His meaning was unintelligible to them and they did not understand what he was saying.
35 Esi wote tu Yeriko la, wokpɔ nubiala ŋkuagbãtɔ aɖe wònɔ mɔ to nɔ nu biam le mɔzɔlawo si.
As Jesus was getting near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside, begging.
36 Esi wòse ameha ŋkɔ wòva yina la, ebia be wòagblɔ nu si nɔ dzɔdzɔm la na ye.
Hearing a crowd going by, the man asked what was the matter;
37 Wogblɔ nɛ be, “Yesu Nazaretitɔ lae va yina.”
and, when people told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing,
38 Ale wode asi ɣlidodo me be, “Yesu David Vi la, kpɔ nye nublanui!”
he shouted out, “Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me!”
39 Ame siwo nɔ Yesu ŋgɔ la blu ɖe eta be wòazi ɖoɖoe, gake ɖeko wògado ɣlia sesĩe wu be, “David Vi, kpɔ nye nublanui.”
Those who were in front kept telling him to be quiet, but he continued to call out the louder, “Son of David, take pity on me!”
40 Esi Yesu va ɖo afi si wònɔ la, etɔ, eye wògblɔ be, “Mikplɔ ŋkuagbãtɔ ma va afii.”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. And, when he had come close up to him, Jesus asked him,
41 Esi wòva la, Yesu biae be, “Nu ka dim nèle tso asinye?” Ŋkuagbãtɔ la ɖe kuku nɛ gblɔ be, “Aƒetɔ medi be makpɔ nu!”
“What do you want me to do for you?” “Master,” he said, “I want to recover my sight.”
42 Yesu gblɔ nɛ be, “Enyo wò ŋkuwo neʋu nakpɔ nu. Wò xɔse da gbe le ŋuwò.”
And Jesus said, “Recover your sight, your faith has delivered you.”
43 Ŋutsua de asi nukpɔkpɔ me enumake, eye wòdze Yesu yome henɔ Mawu kafum. Ame siwo katã kpɔ nu si dzɔ la hã kafu Mawu.
Instantly he recovered his sight, and began to follow Jesus, praising God. And all the people, on seeing it, gave glory to God.
