5 Mose 21

1 Sɛ wɔhunu sɛ wɔakum obi da afuom wɔ asase a Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, de rema mo no so, na sɛ monnim owudifoɔ no a,

If someone is found slain in the land which Yahweh your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it isn’t known who has struck him,

2 mo ntuanofoɔ ne atemmufoɔ bɛkɔ akɔsusu ɛkwan a ɛda deɛ owufoɔ no da hɔ ne kuro a ɛbɛn no ntam.

then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure to the cities which are around him who is slain.

3 Afei, mpanimfoɔ a wɔwɔ kuro a ɛbɛn owufoɔ no pɛɛ no mfa nantwie ba a ɔnyɛɛ adwuma da na ɔntwee funtumfidie da,

It shall be that the elders of the city which is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer of the herd, which hasn’t been worked with and which has not drawn in the yoke.

4 na wɔnni nʼanim mfa no nkɔ subɔnhwa a wɔmfuntum anaa wɔnnuaa hwee wɔ hɔ da na nsuo resene wɔ mu mu. Subɔnhwa no mu na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbu nantwie ba no kɔn mu.

The elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley.

5 Lewifoɔ asɔfoɔ bɛba hɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, ayi wɔn sɛ wɔnka asɛm na wɔnhyira wɔ Awurade din mu. Na wɔn na wɔsi asɛnnie ne asotwe so dua.

The priests the sons of Levi shall come near, for them Yahweh your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in Yahweh’s name; and according to their word shall every controversy and every assault be decided.

6 Kuro a ɛbɛn efunu no mu mpanimfoɔ no, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhohoro wɔn nsa gu nantwie ba a wɔbuu ne kɔn mu no so.

All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.

7 Na afei wɔbɛka sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ yɛn nsa na yɛhwiee mogya yi guiɛ na yɛanhunu nso.

They shall answer and say, “Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

8 Ao, Awurade, fa kyɛ wo ɔman Israel a wogyee wɔn no. Mfa mogya a ɛdi bem yi ho so nto wo nnipa Israel so.” Wɔwie yei a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ, wɔayi ɛso a ɛda wɔn so no afiri wɔn so.

Forgive, Yahweh, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and don’t allow innocent blood among your people Israel.” The blood shall be forgiven them.

9 Sɛ wɔdi saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi so na wɔyɛ deɛ ɛtene wɔ Awurade ani so a, na moayi awudie no ho afɔbuo afiri mo atenaeɛ hɔ.

So you shall put away the innocent blood from among you, when you shall do that which is right in Yahweh’s eyes.

10 Sɛ mokɔ ɔko tia mo atamfoɔ na Awurade mo Onyankopɔn dane wɔn hyɛ mo nsa na mofa wɔn nnomum,

When you go out to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God delivers them into your hands and you carry them away captive,

11 na sɛ wɔn mu no, mohunu ɔbaa ɔhoɔfɛfoɔ bi a mopɛ sɛ mofa no sɛ ɔyere a, motumi ware no.

and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her, and desire to take her as your wife,

12 Momfa no mmra mo fie na monyi ne ti, ntwitwa ne mmɔwerɛ,

then you shall bring her home to your house. She shall shave her head and trim her nails.

13 na monyi ntadeɛ a na ɛhyɛ no wɔ ɛberɛ a mokyeree no no ngu hɔ. Na watena mo fie asu nʼagya ne ne maame bosome akyi no, motumi kɔ ne ho ma ɔyɛ ɔyere.

She shall take off the clothing of her captivity, and shall remain in your house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month. After that you shall go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.

14 Sɛ mo ani nnye ne ho a, momma no nkɔ baabiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔkɔ. Monntɔn no na monnyɛ no sɛ afenaa, ɛfiri sɛ, moagu nʼanim ase.

It shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she desires; but you shall not sell her at all for money. You shall not deal with her as a slave, because you have humbled her.

15 Sɛ ɔbarima wɔ yerenom baanu na ɔdɔ ɔbaako kyɛn deɛ ɔka ho no, na wɔn baanu no nyinaa, wɔn mu biara ne no wɔ ɔbabarima nanso nʼabakan no yɛ ɔyere a ɔmpɛ nʼasɛm no babarima,

If a man has two wives, the one beloved and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated, and if the firstborn son is hers who was hated,

16 na sɛ ɔhyɛ nsamanseɛ de ma ne mmammarima a, ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔde kyɛfa kɛseɛ no ma ɔbabarima kumaa a ɔyɛ ne yere a ɔdɔ no no babarima.

then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not give the son of the beloved the rights of the firstborn before the son of the hated, who is the firstborn;

17 Ɔbɛfa ne babarima a ɔyɛ ɔyere a ɔmpɛ nʼasɛm no sɛ nʼabakan no, na wanam so ama no nʼagyapadeɛ no mmɔho mmienu. Saa ɔbabarima no yɛ nʼagya no ahoɔden nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ a ɛdi ɛkan. Ɛno enti, abakan kyɛfa yɛ ne dea.

but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

18 Sɛ ɔbarima bi wɔ ɔbabarima a ɔyɛ asoɔden ne otuatefoɔ a ɔntie nʼagya ne ne maame asɛm a nso wɔtene ne so a,

If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and though they chasten him, will not listen to them,

19 deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ ɛba ara ne sɛ, agya no ne maame no de wɔn babarima no bɛkɔ mpanimfoɔ a wɔhwɛ kuro no so no anim.

then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place.

20 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔpae mu ka sɛ, “Yɛn babarima yi yɛ asoɔden ne otuatefoɔ a ɔntie yɛn asɛm. Ɔyɛ onipa teta kɔwensani.”

They shall tell the elders of his city, “This our son is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”

21 Ɛba saa a, ɛsɛ sɛ mmarima a wɔwɔ kuro no mu nyinaa si no aboɔ kum no. Ne saa no, monam so bɛpamo saa bɔne a aba mo mu no, na Israel nyinaa bɛte, na abɔ wɔn hu.

All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall remove the evil from among you. All Israel shall hear, and fear.

22 Sɛ obi yɛ amumuyɛsɛm bi a ɛfata owuo na enti wɔkum no na wɔde no sɛn dua so a,

If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,

23 ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔsɛne dua no so ma adeɛ kye so. Ɛsɛ sɛ ɛda no ara, wɔsie amu no, ɛfiri sɛ, obiara a wɔsɛn no dua so saa no yɛ Onyankopɔn nnome. Monngu asase a Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, de rema mo sɛ agyapadeɛ sononko no ho fi.

his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. Don’t defile your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.