< Luka 13 >

1 Saa ɛberɛ no ara mu, nnipa bi bɛka kyerɛɛ Yesu sɛ, Pilato akum Galileafoɔ bi a wɔrebɔ afɔdeɛ ama Onyankopɔn, de wɔn mogya fraa afɔrebɔ no.
Some people who were [listening to Jesus] at that time told him about some people from Galilee [district who had gone to Jerusalem]. Pilate, [the Roman governor], had [ordered soldiers to] kill them [MTY] while they were offering sacrifices [in the Temple there].
2 Yesu buaa wɔn sɛ, “Mogye di sɛ saa Galileafoɔ no yɛ nnebɔneyɛfoɔ sene wɔn a aka no nyinaa enti na wɔkumm wɔn no?
Jesus replied to them, “Do you think [that this happened to those] people from Galilee [because] they were more sinful than all the other people from Galilee?
3 Dabi, sɛ mo nso moannu mo ho a, wɔbɛkunkum mo saa ara.
I assure you, [that was] not [so]! But instead of [being concerned about them, you need to remember that God] will similarly punish you [eternally] if you do not turn away from your sinful behavior.
4 Anaasɛ mosusu sɛ nnipa dunwɔtwe a Siloa abantenten no bu guu wɔn so, kumm wɔn no yɛ nnebɔneyɛfoɔ sene nnipa a na wɔte Yerusalem no?
Or, [consider] the 18 people who died when the tower at Siloam [outside Jerusalem] fell on them. Do you think [that this happened to them because] they were more sinful than all the other people who lived in Jerusalem?
5 Dabi, mo nso moannu mo ho a, mobɛwuwu saa ara.”
I assure you, [that was] not so! But instead, you [need to realize that God] will similarly punish you [eternally] if you do not stop your sinful behavior!”
6 Afei, Yesu buu wɔn bɛ yi sɛ, “Ɔbarima bi duaa borɔdɔma wɔ ne turo mu. Ɛda bi ɔkɔɔ turo no mu hɔ sɛ ɔrekɔte ɛso aba no bi nanso wannya bi.
Then Jesus told them this illustration [to show what God would do to the Jews, whom he continually blessed, but who did not do things that please him]: “A man planted a fig tree on his farmland. ([Each year/Many times]) he came to it looking for figs, but there were no figs.
7 Ɛno akyi, ɔfrɛɛ turo no sohwɛfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, ‘Mfeɛ mmiɛnsa ni, ɛberɛ biara a mɛba sɛ merebɛte borɔdɔma no bi no, mennya bi. Adɛn enti na ɛresɛe kwa yi? Twa twene.’
Then he said to the gardener, ‘Look [here]! I have been looking for fruit on this fig tree every year for the past three years, but there have been no figs. Cut it down! (It is just using up the nutrients in the soil for nothing!/Why should it continue using up the [nutrients in] the soil [for nothing]?) [RHQ]’
8 “Turo no sohwɛfoɔ no srɛɛ no sɛ, ‘Me wura, ma ɛnsi hɔ afeɛ yi nso na mengugu aseɛ sumina nhwɛ
But the gardener replied to the owner, ‘Sir, leave it here for another year. I will dig around it and put manure around it.
9 sɛ ebia, ɛbɛso aba bi anaa, na sɛ antumi anso a, ɛnneɛ mɛtwa atwene.’”
If it bears fruit next year, we [(inc)] will allow it to keep growing. If it does not bear fruit next year, you [(sg)] can cut it down.’”
10 Homeda bi a Yesu rekyerɛkyerɛ wɔ hyiadan mu no,
One (Sabbath/Jewish day of rest), [Jesus] was teaching people in one of the Jewish meeting places.
11 na ɔbaa bi wɔ hɔ a honhommɔne mu yadeɛ bi akyere no mfeɛ dunwɔtwe ama ne mu akoa a ɔntumi ntene ne mu koraa.
There was a woman there whom an evil spirit [MTY] had crippled for 18 years. She was always bent over; she could not stand up straight.
12 Yesu hunuu no no, ɔfrɛɛ no firii nnipa no mu ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ɔbaa, wo ho nyɛ wo den.”
When Jesus saw her, he called her over to him. He said to her, “Woman, [I am] freeing you [(sg)] from your illness!”
13 Ɔde ne nsa guu ne so, na amonom hɔ ara ɔtumi tenee ne mu. Na ɔbaa no yii Onyankopɔn ayɛ.
He put his hands on her. Immediately she stood up straight, and she praised God!
14 Hyiadan no so panin a ɔhunuu ɔbaa no ayaresa no de abufuo kaa sɛ, “Nnansia na ɛsɛ sɛ mode yɛ adwuma a saa nna no mu na ɛsɛ sɛ moba ma wɔsa mo yadeɛ, na ɛnyɛ homeda.”
But the man in charge (of the synagogue/of the meeting place) was angry because Jesus had healed her (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day). [He considered that healing was doing work]. So he said to the people, “There are six days [each week] in which [our Jewish] laws permit people to work. [If you need healing], those are the days to come ([to the synagogue/to the meeting place]) and be healed. Do not come on our Jewish day of rest!”
15 Na Awurade buaa no sɛ, “Nyaatwomfoɔ! Mo mu hwan na ɔnsane ne nantwie anaa nʼafunumu na ɔnka no nkɔnom nsuo homeda?
Then the Lord replied to him, “You [(sg) and your fellow religious leaders are] hypocrites! (On the Sabbath/On our Jewish day of rest), [just like on every other day], (each of you unties his ox or donkey, and then leads it from the food trough to where it can drink water./does not each of you untie his ox or donkey, and then lead it from the food trough to where it can drink water?) [RHQ] [That is work, too]!
16 Adɛn enti na Abraham aseni yi a ɔbonsam afa no dommum mfeɛ dunwɔtwe ni no, ɛnsɛ sɛ mesa no yadeɛ homeda?”
This woman [is more important than an animal; she is a Jew], descended from Abraham! But Satan has [kept her] [MET] [crippled] for 18 years, [as though] he had tied her up [and not let her escape]! So (it is certainly right that she be freed {that [I] free her}, [even if this] is a Sabbath day!/was it not right that she be freed {that [I] free her}, [even if this] is a Jewish rest day?) [RHQ]”
17 Ɔkaa saa no, wɔn a na wɔne nʼadwene nhyia no nyinaa ani wuiɛ. Nnipa no nso a na wɔwɔ hyiadan no mu nyinaa ani gyee nʼanwanwadeɛ ahodoɔ a ɔyɛeɛ no nyinaa ho.
After Jesus said that, all the people [there] who opposed him were ashamed. But all the [other] people [there] were happy about all the wonderful things he was doing.
18 Afei, Yesu hyɛɛ aseɛ kyerɛkyerɛɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn Ahennie no ho asɛm, na ɔbisaa wɔn sɛ, “Onyankopɔn Ahennie no te sɛn? Na ɛdeɛn na memfa nto ho nkyerɛkyerɛ aseɛ?
Then Jesus said, “(I will tell you how [the number of people who let] God rule [MET] [their lives will increase]./Do you know how [the number of people who let] God rule [MET] [their lives will increase]?) [RHQ] I will tell you what I can compare it to.
19 Onyankopɔn Ahennie no te sɛ onyina aba ketewa bi a obi dua wɔ nʼafuo mu na ɛnyini yɛɛ dutan kɛseɛ ma ewiem nnomaa kɔnwono wɔn mpirebuo wɔ so.”
It is like a [tiny] mustard seed that a man planted in his field. It grew until it became [big, like] a tree. It was [so big that] birds built nests in its branches.”
20 Ɔbisaa bio sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn bio na memfa ntoto ho nkyerɛ aseɛ?
Then he said, “I will tell [RHQ] you something else, to illustrate how the people who let God rule [MET] [their lives can influence their society more and more].
21 Ɛte sɛ mmɔreka bi a burodotofoɔ de fotɔ mmɔre ma ɛtu.”
It is like [a little bit of] yeast that a woman mixed with about 50 pounds of flour. [That small amount of yeast made] the whole batch of dough swell up.”
22 Ɛberɛ a Yesu rekɔ Yerusalem no, ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ wɔ nkuro so ne nkuraa ase ansa na ɔreduru hɔ.
[Jesus] continued traveling, along [with his disciples], through various towns and villages on the way to Jerusalem. As they went, he was teaching [the people].
23 Ne nkyerɛkyerɛ no mu no, obi bisaa no sɛ, “Awurade, nnipa kakra bi na wɔbɛgye wɔn nkwa anaa?” Ɔbuaa no sɛ,
Someone asked him, “Lord, will there be only a few people who are saved {whom [God] saves}?” He replied to them, “[There will not be many, because] the way [to heaven] [MET] is [like] a narrow door.
24 “Mompere nhyɛne ɛpono teateaa no mu, ɛfiri sɛ, nnipa pii bɛpere sɛ wɔbɛwura mu, nanso wɔrentumi.
[Therefore, try hard] to enter that narrow doorway, because I tell you that many people will try to enter [heaven by some other way], but they will not be able to get in.
25 Sɛ ɛba sɛ efiewura no ato ɛpono no mu a, mobɛba abɛgyina akyire abɔ mu, aka sɛ, ‘Owura, yɛsrɛ wo, bue yɛn.’ “Na ɔno nso abisa mo sɛ, ‘Mofiri he? Mennim mo?’
[God is like] the owner of a house. [Some day] he will lock his door. Then [some of] you will begin to stand outside that door and knock. You will say, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘[No, I will not open it, because] I do not know you, and I do not know where you are from!’
26 “Na mo nso moaka akyerɛ no sɛ, ‘Yɛne wo too nsa didii na wokyerɛkyerɛɛ wɔ yɛn mmorɔno so.’
Then you will say, ‘([You must have forgotten!/Surely you know us, because]) [RHQ] we [(exc)] ate [meals] with you [(sg)], and you taught [people] in the streets of our [towns]’!
27 “Na efiewura no nso bɛbisa mo bio sɛ, ‘Mofiri he? Mennim mo. Momfiri mʼani so nkɔ, mo nnebɔneyɛfoɔ!’
But he will say, ‘[I tell you again], I do not know you, and I do not know where you are from. You [are] wicked people! Get away from here!’”
28 “Na sɛ mohunu Abraham, Isak, Yakob ne nkɔmhyɛfoɔ no nyinaa sɛ wɔwɔ Onyankopɔn Ahennie no mu na montumi nkɔ hɔ bi a, mode mo nsa bɛgu mo ti atwa agyaadwoɔ.
Then Jesus continued, saying, “[From where God will send you], you will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the distance. All the prophets [who lived long ago will also be there], in the kingdom where God [is ruling]. But you will be outside, crying and grinding your teeth [because you will have severe pain]!
29 Nnipa firi apueeɛ ne atɔeɛ bɛhyia wɔ Onyankopɔn Ahennie no mu ato nsa adidi.
Furthermore, many [non-Jewish] people will [be inside]. There will be ones who have come from [lands to] the north, east, south, and west. They will be feasting in (that place where God is ruling/God’s kingdom).
30 Na monkae sɛ akyikafoɔ bi wɔ hɔ a, wɔbɛdi ɛkan, na adikanfoɔ bi nso wɔ hɔ a, wɔbɛka akyi.”
Think about this: Some people whom others do not [consider] important [now, God will make] them very important [then], and some people whom [others consider] very important [now, God will make] to be not important [then].”
31 Saa ɛberɛ no ara mu Farisifoɔ bi baa Yesu nkyɛn bɛka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Firi ha kɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, Herode rehwehwɛ wo akum wo.”
At that very time, some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, “Leave this area, because [the ruler] Herod [Antipas] wants to kill you [(sg)]!”
32 Yesu ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monkɔka nkyerɛ sakraman no sɛ, ‘metu ahonhommɔne, na masa nyarewa ɛnnɛ ne ɔkyena na ne nnansa so no, mɛduru Yerusalem.’
He replied to them, “Herod is [MET] [as cruel as] a fox, [but also as insignificant as a fox]. [So I do not worry about him]. But [to show him that no one can harm me until it is the time and place God has determined], go tell him this [message from me]: ‘Listen! I am expelling demons and performing miracles today, and [I will continue doing] it for a short time. After that, I will finish my work.
33 Nanso, ɛsɛ sɛ menante ɛnnɛ ne ɔkyena ne nʼadekyeeɛ, na ɛtwa ara na ɛtwa sɛ odiyifoɔ bɛwu wɔ Yerusalem!
But I must continue my trip [to Jerusalem] during the coming days, because [they killed many other] prophets there, and [since I am also a prophet], no other place is appropriate for people to kill [me].’”
34 “Yerusalem, Yerusalem, wo a wokum adiyifoɔ na wosi wɔn a wɔsoma wɔn wo nkyɛn no aboɔ! Mpɛn ahe ni a mepɛɛ sɛ meboaboa wo mma ano sɛ akokɔbaatan boaboa ne mma ano ne ntaban ase, nanso moampene so.
[Then Jesus said], “O [people of] [MTY] Jerusalem [APO]! You killed the prophets [who lived long ago, and you killed others], whom [God] sent to you, [by throwing] stones [at them]. Many times I wanted to gather you together [to protect you] [SIM] like a hen gathers her young chicks under her wings. But you did not want [me to do that].
35 Na mo afie bɛdane afituo na morenhunu me kɔsi sɛ mobɛka sɛ, ‘Nhyira ne deɛ ɔnam Awurade din mu reba no!’”
So listen to this: Your city [MTY] (OR, your temple) is going to be abandoned (OR, God will no longer protect it). I will [MTY] also tell you this: I [will enter your city only once more. After that], you will not see me until the time when [I return and] you say [about me], ‘God is truly pleased with this man who comes with God’s authority [MTY]!’”

< Luka 13 >