Mose 4 35
1 Esi Israelviwo ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Yɔdan tɔsisi la to, le Moab gbedzi, le Yeriko kasa la, Yehowa gblɔ na Mose be,
The Lord spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan opposite Jericho. He told him,
2 “Na Israelviwo natsɔ du tɔxɛ aɖewo kple lãnyiƒe siwo ƒo xlã wo la ana Levi ƒe viwo abe woƒe domenyinu ene.
“Order the Israelites to provide from their land allocation towns for the Levites to live in and pastures around the towns.
3 Woƒe aƒewo anɔ du siawo me, eye anyigba siwo ƒo xlã wo la azu lãnyiƒewo na woƒe nyiwo, alẽwo kple lã bubuawo.
The towns are for them to live in, and the pastures will be for their herds and their flocks—for all their livestock.
4 “Mina woƒe lãnyiƒewo nakeke mita alafa ene blaatɔ̃ tso duawo ƒe gliwo gbɔ do ɖe afi sia afi.
The pastures around the towns you give to the Levites are to extend out from the wall a thousand cubits on all sides.
5 Ale miadzidze du la ƒe ɣedzeƒe gome wòakeke mita alafa asiekɛ, dziehe gome mita alafa asiekɛ, ɣetoɖoƒe gome mita alafa asiekɛ kple anyiehe gome mita alafa asiekɛ, eye du la nanɔ titina. Esia anye lãnyiƒe na wo anɔ duawo ŋu.
Measure two thousand cubits outside the town on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the town in the middle. These areas will be their pastures around the towns.
6 “Mitsɔ Sitsoƒedu adeawo na Levi ƒe viwo. Ne ame aɖe wu ame le nu maɖowɔ me, eye wòƒu du ge ɖe Sitsoƒedu ade siawo kple du blaene-vɔ-eve bubu me la, anɔ dedie.
Six of the towns you give the Levites are to be sanctuary towns, where a person who kills someone can run for protection. As well as these towns, give the Levites forty-two more.
7 Woatsɔ du blaene-vɔ-enyi siawo kple lãnyiƒe siwo ƒo xlã wo la ana Levi ƒe viwo.
The total number of towns you are to give the Levites is forty-eight, along with their pastures.
8 Du siawo anɔ anyigba la ƒe akpa vovovowo. To siwo lolo, eye du geɖewo le wo si la, woana duawo Levi ƒe viwo wòasɔ gbɔ, ke to suewo ana du ʋɛ aɖewo Levi ƒe viwo.”
The towns that you allocate to be given to the Levites from the territory of the Israelites will be more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one. The number will be in proportion to the size of the land allocation of each tribe.”
9 Yehowa gblɔ na Mose be,
The Lord told Moses,
10 “Ƒo nu na Israelviwo, eye nàgblɔ na wo be, ‘Ne mietso Yɔdan, eye mieɖo Kanaanyigba dzi la,
“Tell the Israelites: ‘When you cross over the Jordan into Canaan,
11 mitia Sitsoƒeduwo da ɖi, ale be ne ame aɖe do hlɔ̃ le nu maɖowɔ me la, wòasi ayi wo dometɔ ɖeka me.
choose towns as your sanctuary towns, so a person who kills someone by mistake may run there.
12 Du siawo anye xɔnameteƒewo tso ame kuku la ƒe ƒometɔ siwo adi be yewoabia hlɔ̃ la ƒe asi me. Womawu hlɔ̃dola la o va se ɖe esime woadrɔ̃ ʋɔnui, akpɔe be eɖi fɔ.
These towns will be for you places of sanctuary from those seeking revenge, so that the killer will not die until they are tried in court.
13 Du ade siawo si miena la anye miaƒe Sitsoƒeduwo.
The towns you choose will be your six sanctuary towns.
14 Mina du etɔ̃ nanɔ Yɔdan ƒe akpa sia, eye etɔ̃ nanɔ Kanaan abe Sitsoƒeduwo ene.
Choose three cities on the other side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge.
15 Du siawo manye sitsoƒewo na Israelviwo ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ na amedzrowo kple mɔzɔlawo hã.
These six cities will be places of sanctuary for the Israelites and for foreigners or settlers among them, so that anyone who kills a person by mistake may run there.
16 “‘Ke ne ame aɖe axlã gakpo aɖe ɖe nɔvia wòaku la, woatsɔe abe hlɔ̃dodo ene, eye woawu hlɔ̃dola la.
But if anyone deliberately hits someone with something made of iron and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
17 Ne woƒu kpe gã aɖe ame aɖe wòku la, hlɔ̃dodoe; woawu hlɔ̃dola la hã.
If anyone picks up something made of stone that could be used as a weapon and hits someone with it, and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
18 Nenema kee woawɔ ame si atsɔ nu si wowɔ kple ati la aƒo nɔvia wòaku.
If anyone picks up something made of wood that could be used as a weapon and hits someone with it, and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
19 Hlɔ̃biala la nawu hlɔ̃dola la ne edo goe.
The avenger is to execute the murderer. When he finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
20 Ale ne ame aɖe le fuléle ta, wòtsɔ nane ƒu nɔvia alo tso mɔ nɛ,
Similarly, if anyone hates someone and knocks them down or deliberately throws something at them, and they're killed;
21 alo tu kɔe kple dɔmedzoe wòku la, edo hlɔ̃. Hlɔ̃biala nawu hlɔ̃dola la.
or if someone hits another with his hand and they die, the one who hit him must be executed because he is a murderer. When the avenger finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
22 “‘Gake ne fuléle mele amea me o, ko kasia wòlɔ ame aɖe ƒu anyi alo da nane tamemaɖomaɖotɔe wòdze ame aɖe,
But if anyone knocks someone else down without meaning to and without hating them, or throws something at them not meaning to hurt them,
23 alo ne mekpɔe o, eye wòƒu kpe si ate ŋu awui, eye wòku la, ekema zi ale si menye futɔ na amea o, eye meɖo be yeawɔ nuvevie o hafi ta la,
or carelessly drops a heavy stone that kills them, but not as an enemy or intending to harm them,
24 woadrɔ̃ ʋɔnui, akpɔ be nyadzɔɖeamedzi koe loo alo ɖe yewoaɖe asi le hlɔ̃dola la ŋu na ame kuku la ƒe hlɔ̃biala mahã.
then the community must judge between the killer and the avenger following these regulations.
25 Ne wotso nya me be nyadzɔɖeamedzi koe la, ekema ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo axɔ na hlɔ̃dola la tso hlɔ̃biala la ƒe asi me. Woaɖe mɔ na hlɔ̃dola la wòanɔ Sitsoƒedu la me, eye wòanɔ afi ma va se ɖe esime nunɔlagã la naku.
The court is to protect the killer from being attacked by the avenger and must return him to the sanctuary town that he ran to, and he must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with holy oil.
26 “‘Ne hlɔ̃dola la do go le sitsoƒedu la me,
But if the killer ever leaves the limits of sanctuary town where they ran to,
27 eye hlɔ̃biala la kpɔe le du la godo hewui la, ekema hlɔ̃biala la medo hlɔ̃ o,
and the avenger finds him them outside his sanctuary town and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of murder,
28 elabena ɖe wòle be hlɔ̃dola la nanɔ sitsoƒedu la me va se ɖe esime nunɔlagã la naku hafi. Ke le nunɔlagã la ƒe ku megbe la, hlɔ̃dola la ate ŋu atrɔ ayi wo de.
because the killer has to stay in his sanctuary town until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest are they allowed to return to the land they own.
29 “‘Esiawoe nye se siwo dzi Israelviwo katã nawɔ tso dzidzime yi dzidzime.
These regulations apply to all future generations wherever you live.
30 “‘Ele be woawu hlɔ̃dolawo katã, gake ele be ɖasefowo nasɔ gbɔ wu ɖeka. Womawu hlɔ̃dola aɖeke si ŋu ɖasefo ɖeka pɛ ko ɖi ɖase le o.
If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be executed based on the evidence given by witnesses, plural. No one is to be executed based on the evidence given by a single witness.
31 “‘Ne wodrɔ̃ ʋɔnu ame aɖe, tso nya me be ewu ame la, ekema ele be woawui kokoko. Womaxe alo axɔ naneke ɖe eƒe agbe ta o.
You are not to accept payment instead of executing a murderer who has been found guilty—they must be executed.
32 “‘Nenema ke womaxɔ naneke le hlɔ̃dola si yi sitsoƒedu aɖe me la si, aɖe mɔ nɛ be wòatrɔ ayi wo de hafi nunɔlagã la naku o.
Also you are not allowed to accept payment for a person who runs to a sanctuary town and permit them to return and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.
33 “‘Ale womagblẽ kɔ ɖo na anyigba la o, elabena hlɔ̃dodo gblẽa kɔ ɖo na anyigba la. Gawu la, nu si woate ŋu atsɔ alé avu ɖe hlɔ̃dodo ta koe nye hlɔ̃dola la wuwu.
Don't pollute the land where you live because bloodshed pollutes the land, and the land where blood is shed can't be purified except by the blood of the one who shed it.
34 Migado ŋunyɔ anyigba si dzi nɔ ge miala la o, elabena nye, Yehowa, mele afi ma nɔ ge.’”
Don't make the land impure where you live because I live there too. I am the Lord, and I live with the Israelites.”
