Deuteronomy 19 – NIV & AKCB

New International Version

Deuteronomy 19:1-21

Cities of Refuge

1When the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses, 2then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. 3Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.

4This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. 5For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. 6Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. 7This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.

8If the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them, 9because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the Lord your God and to walk always in obedience to him—then you are to set aside three more cities. 10Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.

11But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities, 12the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die. 13Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.

14Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

Witnesses

15One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

16If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, 17the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. 18The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, 19then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you. 20The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. 21Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

5 Mose 19:1-21

Guankɔbea Nkuropɔn

1Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, sɛe aman a ɔde wɔn nsase rema mo no, na sɛ mopam wɔn na motena wɔn nkurow mu ne wɔn afi mu a, 2munyi nkuropɔn abiɛsa19.2 Eyi yɛ nkuropɔn abiɛsa a ɛbɛkaa baako a na ɛwɔ hɔ dedaw a na ɛwɔ Yordan apuei fam sɛ guankɔbea no. Na eyinom wɔ Yordan atɔe fam. a ɛwɔ asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, de rema mo no mfimfini. 3Munyiyi akwan nkɔ hɔ na monkyɛ asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn, de rema mo sɛ agyapade no mu abiɛsa sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, sɛ obi kum obi a, obeguan akɔ hɔ.

4Sɛ obi anhyɛ da na okum obi a onni ne ho menasepɔw anaa ɔntan no dedaw a, nea ne nsa apa no tumi guan kɔ saa nkuropɔn yi biara so de gye ne ho nkwa. 5Sɛ ebia, obi ne ne yɔnko bi kɔ wuram sɛ wɔrekobu nnua na sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔbaako him abonnua no sɛ ɔde rebu dua bi na sɛ abonnua no hɔn fi ne dua mu kum ne yɔnko no a, saa onipa no tumi guan kɔ nkuropɔn no baako so de gye ne ho nkwa. 6Sɛ anyɛ saa a ɔweretɔni no de abufuw bɛtaa no. Sɛ ɔkwan no ware dodo a ɔbɛto no akum no bi, a anka ɔmfata owu, esiane sɛ ɔnnam adwemmɔne biara so na okum no. 7Eyi nti na merehyɛ mo sɛ munyi nkuropɔn abiɛsa nsi nkyɛn no.

8Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, trɛw mo man mu sɛnea ɔkaa ho ntam kyerɛɛ mo agyanom no na ɔde asase no nyinaa ma mo sɛnea ɔhyɛɛ wɔn ho bɔ no a, 9esiane sɛ motɔ mo bo ase di mmara a mehyɛ mo nnɛ yi sɛ monnɔ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, na daa monnantew nʼakwan so no so nti na, ɛsɛ sɛ muyi nkuropɔn abiɛsa si nkyɛn no. 10Monyɛ eyi, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wɔrenhwie mogya a enni fɔ no ngu mo asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, de rema mo sɛ mo agyapade no so, na moanni mogyahwiegu ho fɔ.

11Sɛ obi fi nitan mu hyɛ da kɔtɛw obi pira no, kum no na oguan kɔ nkuropɔn yi mu baako so a, 12ɛsɛ sɛ mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ ne kurow no mu hɔ no soma ma wɔkɔfa no fi kuropɔn no mu brɛ ɔweretɔni no ma okum no. 13Munnya ahummɔbɔ biara. Munyi awudi ho afɔdi biara mfi Israel na ama asi mo yiye.

14Sɛ mudu asase a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, de rema mo sɛ agyapade no so a, munntutu mo yɔnkonom ntɔmmɛ a mo agyanom asisi no ngu.

Nnansefo

15Mummmu obi a ɔdanseni baako pɛ abedi atia no no fɔ. Sobobɔ bedi mu, bere a nnipa baanu anaa baasa abedi adanse atia obi.

16Sɛ atoro danseni bi ba bɛbɔ obi amumɔyɛ bi ho kwaadu a, 17ɛsɛ sɛ nnipa baanu a wodi asɛm no nyinaa ba asɔfo ne atemmufo a wɔreyɛ Awurade adwuma no anim. 18Ɛsɛ sɛ atemmufo no yɛ nhwehwɛmu a emu dɔ yiye, na sɛ ɛda adi sɛ ɔdanseni no retwa atoro, a ɔredi adansekurum agu ne yɔnko Israelni no so a, 19ɛno de, monyɛ ɔdansekurumni no sɛnea anka ɔpɛe sɛ wɔyɛ ne yɔnko no. Muntu abɔnefo ase mfi mo mu. 20Nnipa nkae no bɛte na wɔasuro, na wɔrenyɛ saa bɔne no wɔ mo mu bio. 21Munnhu obiara mmɔbɔ! Mo mmara a ɛsɛ sɛ mudi so no yɛ nkwa nsi nkwa anan mu, aniwa nsi aniwa anan mu, ɛse nsi se anan mu, nsa nsi nsa anan mu na nan nsi nan anan mu.