Matthew 22 (EWE)

1Yesu gado lo bubu na ameha la gblɔ be,Once again, Jesus spoke to them in parables:

2“Dziƒofiaɖuƒe la le abe fia aɖe si ɖo srɔ̃ɖekplɔ̃ gã aɖe na via ene.“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.

3Wokpe ame geɖewo ɖe kplɔ̃ sia ŋu, eye esi nu sia nu sɔ gbe vɔ la, fia la ɖo dɔlawo ɖe ame kpekpeawo be woava, elabena ɣeyiɣi la ɖo be wɔnawo nadze egɔme, gake ame kpekpeawo katã gbe womeva o.He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.

4Fia la gadɔ dɔla bubuwo ɖo ɖe ame kpekpeawo gbɔ kple gbedeasi sia be, ‘Mewu nye nyitsu kple lã damiwo, nuɖuɖu la bi, eya ta miva. Ame sia ame neɖe abla va.’Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5“Ke esi ame kpekpeawo se nya sia la, ɖeko woko nu, eye wo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe dzo yi nu si dze eŋu la wɔ ge; ɖeka yi eƒe agble me, eye bubu yi asigbe.But they paid no attention and went away, one to his field, another to his business.

6Ke ɖewo do dɔmedzoe ɖe dɔlawo ŋu, ƒo wo vevie, eye woɖi gbɔ̃ ɖewo gɔ̃ hã.The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

7“Fia la do dɔmedzoe, ale wòdɔ eƒe asrafowo woyi ɖawu hlɔ̃dola siawo, eye wotɔ dzo woƒe du la wòbi keŋ.The king was enraged, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.

8Esia megbe la fia la gblɔ na eƒe dɔlawo be, ‘Nu sia nu sɔ gbe na ŋkeke la ɖuɖu, gake ame siwo mekpe la medze na bubu si mede wo ŋu o,Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy.

9eya ta miyi mɔtatawo dzi kple ablɔwo ƒe dzogoewo me, eye ame sia ame si miakpɔ ko la, mikpee va kplɔ̃ la ŋuti.’Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’

10“Dɔlawo wɔ ɖe nya sia dzi, eye eteƒe medidi o, wokplɔ amewo vɛ fũu, ame nyuiwo kple ame baɖawo siaa, eye ale srɔ̃ɖekplɔ̃ la ŋu yɔ fũu kple amewo.So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11Esi fia la ŋutɔ va do be yeado gbe na ame kpekpeawo la, ekpɔ ame ɖeka le wo dome si medo srɔ̃ɖewu si wotsɔ nɛ be wòado la o.But when the king came in to see the guests, he spotted a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes.

12“Fia la biae be, ‘Xɔ̃nye, aleke wɔ mèdo srɔ̃ɖewu hafi va afi sia o?’ Ke ŋutsu la ƒe nu tsi te, elabena menya nya si tututu wòagblɔ o.‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was speechless.

13“Fia la ɖe gbe na eŋutimewo be, ‘Mibla eƒe asiwo kple afɔwo, eye miatsɔe aƒu gbe ɖe blukɔ tsiɖitsiɖi me le xexe, afi si avifafa kple aɖukliɖuɖu anɔ,’Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14“Elabena woyɔ ame geɖewo, ke ame ʋɛ aɖewo koe nye ame siwo wotia.”For many are called, but few are chosen.”

15Esia megbe la, Farisitɔwo kpe ta, eye wode ŋugble le ale si woawɔ atsɔ biabia aɖe atre mɔ na Yesu, alée la ŋu.Then the Pharisees went out and conspired to trap Jesus in His words.

16Wodɔ woƒe nusrɔ̃la aɖewo kpe ɖe Herod dunyahelawo ŋu, eye wobiae be, “Nufiala, míenyae be ame si de blibo lae nènye, eye nèfiaa Mawu ƒe mɔ le nyateƒe la nu. Amewo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔ meblea nuwò o, elabena mètsɔa ɖeke le nu si wonye la me o.They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.

17Azɔ gblɔe na mí, nu kae nye wò susu? Ele eteƒe be woadzɔ duga na Kaisaro loo alo mele eteƒe o?”So tell us what You think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

18Ke Yesu nya nu vɔ̃ɖi si woɖo ɖe ta me, eya ta ebia wo be, “Mi alakpanuwɔlawo! Ame ka miedi be yewoatre mɔ na kple miaƒe ayebiabia sia?But Jesus knew their evil intent and said, “You hypocrites, why are you testing Me?

19Mitsɔ kɔba aɖe si wotsɔna xea dugae la vɛ nam makpɔ.” Eye wotsɔ Roma ga ɖeka va fiae.Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.

20Azɔ ebia wo be, “Ame ka ƒe nɔnɔmetatae le ga sia dzi, eye ame ka ƒe ŋkɔe le ete?”“Whose image is this,” He asked, “and whose inscription?”

21Woɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Kaisaro tɔe.” Yesu gblɔ na wo be, “Enyo, mitsɔ nu sia nu si nye Kaisaro tɔ la na Kaisaro, eye miatsɔ nu sia nu si nye Mawu hã tɔ la na Mawu.”“Caesar’s,” they answered. So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

22Esi wose eƒe ŋuɖoɖoa la, wotsi yaa, elabena ewɔ nuku na wo ŋutɔ be wòɖo nya la ŋu nyuie alea, eya ta wogblẽe ɖi hedzo.And when they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.

23Gake le gbe ma gbe ke la, Zadukitɔ aɖewo, ame siwo mexɔe se be ame kukuwo atsi tsitre le nuwuwua o la va egbɔ va biae be,That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him.

24“Aƒetɔ, Mose de se na mí be ne ŋutsu aɖe ɖe srɔ̃, eye medzi vi hafi ku o la, nɔvia ŋutsu naɖe ahosi la, eye wòadzi vi kplii, ale be ɖeviawo nanyi ameyinugbe la ƒe dome.“Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.

25Azɔ nɔviŋutsu adre aɖewo nɔ mia dome, woƒe tsitsitɔ ɖe srɔ̃, gake medzi vi kple nyɔnu la hafi ku o, ale eyometɔ xɔ ahosi la ɖe.Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother.

26Gake eya hã medzi vi aɖeke kple nyɔnu sia hafi ku o, eye wo nɔvi etɔ̃lia xɔ ahosi la ɖe, gake kpao, eya hã ku vimadzimadzii. Ale nɔviŋutsu adreawo katã ɖe nyɔnu sia kpɔ, gake ɖeke medzi vi kplii o.The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh.

27Mlɔeba la, nyɔnu la ŋutɔ hã va ku.And last of all, the woman died.

28Biabia lae nye be, ame ka tɔ nyɔnu sia azu le tsitretsitsiŋkeke la dzi? Elabena eɖe nɔvi adreawo katã kpɔ!”In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her.”

29Yesu ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Miewɔ vodada gã aɖe ŋutɔ, elabena mienya mawunya kple Mawu ƒe ŋusẽ o.Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

30Le tsitretsitsiŋkeke la dzi la, srɔ̃ɖeɖe maganɔ anyi o; amewo katã anɔ abe mawudɔla siwo le dziƒo ene.In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.

31Ke le ame kukuwo ƒe tsitretsitsi ŋuti la, mabia mi be miexlẽ mawunya kpɔ oa? Mienyae be miawoe Mawu nɔ nu ƒom na esi wògblɔ be,But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you:

32‘Nyee nye Abraham, Isak kple Yakob ƒe Mawu’ oa? Eya ta minyae be Mawu la menye ame kukuwo ƒe Mawu wònye o, ke boŋ ame gbagbewo ƒe Mawu wònye.”‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

33Yesu ƒe ŋuɖoɖo la wɔ nuku na ameha la ŋutɔ.When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

34Ke esi Farisitɔwo se be Yesu de ga nu na Zadukitɔwo la, woƒo wo ɖokuiwo nu ƒu,And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together.

35eye wo dometɔ ɖeka, ame si nye sefiala gã aɖe la tee kpɔ hebiae be,One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question:

36“Nufiala, se kae nye gãtɔ wu le Mose ƒe seawo dome?”“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

37Yesu ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Lɔ̃ Aƒetɔ wò Mawu la kple wò dzi blibo, wò luʋɔ blibo kple wò susu katã.Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

38Esiae nye se gbãtɔ kple gãtɔ wu.This is the first and greatest commandment.

39Esi gakplɔe ɖo lae nye be, nàlɔ̃ hawòvi abe ale si nèlɔ̃ wò ŋutɔ ɖokuiwò ene.And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

40Wotu se bubuawo katã kple Nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe nyawo ɖe se eve siawo dzi.”All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

41Esia megbe la, Farisitɔwo va ƒo xlãe, eye wòbia wo be,While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus questioned them:

42“Aleke miekpɔ tso Kristo la ŋutɔ ŋu? Ame ka ƒe vie wònye?” Woɖo eŋu nɛ be, “David ƒe vie!”“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered.

43Yesu gabia wo be, “Ne enye David ƒe vi ɖe, nu ka ta esi Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la va David dzi wònɔ nu ƒom la, wòyɔ Kristo la be ‘Aƒetɔ’ ɖo? Miakpɔe le mawunya me be David gblɔ be,Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says:

44“ ‘Mawu gblɔ na nye Aƒetɔ be: “Nɔ anyi ɖe nye nuɖusime va se ɖe esime matsɔ wò ketɔwo ade wò afɔ te.” ’‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’

45Esime David yɔ Kristo la be, ‘Aƒetɔ’ ɖe, aleke wɔ wòganye via?”So if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be David’s son?”

46Nyateƒe, biabia la lolo wu wo, ale womete ŋu ɖo eŋuti o. Esia megbe la, ame aɖeke medo dzi gabia nya aɖekee o.No one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further.

Matthew 22

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Matthew 22

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