“Te afi 1918 lɛ naa baayakpa ahã tɛŋŋ?” Sanebimɔ nɛɛ ji klɛŋklɛŋ wiemɔi ni jeɔ kpo yɛ January 1, 1918 Buu-Mɔɔ lɛ mli. Nakai beiaŋ lɛ, Jeŋ Ta I lɛ bako naagbee lolo, shi bɔ ni afi lɛ je shishi ehã lɛ hewɔ lɛ, efee tamɔ nɔ ni nibii baaya lɛ jogbaŋŋ kɛhã Biblia Kaselɔi lɛ kɛ jeŋ muu lɛ fɛɛ.

Yɛ January 8, 1918 lɛ, Amerika maŋ hiɛnyiɛlɔ Woodrow Wilson hã wiemɔ ko yɛ United States Mlawoo Akuashɔŋ lɛ kpeehe lɛ. Yɛ ewiemɔ lɛ mli lɛ, etsɔɔ nibii 14 ni esusuɔ akɛ nomɛi baahã “aye jalɛsane ni aná toiŋjɔlɛ” yɛ je lɛ mli. Nibii 14 ni ewie he lɛ ekomɛi ji akɛ, kɛ́ naagbai ba maji ateŋ lɛ, esa akɛ ata shi ni awie he, esa akɛ maji fɛɛ agbɔ amɛtawuu nibii anɔ, ni agbɛnɛ hu, aná “majimaji akuu ko” ni “maji wuji kɛ maji bibii fɛɛ” baaná he sɛɛ. Sɛɛ mli lɛ, adamɔ nibii 14 ni ewie he lɛ anɔ afee Jeŋmaji Akpaŋmɔ lɛ kɛ Versailles Kpaŋmɔ lɛ, ni nɛkɛ fee ni Jeŋ Ta I lɛ ba naagbee.

Biblia Kaselɔi lɛ kɛ naagbai pii kpe yɛ afi ni tsɔ hiɛ lɛ, ni ji afi 1917 lɛ mli. * Shi nibii komɛi ni tee nɔ yɛ afi 1918 shishijee gbɛ lɛ hã amɛná hiɛnɔkamɔ akɛ nibii amli baajɔ. Akɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, susumɔ bɔ ni nibii tee lɛ ehã yɛ afi kpee ni Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society lɛ fee yɛ nakai afi lɛ mli lɛ he okwɛ.

Afee kpee nɛɛ January 5, 1918. Nyɛmi nuu anɔkwafo ko ni atsɛɔ lɛ Richard H. Barber, ni no mli lɛ eesɔmɔ akɛ nɔkwɛlɔ gbɛfalɔ lɛ, sɔle kɛje kpee lɛ shishi. No sɛɛ lɛ, akane bɔ ni nitsumɔ lɛ tee lɛ ehã yɛ afi ni tsɔ hiɛ lɛ mli lɛ he amaniɛbɔɔ. Kɛkɛ ni be bashɛ ni abaafɔ̃ oshiki kɛhala mɛi ni baasɔmɔ akɛ Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society lɛ ajinafoi. Nyɛminuu Barber tsɛ Joseph Rutherford kɛ nyɛmimɛi hii ekpaa krokomɛi agbɛ́ii akɛ mɛi ni ebaasumɔ ni afɔ̃ oshiki lɛ ahã. Be ni egbe naa lɛ, lɔyafonyo ko hu tsɛ nyɛmimɛi hii kpawo komɛi agbɛ́ii akɛ amɛ ebaasumɔ ni afɔ̃ oshiki lɛ ahã, ejaakɛ efiɔ amɛsɛɛ. Mɛi kpawo ni ekɛba nɛɛ ateŋ mɛi komɛi fata mɛi ni te shi amɛwo Nyɛminuu Rutherford ni ashwie amɛ kɛje Betel lɛ ahe. Miishɛɛ sane ji akɛ, mɛi fioo ko pɛ fɔ̃ oshiki amɛhã shiteekɛwolɔi nɛɛ. Nyɛminuu Rutherford kɛ nyɛmimɛi hii anɔkwafoi ekpaa ni fata ehe lɛ ye kunim.

Nyɛmimɛi ni tee kpee nɛɛ eko lɛ ateŋ mɛi pii kɛɛ miishɛɛ ni amɛná yɛ kpee nɛɛ shishi lɛ nɔ bɛ, ejaakɛ amɛna faŋŋ akɛ Yehowa miijɔɔ ewebii lɛ. Shi amɛmiishɛɛ lɛ sɛɛ etsɛɛɛ.

Yɛ afi 1917 lɛ, Biblia Kaselɔi lɛ bɔi wolo ni ji The Finished Mystery lɛ jaramɔ, ni mɛi ni yɔɔ tsui krɔŋŋ lɛ nya Biblia mli anɔkwalei ni yɔɔ wolo nɛɛ mli lɛ ahe waa.

Nyɛminuu E. F. Crist, ni no mli lɛ eesɔmɔ akɛ nɔkwɛlɔ gbɛfalɔ yɛ Canada lɛ, wie nuu ko kɛ eŋa ni mɔ anɔkwale lɛ mli yɛ otsii enumɔ pɛ mli be ni amɛkane The Finished Mystery lɛ he. Ewie akɛ: “Nuu lɛ kɛ eŋa lɛ fɛɛ ejɔɔ amɛhe nɔ kwraa amɛhã Nyɔŋmɔ, ni amɛmiiya amɛhiɛ waa.”

Nuu ko ni nine shɛ wolo nɛɛ eko nɔ lɛ wie akɛ nɔ ni ekane yɛ mli lɛ ta etsuiŋ waa, ni ewie he etsɔɔ enanemɛi amrɔ nɔŋŋ. Naa bɔ ni fee ni enine shɛ wolo lɛ nɔ. Enyiɛ gbɛ eeya he ko kɛkɛ ni nɔ ko batswa ekɔɔŋ nɔ waa. Esusu akɛ brik ni ebatswa lɛ lɛ, shi be ni ekwɛ lɛ, ena akɛ The Finished Mystery wolo lɛ eko ni. Ebɔ amaniɛ akɛ: “Mikɛba shĩa ni mikane fɛɛ. . . . Sɛɛ mli lɛ,  miná mile akɛ . . . osɔfo ko ni shɛ wolo lɛ efɔ̃ kɛjɛ esamfɛlɛ mli yɛ emli ni efu sɔŋŋ lɛ hewɔ . . . Miheɔ miyeɔ waa akɛ, wolo nɛɛ ni osɔfo nɛɛ shɛ efɔ̃ lɛ etsu nɔ ko ni lɛ, osɔfo lɛ, enyɛko etsɔ shiɛmɔ kɛ nibii krokomɛi ni efeɔ yɛ esɔlemɔ lɛ mli lɛ nɔ efee. No ji, eye ebua mɛi pii ni amɛle anɔkwale lɛ. . . . Osɔfo nɛɛ mli ni fu lɛ hewɔ lɛ, ŋmɛnɛ lɛ wɔmiijie Nyɔŋmɔ yi.”

Shi nɔ ni nakai osɔfo lɛ fee lɛ bɛ naakpɛɛ. Yɛ February 12, 1918 lɛ, Canada maŋ lɛ mli onukpai kɛ amɛnine fɔ̃ wolo lɛ nɔ, ejaakɛ amɛkɛɛ eewo mɛi ayiŋ ni amɛte shi amɛwo nɔyeli lɛ, ni eeje mɛi anijiaŋ wui ni amɛkɛ amɛhe akawo tawuu mli. No sɛɛ etsɛɛɛ lɛ, maŋ onukpai ni yɔɔ United States lɛ hu fee nɔ ko ni tamɔ nakai. Amralo lɛ tsu mɛi kɛtee Betel kɛ asafo lɛ nitsumɔhei ni yɔɔ New York, Pennsylvania, kɛ California lɛ, koni amɛyakwɛ akɛ amɛbaana nɔ ko ni abaanyɛ adamɔ nɔ akɛ sane afɔ̃ mɛi ni nyiɛ hiɛ yɛ asafo lɛ mli lɛ anɔ lo. Yɛ March 14, 1918 lɛ, United States Department of Justice lɛ kɛ enine fɔ̃ The Finished Mystery lɛ nɔ, ejaakɛ ekɛɛ wolo lɛ kalamɔ kɛ ejaramɔ lɛ hãaa mɛi afi ta lɛ sɛɛ, ni tsɔɔ akɛ, eteɔ shi ewoɔ maŋ lɛ mla ko ni atsɛɔ lɛ Espionage Act lɛ.

Yɛ May 7, 1918 lɛ, ahã Department of Justice lɛ hegbɛ akɛ amɛbaanyɛ amɛyamɔmɔ Giovanni DeCecca, George Fisher, Alexander Macmillan, Robert Martin, Frederick Robison, Joseph Rutherford, William Van Amburgh, kɛ Clayton Woodworth. Afolɔ amɛnaa akɛ “amɛmiiku maŋ lɛ mla mli, amɛji awuiyelɔi kpanakui, ni amɛje gbɛ amɛmiiwo mɛi ayiŋ ni amɛtse atua, amɛkpa yɛ maŋ lɛ sɛɛ, ni amɛkɛ amɛhe akawo United States asraafoi anitsumɔ lɛ mli.” Yɛ June 5, 1918 lɛ, abɔi amɛsane lɛ yeli, shi kɛjɛ be ni abɔi sane lɛ yeli beebe lɛ, mɔ fɛɛ mɔ na akɛ abaabu amɛ fɔ. Mɛni hewɔ?

United States maŋ lɛ lɔyafonyo onukpa lɛ wie yɛ Espionage Act lɛ, ni ji mla ni akɛɛ nyɛmimɛi lɛ eku mli lɛ he akɛ, eji “dɛŋdade ni nɔ bɛ ni akɛwuɔ ashiɔ mɛi ni gbɛɔ amalei amɛshwãa.” Yɛ May 16, 1918 lɛ, Mlawoo Akuashɔŋ lɛ ekpɛlɛɛɛ tsakemɔ ko ni mɛi bi ni afee yɛ mla nɛɛ he lɛ nɔ. Kulɛ tsakemɔ nɛɛ baaye abua ni akabu mɛi ni kalaa “saji ni yɛ mli ni amɛbaanyɛ amɛtsɔɔ faŋŋ akɛ amɛkala yɛ yiŋtoi kpakpai” ahewɔ lɛ fɔ. Be ni amɛsusuɔ tsakemɔ nɛɛ he lɛ, atsĩ The Finished Mystery lɛ tã shii abɔ. Mlawoo Akuashɔŋ lɛ wie yɛ wolo nɛɛ he akɛ: “Saji ni bɛ mli ni agbɛɔ ashwãa lɛ ateŋ ekome ni miiye awui waa ji saji ni yɔɔ wolo ni atsɛɔ lɛ ‘The Finished Mystery’ lɛ mli lɛ . . . Nɔ pɛ ni wolo nɛɛ tsuɔ ji, ni ewo asraafoi lɛ ayiŋ akɛ ehe ehiaaa ni wɔmaŋ lɛ kɛ ehe woɔ ta lɛ mli, ni agbɛnɛ hu, ewo mɛi . . . hewalɛ ni amɛte shi amɛwo gbɛjianɔ ni maŋ lɛ eto akɛ atsɛ mɛi awo asraafoi anitsumɔ lɛ mli lɛ.”

Yɛ June 20, 1918 lɛ, saneyelihe lɛ bua akɛ nyɛmimɛi kpaanyɔ lɛ yeɔ nibii fɛɛ ni afolɔ amɛnaa yɛ he lɛ ahe fɔ. Enɔ jetsɛremɔ be ni kojolɔ lɛ tsɔɔ toigbalamɔ ni akɛbaahã amɛ lɛ, ewie akɛ: “Amalei ni hii nɛɛ kɛ ekãa efã he ni amɛgbɛ amɛshwã lɛ . . . baanyɛ aye awui fe German asraafoi po. . . . Enɛ hewɔ lɛ, esa akɛ agbala amɛtoi waa.” Otsii enyɔ sɛɛ lɛ, awo nyɛmimɛi lɛ tsuŋ yɛ maŋ lɛ tsuŋwoohe ni yɔɔ Atlanta, yɛ Georgia lɛ. Ahã amɛteŋ mɔ kome afii 10, ni ahã mɛi ni eshwɛ lɛ afii 20.

Ate shi awo nyɛmimɛi lɛ waa yɛ nɛkɛ be nɛɛ mli. Maŋ lɛ nitsumɔhe ni taoɔ saji amli lɛ, ni ji FBI lɛ, kwɛ nyɛmimɛi lɛ ayaa kɛ baa fɛɛ fitsofitso, ni amɛŋmala enɛ he saji babaoo amɛshwie shi. Saji nɛɛ ni amɛŋmala amɛshwie shi lɛ hãa wɔnaa akɛ, nyɛmimɛi lɛ tswa amɛfai shi akɛ amɛbaaya nɔ amɛshiɛ.

Yɛ wolo ko ni onukpa ni kwɛɔ post ɔfis ni yɔɔ Orlando, yɛ Florida lɛ nɔ lɛ ŋma eyahã FBI lɛ mli lɛ, ewie akɛ: “[Biblia Kaselɔi lɛ] miiya shĩai amli amɛmiihɔ̃ɔ woji, ni gbɛkɛ titri amɛfeɔ nakai. . . . Etamɔ nɔ ni amɛmiifee bɔ fɛɛ bɔ ni amɛbaanyɛ koni amɛnitsumɔ lɛ aya nɔ.”

Asraafonyo ko ni yɔɔ War Department lɛ, ni ji nitsumɔhe ni kwɛɔ tawuu nɔ lɛ, ŋma Frederick W. Franz, mɔ ni sɛɛ mli lɛ esɔmɔ akɛ Gbɛtsɔɔmɔ Kuu lɛ mli nyo lɛ he sane eyahã FBI lɛ. Ewie yɛ ehe akɛ: “F. W. Franz . . . ehɔ̃ɔ ‘Finished Mystery’ wolo lɛ akpei abɔ.”

Awa Charles Fekel, mɔ ni sɛɛ mli lɛ esɔmɔ akɛ Gbɛtsɔɔmɔ Kuu lɛ mli nyo lɛ yi waa. Amralofoi lɛ mɔ lɛ yɛ The Finished Mystery wolo lɛ ni ejaraa lɛ hewɔ, ni akwɛ woji fɛɛ ni eŋmalaa kɛ woji fɛɛ ni aŋmaa lɛ lɛ amli. Awo lɛ tsuŋ nyɔɔŋ kome yɛ Baltimore, yɛ Maryland, ejaakɛ akɛɛ maŋ lɛ henyɛlɔ ji lɛ. Be ni abibiɔ lɛ saji yɛ tsuŋwoohe lɛ, efee ekãa ni eye mɛi ni biɔ lɛ saji lɛ odase. Ekai nɔ ni Paulo wie yɛ 1 Korintobii 9:16 lɛ, akɛ: “Kpoo hã mi kɛ́ mijajeee sane kpakpa lɛ!” *

Jeee shiɛmɔ pɛ nyɛmimɛi lɛ shiɛ. Amɛkɛ ekãa jara woji ni amɛkɛbaayakpa fai koni aŋmɛɛ nyɛmimɛi ni awo amɛ tsuŋ yɛ Atlanta lɛ ahe lɛ amɛhã mɛi koni mɛi lɛ kɛ amɛwaonaa gbɛ́i awo shishi kɛtsɔɔ akɛ amɛfiɔ sɛɛ. Anna K. Gardner ni tsu nitsumɔ nɛɛ eko lɛ wie akɛ: “Wɔtaaa shi efolo. Be ni awo nyɛmimɛi lɛ tsuŋ lɛ, nɔ ni wɔtsu ji akɛ wɔtao mɛi ni kɛ amɛwaonaa gbɛ́i baawo wɔfaikpamɔ woji lɛ ashishi. Wɔtee shinaa fɛɛ shinaa naa, ni mɛi akpei abɔ kɛ amɛwaonaa gbɛ́i wo woji lɛ ashishi. Wɔkɛɛ mɛi ni wɔkɛgba sane lɛ akɛ hii nɛɛ ji anɔkwa Kristofoi, ni amɛfeko nɔ ko ni esa akɛ awo amɛ tsuŋ.”

Ato kpeei pii ahe gbɛjianɔ yɛ be ni jaraa nɛɛ mli koni akɛwaje nyɛmimɛi lɛ ni amɛhe awa yɛ hemɔkɛyeli lɛ mli. Buu-Mɔɔ lɛ wie akɛ: “Afi nɛɛ, afee kpeei 40 kɛ sɛɛ . . . Wɔnu amaniɛbɔi kpakpai kɛjɛ kpeei nɛɛ fɛɛ ashishi. Be ko ni eho lɛ, akɛ kpeei lɛ fɛɛ woɔ afi lɛ teŋgbɛ kɛmiimɔ afi lɛ naagbee gbɛ; shi amrɔ nɛɛ daa nyɔɔŋ nɔ lɛ aafee kpeei.”

Mɛi ni yɔɔ tsui krɔŋŋ lɛ mɔ anɔkwale lɛ mli. Akɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, mɛi aaafee 1,200 tee kpee ko ni afee yɛ Cleveland, yɛ Ohio lɛ, ni abaptisi mɛi 42. Oblanyo fioo ko fata mɛi ni abaptisi amɛ lɛ ahe, ni awie yɛ ehe akɛ “ele Nyɔŋmɔ jogbaŋŋ ni enuɔ nɔ ni henɔjɔɔmɔ ji lɛ shishi fe onukpai pii.”

Be ni eshwɛ fioo ni afi 1918 lɛ baaba naagbee lɛ, Biblia Kaselɔi lɛ leee bɔ ni nibii anaa baayakpa ahã. Amɛhɔ̃ɔ tsũi ni amɛyɔɔ yɛ Brooklyn lɛ ekomɛi, ni amɛjie nitsumɔhe yitso lɛ kɛtee Pittsburgh, yɛ Pennsylvania. Ato gbɛjianɔ akɛ abaafee afi 1919 afi kpee lɛ January 4, 1919. Nɛkɛ be nɛɛ mli fɛɛ lɛ, awo nyɛmimɛi ni nyiɛɔ hiɛ lɛ tsuŋ lolo. Mɛni nyɛmimɛi lɛ ni eshwɛ lɛ baafee?

Amɛtee nɔ amɛtsu nitsumɔ ni atu awo amɛdɛŋ lɛ, ni amɛná hemɔkɛyeli ni mli wa akɛ Nyɔŋmɔ baajɔɔ amɛmɔdɛŋbɔi lɛ anɔ. Enɛ hewɔ lɛ, amɛhala Yesaia 54:17 lɛ akɛ afi ŋmalɛ kɛhã afi 1919. Nakai ŋmalɛ lɛ kɛɔ akɛ: “Tawuu nii ko bɛ ni asɔ̃ ashi bo ni baanyɛ nɔ ko afee.” Ehi waa akɛ amɛfee nakai, ejaakɛ nibii tsake trukaa. Tsakemɔi ni ba lɛ hã amɛhemɔkɛyeli lɛ mli wa fe tsutsu lɛ po, ni ewaje amɛ kɛhã nitsumɔ kpele ni kã amɛhiɛ lɛ.