A Woman Is Murdered
1 Before kings ruled Israel, a Levite was living deep in the hill country of the Ephraim tribe. He married a woman from Bethlehem in Judah, 2 but she was unfaithful and went back to live with her family in Bethlehem.
Four months later 3 her husband decided to try and talk her into coming back. So he went to Bethlehem, taking along a servant and two donkeys. He talked with his wife, and she invited him into her family's home. Her father was glad to see him 4 and did not want him to leave. So the man stayed three days, eating and drinking with his father-in-law.
5 When everyone got up on the fourth day, the Levite started getting ready to go home. But his father-in-law said, “Don't leave until you have a bite to eat. You'll need strength for your journey.”
6 The two men sat down together and ate a big meal. “Come on,” the man's father-in-law said. “Stay tonight and have a good time.”
7 The Levite tried to leave, but his father-in-law insisted, and he spent one more night there. 8 The fifth day, the man got up early to leave, but his wife's father said, “You need to keep up your strength! Why don't you leave right after lunch?” So the two of them started eating.
9 Finally, the Levite got up from the meal, so he and his wife and servant could leave. “Look,” his father-in-law said, “it's already late afternoon, and if you leave now, you won't get very far before dark. Stay with us one more night and enjoy yourself. Then you can get up early tomorrow morning and start home.”
10 But the Levite decided not to spend the night there again. He had the saddles put on his two donkeys, then he and his wife and servant traveled as far as Jebus, which is now called Jerusalem. 11 It was beginning to get dark, and the man's servant said, “Let's stop and spend the night in this town where the Jebusites live.”
12 “No,” the Levite answered. “They aren't Israelites, and I refuse to spend the night there. We'll stop for the night at Gibeah, 13 or maybe we can even reach Ramah before dark.”
14 They walked on and reached Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin just after sunset. 15 They left the road and went into Gibeah. But the Levite couldn't find a house where anyone would let them spend the night, and they sat down in the open area just inside the town gates.
16 Soon an old man came in through the gates on his way home from working in the fields. Most of the people who lived in Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, but this man was originally from the hill country of Ephraim. 17 He noticed that the Levite was just in town to spend the night. “Where are you going?” the old man asked. “Where did you come from?”
18 “We've come from Bethlehem in Judah,” the Levite answered. “We went there on a visit. Now we're going to the place where the Lord is worshiped, and later we will return to our home in the hill country of Ephraim. But no one here will let us spend the night in their home. 19 We brought food for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves, so we don't need anything except a place to sleep.”
20 The old man said, “You are welcome to spend the night in my home and to be my guest, but don't stay out here!”
21 The old man brought them into his house and fed their donkeys. Then he and his guests washed their feet and began eating and drinking. 22 They were having a good time, when some worthless men of that town surrounded the house and started banging on the door and shouting, “A man came to your house tonight. Send him out, so we can have sex with him!”
23 The old man went outside and said, “My friends, please don't commit such a horrible crime against a man who is a guest in my house. 24 Let me send out my daughter instead. She's a virgin. And I'll even send out the man's wife. You can rape them or do whatever else you want, but please don't do such a horrible thing to this man.”
25 The men refused to listen, so the Levite grabbed his wife and shoved her outside. The men raped her and abused her all night long. Finally, they let her go just before sunrise, 26 and it was almost daybreak when she went back to the house where her husband was staying. She collapsed at the door and lay there until sunrise.
27 About that time, her husband woke up and got ready to leave. He opened the door and went outside, where he found his wife lying at the door with her hands on the doorstep. 28 “Get up!” he said. “It's time to leave.”
But his wife didn't move.
He lifted her body onto his donkey and left. 29 When he got home, he took a butcher knife and cut her body into twelve pieces. Then he told some messengers, “Take one piece to each tribe of Israel 30 and ask everyone if anything like this has ever happened since Israel left Egypt. Tell them to think about it, talk it over, and tell us what should be done.”
Everyone who saw a piece of the body said, “This is horrible! Nothing like this has ever happened since the day Israel left Egypt.”
Lewe'ba ndi Toko Ogyeako Ndaro be
1 Tu kai si, Yisaraele bedri teinye 'bädri'ba ako, Lewe'ba aza orivoya se ka ori le telesi 'bädri lutu ro Eperaima roya. Nda ru ŋguti aza teni Beteleme se Yuda ya ana yasi a'done toko ogyeako ro ndäri. 2 Oko ŋguti ana a'dote ta'diriako nda be, ago anya gote 'ba täpi anyaro roya Beteleme ya, ago rite lau imba na su. 3 'Dooko mano ana usutate osone anya vo ukyine anya leyene egone ndare. Nda ru ruindu'ba ndaro te ndi doŋgyi ritu be. Ondro nda kosate oko ŋguti ana loci Lewe'ba se ana te zo ya, ago ondro täpi ŋguti ro kondre nda te oko, ru nda te yai'dwesi. 4 Ago täpi ŋguti ana ro atate ndäri orine nda be, ta'doro nda rite lau u'duna nätu. Ago 'dise ritu kai nyayi ŋga te ago mvuyi ŋga te lau. 5 Ondro u'du lisu si oko ànya piyimite kyenoŋboci ago edeyi iyi te nja oyine. Oko täpi ŋguti ro atate Lewe'ba se ana ri ekye: “Minya ŋgaŋwa aza lutu, mi'de gwo oyine.”
6 Ta'dota 'dise ritu kai riyite vuru nyayi ŋga te ago mvuyi ŋga te voaloya. 'Dooko täpi ŋguti ro atate ndäri ekye: “Molo'baru miri u'dune ŋgäkyi ono si noŋwa ago nya'do riyä si.”
7 Lewe'ba ana ŋgate oyine, oko ambago ndaro tadri ndaro te orine, ta'doro nda go u'du kpate ŋgäkyi ana si lau. 8 Ago u'du linji si oko nda ŋgate kyenoŋboci oyine, oko täpi ŋguti ro atate ekye: “Minya ŋgaŋwa aza lutu, miri fere miŋga le tandrolero.” Ta'dota 'di ritu kai nyayi ŋga te voaloya.
9 Ondro mano ana, toko ogyeako ndaro, ndi ruindu'ba ndaro be koŋgayite oyine oko, ambago ndaro, atate ndäri ekye: “Mindre yau te tandrole ro kitu kate oci; molo'baru miri nyù'du noŋwa ŋgäkyi ono si raa. Vo ka oyete unine, miri dri noŋwa nyà'do riyä ro. Ondo oko mìŋgana 'da ŋboci nyòyina 'da 'bäru.”
10 Oko mano ana lekote ogo u'dune lau ŋgäkyi ana si, ta'doro nda ndi toko ogyeako ndaro yibe ŋga oyiyite, ndi doŋgyi ritu umuro ndaro yibe. Ago ànya oyiyite Jebusa dri ro (anjioko Yerusalema ya). 11 Ondro ànya kosate ti Jebusa lomvo le tandrolero oko, ruindu'ba atate 'desi ndaro ri ekye: “Nyikyi mi'de mäku 'bakici Jebusa'bai ro ya ago mù'du ŋgäkyi ono si kigye.”
12 Oko 'desi ndaro atate ndäri ekye: “Ämäri ukune loline 'bakici atrai ro ya se ko Yisaraele'bai ro ono ya i'do. Ämäri lävune fere mileya ukyine u'dune le Gibea ya.” 13 Ago nda atate ruindu'ba ndaro ri ekye: “Nyikyi, mi'de mòjo osane Gibea kode Rama ya, ago mu'du robe vo kwoi alona aza ya.” 14 Ta'dota ànya uguyi oyi te. Ànya kayi ukyi osane Gibea se wari Benjamina roya ana ya oko kitu kate oci. 15 Ago ànya kuyite u'dune ŋgäkyi ana si Gibea ya. Ànya ciyite 'bakici ya ago riyite vuru vo däyiro 'bakici ro ya; caoko 'diaza ru ànya kote zo ndaro ya ŋgäkyi ana si.
16 Ondro ànya drigba dri lau oko, agoambago aza ikyite kaego 'bäru tandrole si ni losi oyevoya ämvu ndaro ya. Nda orivoya ni 'bädri lutu ro Eperaima roya si, oko yauono nda go ka ori Gibea ya. (Lidri se azaka kayibe ori lau kai ni 'bakala Benjamina ro yasi.) 17 Agoambago ana ndre aba'ba ana te orivoya vo däyiro 'bakici roya ago eji nda te ekye: “Nyikyi ni eŋwaroya? Ago nya oyi gaŋwaroya?”
18 Lewe'ba ana zatadrite ekye: “Mà'do ndi Beteleme se Yuda ya ana ya; mà ogo ono 'bäru ämärigä 'bädri lutu ro Eperaima roya. Oko 'diaza ru ama kote 'ba ndaro ya u'dune ŋgäkyi ono si. 19 Ama orivoya käyi be ago ŋgaonya be doŋgyii amaro ri, ago ŋgaonya ndi vino be orivoya andivo amaro ri, toko ogyeako maro ri ago kpa ruindi'ba maro ri. Ama teinye lemeri ŋgaaza ro ako”.
20 Ago agoambago atate ekye: “Nyìkyi orine zo maro ya! Mänina ndi vo amiro ondrene; ko kado u'dune ämiri ŋgäkyi si vo däyiro ono ya.” 21 Ta'dota nda ezi ànya te 'bäru ago ozo ŋgaonya te doŋgyii ànyaro ri. Ŋgwazii ndaro jayi pa ànyaro te, ago nyayi ŋgaonya te.
22 Ondro ànya kayi dri ugu riyä oye oko, mànoago kozi azaka 'ba'desi ana ro, muyidri zo rote gbikyi, ago etoyi käläsi o'bi te. Ànya atayite agoambago ana ri ekye: “Nyolofo mano gi nyezi be zo miro ya 'do tesi! Tana màle taoyene nda be.”
23 Oko agoambago ana twete tesi ànyare ago atate ànyari ekye: “Ko inye, bereazii maro! Rägu! Mìye ŋga undiro inye 'do ko! Mano ono orivoya ŋgwazi maro. 24 Mìndre, ŋguti kodroŋwa maro ndi toko ogyeako ndaro be orivoya. Yauono mì'ba molofo ànya tesi, mìru ànya, ago mìye tase mìlebe oyene ànyari. Oko mìye ŋga kozi aza ko mano ono ri!” 25 Caoko mànoago kai eriyi ta ndaro kote. 'Dooko Lewe'ba se ana ru toko ogyeako ndaro te lofo anya te tesi ànyare; ago ànya yeyitate anya be ŋgäkyi ana si raa madale voiwivoya ndi ànya e'be yi anya go oyine.
26 Ago ondro 'buzevo kosite oko, toko ana ikyite 'dete vuru käläsi zo agoambago, se ago anyaro be kigye ana ro kala, madale vo laya gwo ndiya. 27 Ago ago anyaro ŋgate kyenoŋbo ana si ago ondro kupi käläsi te ago kofote tesi oyine oko, nda ndre toko ogyeako ndaro te o'devoya vuru käläsi zo ro kala, aba anya ozo dri käläsi upine. 28 Nda atate anyari ekye: “Miŋga kuru. Mòyi robe.” Oko anya zatadri kote tana anya drate ṛi. 'Dooko nda 'ba avo anyaro te doŋgyi dri ago oyite. 29 Ondro nda kosate 'bäru oko nda cite zo ndaro ya ago ru iṛi te. Nda ru avo toko ogyeako ndaro rote ago tolo te iṛeiṛe 'butealo foritu, ago zote ba alo alo 'bakala 'butealo foritu cini Yisaraele ro yasi. 30 'Dise cini kondreyibe kai atayite ekye: “Màndre ŋga aza kätina kote oso inye! Ŋga aza kätina a'do kote oso nonye eto ṛo kyeno ni tuse Yisaraele'bai kefoyibe ni Ezipeto ya si madale ondro. Sindi ämäri ta aza atane tana ro! Sindi ŋga aza oyene tana ro.”