The Levite and His Concubine
1 In those days before Israel had a king, there was a Levite living far back in the hill country of Ephraim. He took a young woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine. 2 But she became angry with him, went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, and stayed there four months. 3 Then the man decided to go after her and try to persuade her to return to him. He took his servant and two donkeys with him. The woman showed the Levite into the house, and when her father saw him, he gave him a hearty greeting. 4 The father insisted that he stay, and so he stayed for three days. The couple had their meals and spent the nights there. 5 On the morning of the fourth day they woke up early and got ready to go. But the woman's father said to the Levite, “Have something to eat first. You'll feel better. You can go later.”
6 So the two men sat down and ate and drank together. Then the woman's father told him, “Please spend the night and enjoy yourself.”
7 The Levite got up to go, but the father urged him to stay, so he spent another night there. 8 Early in the morning of the fifth day he started to leave, but the woman's father said, “Eat something, please. Wait until later in the day.” So the two men ate together.
9 When the man, his concubine, and the servant once more started to leave, the father said, “Look, it's almost evening now; you might as well stay all night. It will be dark soon; stay here and have a good time. Tomorrow you can get up early for the trip and go home.”
10-11 But the man did not want to spend another night there, so he and his concubine started on their way, with their servant and two donkeys with pack saddles. It was late in the day when they came near Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), so the servant said to his master, “Why don't we stop and spend the night here in this Jebusite city?”
12-13 But his master said, “We're not going to stop in a city where the people are not Israelites. We'll pass on by and go a little farther and spend the night at Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they passed by Jebus and continued on their way. It was sunset when they came to Gibeah in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. 15 They turned off the road to go and spend the night there. They went into town and sat down in the city square, but no one offered to take them home for the night.
16 While they were there, an old man came by at the end of a day's work on the farm. He was originally from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was now living in Gibeah. (The other people there were from the tribe of Benjamin.) 17 The old man noticed the traveler in the city square and asked him, “Where do you come from? Where are you going?”
18 The Levite answered, “We have been in Bethlehem in Judah, and now we are on our way home deep in the hill country of Ephraim. No one will put us up for the night, 19 even though we have fodder and straw for our donkeys, as well as bread and wine for my concubine and me and for my servant. We have everything we need.”
20 The old man said, “You are welcome in my home! I'll take care of you; you don't have to spend the night in the square.” 21 So he took them home with him and fed their donkeys. His guests washed their feet and had a meal.
22 They were enjoying themselves when all of a sudden some sexual perverts from the town surrounded the house and started beating on the door. They said to the old man, “Bring out that man that came home with you! We want to have sex with him!”
23 But the old man went outside and said to them, “No, my friends! Please! Don't do such an evil, immoral thing! This man is my guest. 24 Look! Here is his concubine and my own virgin daughter. I'll bring them out now, and you can have them. Do whatever you want to with them. But don't do such an awful thing to this man!” 25 But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and put her outside with them. They raped her and abused her all night long and didn't stop until morning.
26 At dawn the woman came and fell down at the door of the old man's house, where her husband was. She was still there when daylight came. 27 Her husband got up that morning, and when he opened the door to go on his way, he found his concubine lying in front of the house with her hands reaching for the door. 28 He said, “Get up. Let's go.” But there was no answer. So he put her body across the donkey and started on his way home. 29 When he arrived, he went in the house and got a knife. He took his concubine's body, cut it into twelve pieces, and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, “We have never heard of such a thing! Nothing like this has ever happened since the Israelites left Egypt! We have to do something about this! What will it be?”
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.”