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?”
Ovitjitwa oviyaukise vyovature va Gibea
1 Momayuva ngena kamwa ri ombara mOisrael. Nu pa ri omurumendu Omulevi ngwa turire otja owozonganda kokure tjinene mehi rozondundu ra Efraim. Eye we ripahera omukazendu wa Betlehem mehi ra Juda a rire omukazendu we omumbanda. 2 Nungwari omukazendu we omumbanda ngwi wa posa kuna ye, a zu po pu ye na yaruka koya ihe kObetlehem, mehi ra Juda. Neye wa kakara ngo oure womieze vine. 3 Nomurumendu ngwi we ritwa mondjira okuteza omukazendu we na karora okumutekura kutja a kotoke. Eye wa twaerera omukarere we nousino uvari. Nomukazendu we we mu urikira ondjuwo ya ihe. Nu ihe yomukazendu tje mu muna we mu tjakanena nenyando. 4 Nu ihe omukwe we mu tjaera kutja a kare; neye wa kara puna wo omayuva yetatu. Nowo va rya nave nu, neye wa rara mbo. 5 Meyuva oritjaine eye nomukazendu we va penduka omuhuka omunene nave rirongere okuyenda. Nu ihe yomukazendu arire tja tja komukwe we: “Rutenga ryee ovikurya, tjazumba a rire tji mwa i.”
6 Nowo va kara novarumendu aveyevari va haama pamwe ave ri nave nu. Tjazumba ihe yomukazendu arire tja ningire komurumendu a tja: “Ngo tji rara muno rukwao, u kare nomutima wondjoroka.”
7 NOmulevi tja sekama okuyenda, omukwe we otje mu kondjisa nga tja rara mo rukwao. 8 Nu meyuva oritjatano, tja vanga okuyenda omuhuka omunene, ihe yomukazendu arire tja tja ku ye: “Ngo tji ri ovikurya rukwao u kare nga komapeta.” Nu aveyevari otji va rya pamwe.
9 Nomurumendu tja sekama okukumuka puna omukazendu we omumbanda nomukarere we, ihe yomukazendu otja tja nai ku ye: “Tara, eyuva ratoko, rara muno ouṱuku mbwi, nu kara nomutima wondjoroka. Tjazumba omuhuka omunene u yende u yaruke koyoye.”
10 Nungwari omurumendu ka vangere okurara mo, notja sekama a kutire ousino we auyevari na ka wondja puna omukazendu we omumbanda nomukarere we, na kavaza ombarakana na Jebus, okutja Jerusalem. 11 Nu tji va kavaza kOjebus eyuva ara toko, omukarere arire tja tja komuhona we: “Arikana, ngatu konde kotjihuro tjOvajebusi tu karare mo.”
12 Nungwari omuhona we wa kotora ku ye a tja: “Ayee, kako, katu nokukonda kotjihuro tjovandu vambangu mbe he ri Ovaisrael, ngatu kapite kOgibea.” 13 Tjazumba a tja nai komukarere we: “Indjo, ngatu rore okuvaza popezu na tjimwe tjovirongo mbyo, tu karare mOgibea poo mOrama.” 14 Nowo arire tji va kapita komurungu, neyuva re ve hitira popezu na Gibea tjomuhoko wa Benjamin. 15 Nowo va konda okukarara mOgibea. Nu ingwi Omulevi wa hita motjihuro na kakara morupare rwomarandero, tjinga ape ha ri omundu ngwe ve ṋanga okukarara mondjuwo ye.
16 Nungwari ongurova kwe ya omurumendu omukururume ngwa za koviungura vye vyotjikunino. Omurumendu ngwi rukuru wa zire kehi rozondundu ra Efraim na kara otja owozonganda mOgibea, novature votjirongo ho va ri Ovabenjamin. 17 Nomukururume ngwi tja taviza wa muna omuyenda porupare rwomarandero wotjihuro, ne mu pura a tja: “Ove mo zu pi, nu mo i pi?”
18 NOmulevi we mu zira a tja: “Oweṱe ovayenda mbu twa za kObetlehem mehi ra Juda, nu matu i kokure tjinene kehi rozondundu ra Efraim ami ku mba za. Ami mba ire kObetlehem kehi ra Juda, nambano me yaruka koyandje, nungwari kape na ngu me ndji sekirisa mondjuwo ye. 19 Nu vari eṱe tu nomahozu novikurya vyousino wetu; neṱe nomukazendu wandje omumbanda tu nomboroto nomavinu; eṱe tu na avihe, mbi twa sokuhepa.”
20 Omukururume opa tjera nai: “Ove waakurwa! Hita mondjuwo yandje! Nu avihe mbi mo hepa me ku ṱunine. Arikana, o rara morupare rwomarandero ouṱuku mbunombwi.”
21 Neye otje ve yakura moye na yandja omahozu kousino. Nu imba ovayenda va koha ozombaze zawo, nave ri nave nu.
22 Nowo ngunda ava ri mondjoroka, ovarumendu votjihuro, mba ri ovapikapike tjinene, va kovera ondjuwo ndji nave kongora omuvero tjinene. Nowo va hungira komukururume ngwi omuini wondjuwo ave tja: “Pitisa omurumendu ngwi ngwa hiti mondjuwo yoye; matu vanga okurara pu ye!”
23 Nomuini wondjuwo otja pita pendje na tja ku wo: “Ayee, kako, vakwetu, amu tjiti ondjito yohoṋi otja indjo. 24 Tareye, omukazona wandje omunene eye ngwi puna omukazendu omumbanda womurumendu ngwi! Owo meve pitisa ku eṋe; tjiteye ku wo otja pu mape tjata ku eṋe. Nungwari komurumendu ngwi amu tjiti ko ondjito yohoṋi otja indji.” 25 Nungwari ovarumendu mbo kave vangere okuzuva ku ye. Ingwi Omulevi opa kamburira omukazendu we omumbanda ne mu pitisa pendje ku wo. Nowo ve mu tjera nokumutatumisa ouṱuku auhe nga komuhuka omunene; nu tji pa tji otji ve mu esa a yende.
26 Nu mokutja kweyuva omukazendu wa kotoka na wire pehi momuvero wondjuwo yomukururume mu mwa ri omurumendu we, na saravara mbo nga tji kwa yere. 27 Nomurumendu we tja penduka omuhuka wa yezurura omuvero wondjuwo na piti pendje kutja a yende; mokamanga otja muna omukazendu we omumbanda a saravara momuvero wondjuwo, nomake we aye ri komuti omutyakaṋa wokehi yomuvero. 28 Eye we mu isana a tja: “Penduka tu kawondje!” Nungwari ka perwe eziriro. Tjazumba otja tyakaṋa orurova romukazendu we kokasino, a kumuka na yaruka komaturiro we. 29 Nu tja kavaza kondjuwo ye arire tja toora oruvyo na kondo orurova romukazendu we omumbanda movindimbu omurongo na vivari ne vi hindi komihoko omurongo na vivari vya Israel. 30 Nu auhe ngwa muna otjiṋa hi, wa tja: “Otjiṋa otja ihi nga mba katjiya tjitwa nu katjiya munika okuza koruveze Ovaisrael ndu va zire mehi ra Engipte okuya nguno nga ku ndinondi. Ripureye na tjo, raerasaneye nu tyasaneye!”
