Laitloekkung 19
1 Te vaeng tue ah khaw Israel ah he manghai tal pueng. Te dongah Ephraim tlang hlaep ah aka kuep Levi hlang loh Judah Bethlehem lamkah huta pakhat te yula la a loh.
Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
2 Tedae anih taengkah a yula tah a cukhalh dongah a va taeng lamloh a napa im Judah Bethlehem la cet tih hla li om.
But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,
3 Te dongah a yuu te ha mael khaw ha mael laeh saeh tila a lungbuei te yam pah ham a va te thoo tih a yuu taengla cet. Te vaengah amah taengkah cadong pakhat neh laak rhoi te a khuen. A va te a napa im a paan puei tih huta kah a napa loh a hmuh hatah anih doe ham a kohoe.
her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
4 Tedae huta kah a napa, khosoih masae loh a parhaeng. Te dongah hnin thum a om puei hatah a caak a ok uh tih rhaeh uh.
His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there.
5 Hnin li a om nen tah mincang ah thoo tih caeh hamla hlah uh bal. Tedae huta kah a napa loh a cava te, “Buh kamat nen khaw na lungbuei duel lamtah a hnuk la cet mai,” a ti nah.
On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to depart, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and then you can go.”
6 Te dongah ngol rhoi tih thikat la a caak a ok rhoi. Te vaengah tekah hlang te huta kah a napa loh, “Ueh mai lamtah na lungbuei voelphoeng la rhaeh rhoi mai dae,” a ti nah.
So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and let your heart be merry.”
7 Tekah hlang loh caeh hamla thoo bal coeng dae a masae loh a hloep dongah mael tih hnap rhaeh.
The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.
8 A hnin nga mincang ah caeh hamla thoo bal. Te vaengah huta kah a napa loh, “Na thinko duel rhoi dae lamatah khovoei duela rhing rhoi mai,” a ti nah. Te dongah amih rhoi long te buh koep a caak rhoi bal.
On the fifth day, he got up early in the morning to depart, but the girl’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate.
9 Te phoeiah caeh hamla a yula neh cadong te a thoh puei hatah hula kah a napa, a napa loh, “Kholaeh ham khohnin loh khum coeng ta, khohnin loh thok coeng tih pahoi rhaeh rhoi mai lamtah na thinko voelphoeng sak rhoi mai, na longpuei te thangvuen ah na thoh thil vetih na dap khaw na paan bitni,” a ti nah.
When the man got up to depart with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing to a close. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, that your heart may be merry. Then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey home.”
10 Tedae rhaeh hamla hlang loh a huem pawt dongah thoo tih nong. Te vaengah amah taengah a khih laak rhoi neh a taengkah a yula te Jerusalem kah Jebus dan la a pawk puei.
But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
11 Jebus taengah tah khohnin khaw dalh thok tih a boei te cadong loh, “Cet uh sih lamtah Jebusi khopuei la ng'ael phoeiah rhaeh uh sih,” a ti nah.
When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Please, let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here.”
12 Tedae anih te a boei loh, “Kholong kho la ael boel sih, amih te Israel ca moenih, te dongah Gibeah la cet uh mai sih,” a ti nah.
But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.”
13 Te phoeiah cadong te, “Cet sih lamtah a hmuen pakhat te moeh sih, Gibeah ah khaw Ramah ah khaw rhaeh uh mai sih,” a ti nah.
He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
14 Te dongah cet uh tih Benjamin khuikah Gibeah taengah a pha tom ah kho tla coeng.
So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
15 Te dongah pahoi kun ham neh Gibeah ah rhaeh ham khaw paa uh. Te phoeiah cet uh tih khopuei toltung ah ngol uh. Tedae im khuila pah sak ham amih te hlang loh voek pawh.
They stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for the night.
16 Hlaem vaengah patong pakhat tah lohma lamkah a bibi lamkah lawt halo. Tedae anih khaw Benjamin ca rhoek kah hmuen Gibeah ah aka bakuep Ephraim tlang lamkah hlang van ni.
That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was residing in Gibeah (the men of that place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the field.
17 Patong loh a mik a huel a sawt hatah khopuei toltung ah yincet hlang pakhat te a hmuh. Te dongah tekah hlang te patong loh, “Me lamkah lae na lo tih melam na caeh eh?,” a ti nah.
When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where have you come from?”
18 Te dongah, “Kaimih tah Judah Bethlehem lamkah Ephraim tlang hlaep la ka cet uh. Te lamkah te Judah Bethlehem la ka cet uh tih BOEIPA im ka paan. Tedae im khuila kai aka pah sak ham hlang om pawh.
The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home,
19 Tahae ah ka laak ham cangkong neh a kamvuelh khaw om pueng. Kamah ham neh na salnu ham khaw, na sal taengkah cadong ham khaw buh neh misurtui om pueng tih hnopai dongah pakhat khaw a tloelnah om pawh,” a ti nah.
even though there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and the maidservant and young man with me. There is nothing that we, your servants, lack.”
20 Te dongah tekah hlang te patong loh, “Nang taengah ngaimongnah om saeh. Na tloelnah boeih nen khaw kai taengah om mai toltung ah rhaehba boeh,” a ti nah.
“Peace to you,” said the old man. “Let me supply everything you need. Only do not spend the night in the square.”
21 Yin te a im khuila a khuen tih laak a vuelh pah, a kho a silh pah phoeiah a caak a ok uh.
So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.
22 A lungbuei a voelphoeng uh li vaengah khopuei hlang khui hlang muen ca rhoek loh im te tarha a vael uh tih thohkhaih te a tum uh. Im kung patong te khaw a doek uh uh tih, “Na im la aka pawk hlang te hang khuen lamtah anih ka hmat uh lah eh,” a ti nah.
While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”
23 Tedae im kung te amih taengla ha moe tih, “Ka manuca rhoek nang te tlam moenih, hekah hlang he ka im khuila ha kun coeng dongah thaehuet uh boel mai, boethae halang he tah saii uh boeh.
The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage.
24 Ka canu, oila neh ka yula kang khuen mai eh. Amih phaep uh lamtah na mik dongah then na ti uh bangla amih rhoi taengah saii uh. Tedae hekah hlang taengah boethae halang hno te saii uh boeh,” a ti nah.
Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”
25 Tedae hlang loh hnatun ham a huem uh pawt dongah khosoih loh a yula te a mawt tih amih taengah poeng la a thak pah. Te vaengah anih te a tholh puei uh tih khoyin khing te mincang duela a poelyoe uh. Khothaih a pha daengah huta te a hlah uh.
But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.
26 Mincang a pha vaengah tah huta te cet tih a boei a om nah im kah thohka ah khosae duela hmawk sop uh.
Early that morning, the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, collapsed at the doorway, and lay there until it was light.
27 A boei te mincang ah thoo tih im thohkhaih te a ong. Amah kho long ah voei ham ha moe phai hatah a yula te im thohka kah cingkhaa dongah kut a tloeng tih lawt ana bakop pah.
In the morning, when her master got up and opened the doors of the house to go out on his journey, there was his concubine, collapsed in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
28 Te dongah anih te, “Thoo lamtah cet pawn sih,” a ti nah. Tedae a doo voel pawt dongah laak dongla a khueh. Te phoeiah tekah hlang te thoo tih a hmuen a paan.
“Get up,” he told her. “Let us go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
29 Amah im la a pawk vaengah tah tumcaca a loh tih a yula te a tloeng. Te phoeiah a rhuh te maehpoel hlai nit la a tloek tih Israel khorhi takuem ah a pat.
When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
30 Te tla aka om te boeih a hmuh uh vaengah, “Egypt kho lamkah n'thoo uh hnin lamkah loh tihnin duela te bang te Israel ca rhoek taengah om pawt tih hmuh noek bal moenih. He he nangmih loh dueh uh, anih he dawtlet uh lamtah thui uh,” a ti nah.
And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”
