< Dommer 19 >

1 I de Dage, da der ingen Konge var i Israel, var der en Mand, en Levit, der boede som fremmed i Udkanten af Efraims Bjerge. Han tog sig en Kvinde fra Betlehem i Juda til Medhustru.
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite dwelling on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
2 Men Medhustruen blev vred paa ham, forlod ham og tog til sin Faders Hus i Betlehem i Juda. Da hun havde været der en fire Maaneders Tid,
And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.
3 drog hendes Mand af Sted efter hende for at overtale hende til at vende tilbage. Han havde sin Tjener og et Par Æsler med. Da han kom til hendes Faders Hus, fik den unge Kvindes Fader Øje paa ham og kom ham glad i Møde;
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of donkeys: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
4 og hans Svigerfader, den unge Kvindes Fader, holdt paa ham, saa at han blev hos ham i tre Dage; og de spiste og drak og overnattede der.
And his father in law, the damsel’s father, detained him; and he abode with him three days: so they ate and drank, and lodged there.
5 Tidligt om Morgenen den fjerde Dag gjorde han sig rede til at drage bort; men den unge Kvindes Fader sagde til sin Svigersøn: »Styrk dig først med en Bid Brød, saa kan I siden drage bort!«
And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he arose to depart: and the damsel’s father said to his son in law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward depart.
6 De blev da og spiste og drak begge to sammen, og den unge Kvindes Fader sagde til Manden: »Bestem dig til at blive Natten over og gør dig til gode!«
And they sat down, and ate and drank both of them together: for the damsel’s father had said to the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry.
7 Men Manden gjorde sig rede til at drage bort. Da nødte hans Svigerfader ham, saa han atter overnattede der.
And when the man rose to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
8 Tidligt om Morgenen den femte Dag vilde han drage bort, men den unge Kvindes Fader sagde til ham: »Styrk dig først!« De ventede da, til Dagen hældede, og spiste og drak begge to.
And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel’s father said, Strengthen thy heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they ate both of them.
9 Saa gjorde Manden sig rede til at drage bort med sin Medhustru og sin Tjener. Men hans Svigerfader, den unge Kvindes Fader, sagde til ham: »Se, det lider mod Aften, overnat dog her; se, Dagen hælder, bliv dog her i Nat og gør dig til gode, saa kan I i Morgen tidlig begive eder paa Vej og du drage til dit Hjem!«
And when the man arose to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said to him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day is coming to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.
10 Men Manden vilde ikke blive Natten over; han begav sig paa Vej og kom ud for Jebus, det er Jerusalem, fulgt af sine to belæssede Æsler, sin Medhustru og sin Tjener.
But the man would not tarry that night, but he arose and departed, and came opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two donkeys saddled, his concubine also was with him.
11 Da de var i Nærheden af Jebus og Dagen hældede stærkt, sagde Tjeneren til sin Herre: »Kom, lad os tage ind her i Jebusiternes By og blive der Natten over!«
And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in to this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12 Men hans Herre svarede: »Vi vil ikke tage ind i en By, der ejes af fremmede, som ikke hører til Israeliterne, men vi vil drage videre til Gibea!«
And his master said to him, We will not turn aside here into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
13 Og han sagde til sin Tjener: »Kom, lad os tage hen til et af de andre Steder og overnatte i Gibea eller Rama!«
And he said to his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14 De drog saa videre, og Solen gik ned, som de var ved Gibea i Benjamin.
And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
15 Saa bøjede de af i den Retning for at naa til Gibea og overnatte der. Da han var kommet derind, Blev han paa Byens Torv; men der var ingen, som bød dem ind i sit Hus for Natten.
And they turned aside there, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.
16 Saa kom der om Aftenen en gammel Mand fra sit Arbejde paa Marken, og Manden var fra Efraims Bjerge og boede som fremmed i Gibea, medens Stedets Indbyggere var Benjaminiter;
And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening, who was also of mount Ephraim; and he dwelt in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
17 og da den gamle Mand saa op og fik Øje paa den vejfarende Mand paa Byens Torv, spurgte han: »Hvorhen gælder Rejsen, og hvorfra kommer du?«
And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Where goest thou? and where do you come from?
18 Han svarede ham: »Vi er paa Rejse fra Betlehem i Juda til Udkanten af Efraims Bjerge, hvor jeg har hjemme; jeg har været i Betlehem i Juda og er nu paa Vejen hjem; men der er ingen, som byder mig ind i sit Hus,
And he said to him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from there am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me into his house.
19 skønt jeg har baade Straa og Foder til vore Æsler og Brød og Vin til mig selv, din Trælkvinde og din Træls Tjener; vi mangler intet!«
Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
20 Da sagde den gamle Mand: »Vær velkommen! Lad kun alt, hvad du trænger til, være min Sag; men paa Torvet maa du ikke overnatte!«
And the old man said, Peace be with thee; however let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21 Saa førte han ham ind i sit Hus og sørgede for Foder til Æslerne; og da de havde tvættet deres Fødder, spiste de og drak.
So he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys: and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22 Men medens de gjorde sig til gode, se, da omringede Mændene i Byen, Niddinger som de var, Huset og hamrede paa Døren og raabte til den gamle Mand, Husets Ejer: »Før Manden, som er taget ind i dit Hus, herud, saa at vi kan stille vor Lyst paa ham!«
Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain perverted men, beset the house on all sides, and beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him.
23 Men Manden, der ejede Huset, gik ud til dem og sagde til dem: »Nej, mine Brødre, gør dog ikke noget ondt! Naar denne Mand er taget ind i mit Hus, maa I ikke øve saadan en Skændselsdaad!
And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this folly.
24 Se, her er min Datter, som er Jomfru; hende fører jeg herud, saa kan I skænde hende og handle med hende, som I finder for godt! Men mod denne Mand maa I ikke øve saadan en Skændselsdaad!«
Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good to you: but to this man do not so vile a thing.
25 Men Mændene vilde ikke høre ham. Saa greb Manden sin Medhustru og førte hende ud paa Gaden til dem, og de stillede deres Lyst paa hende og mishandlede hende Natten igennem til om Morgenen; først da Morgenen gryede, slap de hende.
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth to them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
26 Ved Morgenens Frembrud kom Kvinden og faldt sammen ved Indgangen til den Mands Hus, hvor hendes Herre var, og laa der, til det blev lyst.
Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light.
27 Og da hendes Herre om Morgenen lukkede Husets Dør op og gjorde sig rede til at drage videre, se, da laa Kvinden, hans Medhustru, ved Indgangen til Huset med Hænderne paa Tærskelen.
And her lord rose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.
28 Han sagde da til hende: »Rejs dig og lad os komme af Sted!« Men der kom intet Svar. Saa løftede han hende op paa Æselet og rejste til sit Hjem.
And he said to her, Rise, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her upon a donkey, and the man rose, and went to his place.
29 Men da han kom hjem, greb han en Kniv, tog sin Medhustru, skar hende i tolv Stykker, Ledemod for Ledemod, og sendte Stykkerne rundt i hele Israels Land;
And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the land of Israel.
30 og han gav de Mænd, han udsendte, den Befaling: »Saaledes skal I sige til alle Israels Mænd: Er sligt hidtil hændet, siden Israeliterne drog op fra Ægypten? Overvej Sagen, hold Raad og sig eders Mening!« Og enhver, som saa det, sagde: »Sligt er ikke hidtil hændet eller set, siden Israeliterne drog op fra Ægypten!«
And it was so, that all that saw it said, There hath been no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came from the land of Egypt to this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

< Dommer 19 >