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.
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.
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,
His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there for four 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;
Her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him and a couple of donkeys. She brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young lady 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.
His father-in-law, the young lady’s father, kept him there; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank, and stayed 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!«
On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning, and he rose up to depart. The young lady’s father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you shall go your way.”
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!«
So they sat down, ate, and drank, both of them together. Then the young lady’s father said to the man, “Please be pleased to stay all night, and let your heart be merry.”
7 Men Manden gjorde sig rede til at drage bort. Da nødte hans Svigerfader ham, saa han atter overnattede der.
The man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed 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.
He arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the young lady’s father said, “Please strengthen your heart and stay until the day declines;” and they both ate.
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!«
When the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the young lady’s father, said to him, “Behold, now the day draws towards evening, please stay all night. Behold, the day is ending. Stay here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow go on your way early, that you may 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 wouldn’t stay that night, but he rose up and went near Jebus (also called Jerusalem). With him were a couple of saddled donkeys. 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!«
When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, “Please come and let’s enter into this city of the Jebusites, and stay 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!«
His master said to him, “We won’t enter into the city of a foreigner that is not of the children of Israel; but 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!«
He said to his servant, “Come and let’s draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.”
14 De drog saa videre, og Solen gik ned, som de var ved Gibea i Benjamin.
So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs 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.
They went over there, to go in to stay in Gibeah. He went in, and sat down in the street of the city; for there was no one who took them into his house to stay.
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;
Behold, an old man came from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived 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?«
He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going? Where did 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,
He said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to the LORD’s house; and there is no one who has taken 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 feed for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.”
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!«
The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep 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 the donkeys fodder. Then 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!«
As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain wicked fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we can have sex with 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!
The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, “No, my brothers, please don’t act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, don’t do 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 virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but to this man don’t do any such folly.”
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 wouldn’t listen to him; so the man grabbed his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all night until the morning. When the day began to dawn, 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 the woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, until 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.
Her lord rose up 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, with her hands on 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.
He said to her, “Get up, and let’s get going!” but no one answered. Then he took her up on the donkey; and the man rose up, 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;
When he had come into his house, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders 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!«
It was so, that all who saw it said, “Such a deed has not been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day! Consider it, take counsel, and speak.”
