< Judges 19 >

1 At that time Israel didn't have a king. A Levite who was living in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim married a concubine-wife from Bethlehem in Judah.
Saa bere no na Israel nni ɔhene. Na ɔbarima bi a ofi Lewi abusuakuw mu te Efraim bepɔw asase no so akyirikyiri baabi. Da bi, ɔde ɔbea bi fi Betlehem a ɛwɔ Yuda baa fie sɛ ne mpena.
2 But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father's house in Bethlehem. She was there for four months.
Nanso ɔbea no anni no nokware enti ɔsan kɔɔ nʼagya fi wɔ Betlehem. Asram anan akyi no,
3 Then her husband went after her, to talk kindly with her and bring her back home. With him went his servant and two donkeys. She took him to her father's house and when her father met him, he gladly welcomed him.
ne kunu no faa ɔsomfo ne afurum foforo kaa ne ho kɔɔ Betlehem sɛ ɔde rekɔdɛfɛdɛfɛ no na wasan nʼakyi aba. Oduu ɔbea no agya fi no, ɔde no kɔɔ ofi no mu maa nʼagya no gyee no fɛw so.
4 Her father pressed him to stay with them, so he remained for three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.
Ɔbea no agya ka kyerɛɛ no se ɔntena nkyɛ kakra. Enti odii nnansa, didi, nom, daa hɔ.
5 On the fourth day he and his concubine got up early in the morning and prepared to leave, but her father said to his son-in-law, “You'll feel better if you have something to eat before you go.”
Ne nnannan so no, ɔbarima no sɔree anɔpa, pɛɛ sɛ ɔkɔ. Nanso ɔbea no agya ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Didi ansa na woakɔ.”
6 So the two men sat down to eat and drink together. The father said to his son-in law, “Please agree to spend another night here, and you can enjoy yourself!”
Enti wɔn baanu no tenaa ase didi, nomee. Afei, ɔbea no agya ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Mesrɛ wo, da anadwo yi na gye wʼani.”
7 The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law pressed him to stay, so in the end he spent the night there.
Ɔbarima no sɔree sɛ anka ɔrekɔ, nanso nʼase no hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔntena. Enti ɔpenee so daa hɔ anadwo no.
8 On the fifth day he got up early in the morning to leave. But his father-in-law said, “Eat before you go, then leave later this afternoon.” So they had a meal together.
Nnaanum so anɔpa no, ɔsɔree bio a ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔkɔ. Nanso bio, ɔbea no agya kae se, “Didi ansa, na awia mu kakra no wubetumi akɔ.” Enti wɔsan didii bio.
9 When he got up to leave with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law told him, “Look it's late—it's already evening. Spend the night here. The day's almost over. Stay here the night and enjoy yourself, then tomorrow you can get up early and be on your way home.”
Awia no, ɔbarima no ne ne mpena no ne ne somfo boaboaa wɔn ho pɛɛ sɛ wɔkɔ. Nanso nʼase no ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Muntie! Ade reyɛ asa. Montena na munnye mo ani anadwo yi. Ɔkyena mubetumi asi mu anɔpahema.”
10 But the man didn't want to spend another night, so he got up and left. He headed towards the town of Jebus (now called Jerusalem) with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
Nanso afei de, ɔbarima no pɛɛ sɛ ɔbɛkɔ. Enti ɔfaa ne mfurum abien a wɔahyehyɛ wɔn no ne ne mpena no, na wɔde wɔn ani kyerɛɛ Yebus (a ɛyɛ Yerusalem).
11 As they approached Jebus the day was over, the servant said to his master, “Sir, why don't we stop here at this Jebusite town for the night?”
Bere a woduu Yebus no na ade reyɛ asa, na ɔsomfo no ka kyerɛɛ ne wura no se, “Ade reyɛ asa, enti momma yɛnna Yebusifo kuropɔn yi mu anadwo yi.”
12 But his master replied, “No, we're not going to stop in this town where only foreigners live and no Israelites. We'll continue on to Gibeah.”
Ne wura no buae se, “Dabi, yɛrentumi ntena ananafo kuropɔn a Israelfo nni mu yi mu. Yɛbɛtoa so akɔ Gibea.
13 Then he told his servant, “Come on, let's try and get to Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night somewhere there.”
Yebenya nnabea anadwo yi wɔ Gibea anaa Rama.”
14 So they carried on and reached Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin just as the sun was setting.
Enti wɔtoaa so. Wɔrebedu kurow Gibea a ɛwɔ Benyamin asase so no, na owia rekɔtɔ.
15 They stopped in Gibeah to spend the night, and sat down in the town's main square, but no one invited them to come and stay.
Ɛhɔ na wɔdaa anadwo no. Wɔdaa kurow no abɔnten kɛse so, na obiara amfa wɔn ankɔ fie ankɔsom wɔn hɔho.
16 But later that evening an old man came by, returning from working in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but was now living in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.
Anwummere no, akwakoraa bi fii nʼafum baa fie. Na ofi Efraim bepɔw asase so, nanso na ɔte Gibea wɔ Benyamin asase so.
17 He looked over and noticed the traveler in the square and asked, “Where are you going and where have you come from?”
Bere a ohuu akwantufo yi sɛ wɔtete kurow no abɔnten kɛse so no, obisaa wɔn faako a wofi ne nea wɔrekɔ.
18 “We've come from Bethlehem in Judah and we're going to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim,” the man replied. “I'm from there and I went to Bethlehem, and now I'm going to the Lord's Temple. No one here has invited me to stay.
Ɔbarima no buaa no se, “Yefi Betlehem a ɛwɔ Yuda na yɛrekɔ Efraim bepɔw asase no so; kurow bi a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri, na yɛrekɔ Awurade Hyiadan. Nanso obiara amfa yɛn ankɔ ne fi ankɔma yɛn nnabea,
19 There's straw and food for our donkeys, and we your servants have bread and wine—enough for me, the woman, and my servant. We have all we need.”
ɛwɔ mu sɛ yɛwɔ nea ehia yɛn biara. Yɛwɔ sare ne aduan a yɛde bɛma yɛn mfurum; yenhia hwee.”
20 “You are welcome to stay with me,” the man replied. “I can let you have everything you need. Just don't spend the night here in the square.”
Akwakoraa no kae se, “Mommra me fi. Mɛma mo biribiara a ebehia mo. Na anadwo yi de, ɛnsɛ sɛ moda abɔnten kɛse so ha.”
21 He took him home and fed the donkeys. The travelers washed their feet and then started to eat and drink.
Enti ɔfaa wɔn de wɔn kɔɔ ne fi, na ɔmaa wɔn mfurum no aduan. Wɔhohoroo wɔn nan ase wiei no, wɔbɔɔ mu didii.
22 While they were enjoying themselves, some depraved men from the town came and surrounded the house, and banged on the door, shouting to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to stay in your house so we can have sex with him.”
Bere a wɔregye wɔn ani no, kurow no mu nnipa bɔnefo bi betwaa ofi no ho hyiae. Wofii ase pempem ɔpon no teɛteɛɛ mu guu akwakoraa no so se, “Fa ɔbarima a wabɛsoɛ wo no ma yɛn sɛnea yebetumi ne no ada.”
23 The man who owned the house went outside and told them, “My brothers, don't act in such an evil way! This man is a guest in my house. Don't do something so disgusting!
Akwakoraa no fi ba bɛkasa kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Dabi, anuanom, monnyɛ bɔne a ɛte saa. Saa ɔbarima yi yɛ me hɔho na sɛ moyɛ saa a, ɛbɛyɛ animguase.
24 Look, here's my virgin daughter and the man's concubine. Let me bring them out and you can rape them and do whatever you want to them. But don't do something so disgusting to this man.”
Me babea ɔbabun ne ɔbarima yi mpena ni. Mede wɔn bɛma mo. Na nea mopɛ biara no monyɛ wɔn. Na mo ne saa ɔbarima yi nyɛ saa animguasede yi.”
25 But the men refused to listen, so the man grabbed his concubine and threw her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until the morning, and only discarded her at dawn.
Nanso wɔantie no. Enti Lewini no faa ne mpena no piaa no fii adi. Na kurow no mu mmarima no faa no nnidiso nnidiso kosii adekyee. Ahemadakye no na wogyaw no ma ɔkɔe.
26 As night turned into day she returned to the house where her master was staying and collapsed in front of the door as it got light.
Ɔbea no koduu ofi a ne kunu no te mu no pon ano ara pɛ na ɔtɔɔ mum. Ɔdaa hɔ ara kosii sɛ anim tetewee.
27 Her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house. He went out to continue his journey and there was his concubine, stretched out in the doorway of the house, with her hands holding onto the doorstep.
Bere a ne kunu buee ɔpon no sɛ ɔrepue pɛ na ohuu sɛ ɔda hɔ. Na nʼanim butuw hɔ a ne nsa gu apongua no so.
28 “Get up, let's go,” he told her, but there was no answer. Then the man lifted her onto his donkey and went home.
Ohuu no no, ɔkae se, “Sɔre! Ma yɛnkɔ!” Nanso wammua. Enti ɔde no too nʼafurum no so de no kɔɔ fie.
29 When he got home he took a knife, and holding onto his concubine, cut her up, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent these pieces of her to every part of Israel.
Oduu fie no, ɔtwee afoa de twitwaa ne mpena no mu asinasin dumien. Na ɔde sin baako biara kɔɔ Israel mmusuakuw dumien no mu.
30 Everyone who saw her said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen before, from the time the Israelites left Egypt up until now. You should think about what happened to her! Decide what to do! Speak up!”
Na obiara a ohuu saa aninyanne yi kae se, “Efi bere a Israel fii Misraim no, obi nnii saa amumɔyɛsɛm yi bi da. Adɛn nti na ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛkasa na yɛyɛ ho biribi?”

< Judges 19 >