< Judges 19 >

1 And it came to pass in those days, when, king, there was none in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-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 And his concubine went astray against him, and departed from him, unto the house of her father, in Bethlehem-judah, —and remained there, the space of four months.
Nanso ɔbea no anni no nokware enti ɔsan kɔɔ nʼagya fi wɔ Betlehem. Asram anan akyi no,
3 Then arose her husband, and went after her, to speak unto her heart, that he might bring her back again, having his young man with him, and a couple of asses, —and she brought him into the house of her father, and, when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet 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 And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, constrained him, and he abode with him three days, —and they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
Ɔbea no agya ka kyerɛɛ no se ɔntena nkyɛ kakra. Enti odii nnansa, didi, nom, daa hɔ.
5 And it came to pass, on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, and gat up to go, that the father of the damsel said unto his son-in-law, —Stay thy heart with a morsel of bread, and, afterwards, ye shall go your way.
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 they both of them sat down and did eat together, and drink. Then said the father of the damsel unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry the night, and let thy heart be glad.
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 And, when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, so he turned back and tarried the night there.
Ɔbarima no sɔree sɛ anka ɔrekɔ, nanso nʼase no hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔntena. Enti ɔpenee so daa hɔ anadwo no.
8 And, when he arose early on the morning of the fifth day, to go, the father of the damsel said—Come now, stay thy heart, and tarry ye until the decline of the day. And they did eat, both of them.
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 And, when the man rose up to go—he and his concubine and his young man, —his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, said to him, Come now, see! the day hath sunk down towards evening, come now! tarry the night; lo! the day goeth down, tarry the night here, and let thy heart be glad, so shall ye rise early to-morrow for your journey, and thou shalt go thy way to thine own 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 would not tarry the night, but rose up and went his way, and came as far as over against Jebus, the same, is Jerusalem, —and, with him, were a couple of asses, saddled, his concubine also, was with him.
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 They being by Jebus, and, the day, having gone far down, the young man said unto his lord—Do come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and tarry the night therein.
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 And his lord said unto him, We will not turn aside into a city of aliens, who are, not of the sons of Israel, —but will pass on as far as Gibeah.
Ne wura no buae se, “Dabi, yɛrentumi ntena ananafo kuropɔn a Israelfo nni mu yi mu. Yɛbɛtoa so akɔ Gibea.
13 And he said to his young man, Come and let us draw near unto one of the places, —and tarry the night in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
Yebenya nnabea anadwo yi wɔ Gibea anaa Rama.”
14 So they passed on, and went their way, —and the sun went in upon them beside Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
Enti wɔtoaa so. Wɔrebedu kurow Gibea a ɛwɔ Benyamin asase so no, na owia rekɔtɔ.
15 Then turned they aside there, to go in and tarry the night in Gibeah, —so he went in and abode in the broadway of the city; and there was no one minded to take them into a house, to tarry the night.
Ɛhɔ na wɔdaa anadwo no. Wɔdaa kurow no abɔnten kɛse so, na obiara amfa wɔn ankɔ fie ankɔsom wɔn hɔho.
16 But lo! an old man, coming in from his work, out of the field, in the evening, and, the man, was from the hill country of Ephraim, he himself, being a sojourner in Gibeah, —but, the men of the place, were Benjamites.
Anwummere no, akwakoraa bi fii nʼafum baa fie. Na ofi Efraim bepɔw asase so, nanso na ɔte Gibea wɔ Benyamin asase so.
17 So he lifted up his eyes, and saw a wayfaring man in the broadway of the city, —and the old man said—Whither goest thou? and from whence hast thou come?
Bere a ohuu akwantufo yi sɛ wɔtete kurow no abɔnten kɛse so no, obisaa wɔn faako a wofi ne nea wɔrekɔ.
18 And he said unto him—We, are passing along, from Bethlehem-judah, unto the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, whence I am, but I have been as far as Bethlehem-judah, and now, unto the house of Yahweh, am I going, and there is no one minded to take me into a house.
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 Nevertheless, straw and fodder too, is there for our asses, yea moreover, bread and wine, there are for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants, —there is lack, of nothing.
ɛwɔ mu sɛ yɛwɔ nea ehia yɛn biara. Yɛwɔ sare ne aduan a yɛde bɛma yɛn mfurum; yenhia hwee.”
20 And the old man said—Thou art welcome! only, all thy wants, be on me, —by no means, in the broadway, mayest thou lodge.
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 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses, —and they bathed their feet, and did 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 They, were gladdening their heart, when lo! men of the city, men of the sons of the Abandoned One, beset the house round about, beating violently against the door, —and they spake unto the old man the owner of the house, saying, Bring forth the man that hath entered into thy house, that we may know 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 And the man, the owner of the house, went forth unto them, and said unto them, Do not, my brethren, do not act vilely, I pray you, —after this man hath entered into my house, do not commit this impiety.
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 Lo, my virgin daughter, and his concubine, I must needs now bring, them, forth, and ye must humble, them, and do, unto them, what seemeth good in your own eyes, —but, unto this man, must ye not do this impious thing!
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 would not hearken unto him, so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them, outside, —and they knew, her, and abused her all the night, until the morning, and let her go at the uprisings of the 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 So the woman came in at the turnings of the morning, —and fell down at the entrance of the man’s house where her lord was, and [lay there] till it was 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 So then her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went forth, to go on his journey, —when lo! the woman, his concubine, fallen at the entrance of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.
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 And he said unto her—Up! and let us be going. But there was no answer. So he took her up on the ass, and the man rose up, and went his way to his own place.
Ohuu no no, ɔkae se, “Sɔre! Ma yɛnkɔ!” Nanso wammua. Enti ɔde no too nʼafurum no so de no kɔɔ fie.
29 And, when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, —and sent her throughout all the bounds 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 And so it was, that every one who beheld said—There hath not happened, nor been seen the like of this, from the day when the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt, until this day: Put it to yourselves contemning it, take counsel and speak!
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 >