< Judges 19 >

1 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a man, a Levite, living for a while in the most remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. He took for himself a woman, a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
Matukũ-inĩ macio Isiraeli gũtiarĩ na mũthamaki. Na rĩrĩ, Mũlawii watũũraga kũndũ kũraya thĩinĩ wa bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu nĩaigire thuriya ya kuuma Bethilehemu kũu Juda.
2 But his concubine was unfaithful to him; she left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem of Judah. She stayed there for four months.
No thuriya ĩyo ĩkĩaga kwĩhokeka kũrĩ we. Nayo ĩkĩmũtiga ĩgĩcooka mũciĩ gwa ithe kũu Bethilehemu ya Juda. Thuutha wa gũkorwo kũu mĩeri ĩna,
3 Then her husband got up and went after her in order to persuade her to come back. His servant was with him, and a pair of donkeys. She brought him into her father's house. When the girl's father saw him, he was glad.
mũthuuri wake agĩthiĩ kũrĩ we kũmũringĩrĩria acooke. Aathiire na ndungata yake na ndigiri igĩrĩ. Nake mũtumia ũcio akĩmũtoonyia nyũmba ya ithe, na rĩrĩa ithe aamuonire, akĩmũnyiita ũgeni akenete.
4 His father-in-law, the girl's father, persuaded him to stay for three days. They ate and drank, and they spent the night there.
Mũthoni-we, ithe wa mũirĩtu ũcio, akĩmũringĩrĩria aikare; nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩikara hamwe nake mĩthenya ĩtatũ, arĩĩaga na akanyua, na agakoma kuo.
5 On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to go, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen yourself with a bit of bread, then you may go.”
Mũthenya wa ĩna magĩũkĩra tene na akĩĩhaarĩria oimagare, no ithe wa mũirĩtu akĩĩra mũthoni-we ũcio atĩrĩ, “Wĩkenie na kĩndũ gĩa kũrĩa; ũgĩcooke ũgĩthiĩ.”
6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Then the girl's father said, “Please be willing to spend the night and have a good time.”
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio eerĩ magĩikara thĩ kũrĩa na kũnyua. Thuutha-inĩ ithe wa mũirĩtu akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ndagũthaitha raara na wĩkenie.”
7 When the Levite got up to leave, the father of the young woman urged him to stay, so he changed his plan and spent the night there again.
Na hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ ũcio ookĩrire athiĩ, mũthoni-we akĩmũringĩrĩria araare; nĩ ũndũ ũcio akĩraara ũtukũ ũcio.
8 On the fifth day he woke up early to leave, but the girl's father said, “Strengthen yourself, and wait until the afternoon.” So the two of them had a meal.
Rũciinĩ rwa mũthenya wa gatano, okĩra athiĩ, ithe wa mũirĩtu ũcio akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wĩkenie. Eterera nginya mĩaraho!” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio eerĩ makĩrĩanĩra.
9 When the Levite and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his father-in-law, the girl's father said to him, “See, now the day is advancing toward evening. Please stay another night, and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and go back home.”
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ ũcio, hamwe na thuriya yake na ndungata yake, mookĩrire mathiĩ, mũthoni-we, ithe wa mũirĩtu ũcio, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ta thikĩrĩria, nĩ hakuhĩ hwaĩ-inĩ raarĩrĩra nĩ ũndũ gũkirie gũtuka. Ikara ũhurũke. Rũciũ rũciinĩ tene no ũũkĩre ũinũke.”
10 But the Levite was not willing to spend the night. He got up and left. He went toward Jebus (that is Jerusalem). He had a pair of saddled donkeys—and his concubine was with him.
No rĩrĩ, tondũ ndendire gũikara ũtukũ ũngĩ, mũndũ ũcio akiuma kuo agĩthiĩ erekeire mwena wa Jebusi (na nĩkuo, Jerusalemu), arĩ na ndigiri ciake cierĩ ciohetwo matandĩko na thuriya yake.
11 When they were near Jebus, the day was nearly over, and the servant said to his master, “Come, let us turn aside to the city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.”
Rĩrĩa maakuhĩrĩirie Jebusi na kũrĩ hakuhĩ gũtuka-rĩ, ndungata ĩyo ĩkĩĩra mwathi wayo atĩrĩ, “Rĩu-rĩ, reke tũtithie gũkũ itũũra-inĩ rĩĩrĩ inene rĩa Ajebusi tũraarĩrĩre kuo.”
12 His master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who do not belong to the people of Israel. We will go on to Gibeah.”
Mwathi wayo agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Aca. Tũtigũtoonya itũũra inene rĩa andũ ageni, andũ a rĩo ti Aisiraeli. Tũgũthiĩ nginya tũkinye Gibea.”
13 The Levite said to his young man, “Come, let us go to one of those other places, and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
Nake akiuga o rĩngĩ atĩrĩ, “Nĩtũthiĩ tũgerie gũkinya Gibea kana Rama na tũrarĩrĩre itũũra rĩmwe rĩamo.”
14 So they went on, and the sun set as they came near to Gibeah, in the territory of Benjamin.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩthiĩ na mbere, narĩo riũa rĩgĩthũa magĩkorwo maakuhĩrĩria Gibea, kũu Benjamini.
15 They turned aside there to spend the night in Gibeah. They went and sat down in the city square, but no one took them into his house for the night.
Kũu nĩkuo maatithirie maraarĩrĩre. Nao magĩthiĩ magĩikara thĩ kĩhaaro-inĩ kĩnene gĩa itũũra rĩu inene, no gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe wamanyiitire ũgeni mararĩrĩre gwake.
16 But then an old man was coming from his work in the field that evening. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying for a while in Gibeah. But the men living in that place were Benjamites.
Hwaĩ-inĩ ũcio, mũthuuri ũmwe mũkũrũ wa kuuma bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu, watũũraga Gibea, (andũ a kũu maarĩ Abenjamini), agĩũka oimĩte wĩra mĩgũnda-inĩ.
17 He raised his eyes and saw the traveler in the city square. The old man said, “Where are you going? Where are you coming from?”
Na rĩrĩa aarorire akĩona mũgendi ũcio hau kĩhaaro-inĩ gĩa itũũra inene, mũthuuri ũcio akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Wathiĩ kũ na uumĩte kũ?”
18 The Levite said to him, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to the most remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, which is where I come from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to the house of Yahweh, but there is no one who will take me into his house.
Agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Tuumĩte Bethilehemu ya Juda twerekeire kũndũ kũraya thĩinĩ wa bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu kũrĩa ndũũraga. Ndĩrarĩ Bethilehemu ya Juda na rĩu ndĩrathiĩ nyũmba ya Jehova. Gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe ũũnyiitĩte ũgeni gwake.
19 We have straw and feed for our donkeys, and there is bread and wine for me and your female servant here, and for this young man with your servants. We lack nothing.”
Ithuĩ tũrĩ na mahuti na irio cia ndigiri ciitũ na mĩgate na ndibei nĩ ũndũ witũ ithuĩ ndungata ciaku, niĩ, na ndungata yaku ya mũirĩtu, na mwanake ũyũ tũrĩ nake. Tũtikũbatario nĩ kĩndũ o na kĩ.”
20 The old man greeted them, “Peace be with you! I will take care of all your needs. Only do not spend the night in the square.”
Nake mũthuuri ũcio mũkũrũ akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩũnyiitĩtwo ũgeni nyũmba-inĩ ĩno yakwa, reke ngũhe kĩrĩa gĩothe ũbatarĩtio nĩkĩo, no ndũkaraare kĩhaaro.”
21 So the man brought the Levite into his house and gave feed to the donkeys. They washed their feet and ate and drank.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio akĩmũtoonyia nyũmba yake na akĩhe ndigiri ciake gĩa kũrĩa. Maarĩkia gwĩthamba magũrũ-rĩ, makĩrĩa na makĩnyua.
22 While they were making their hearts glad, some men of the city, worthless men, surrounded the house, beating on the door. They spoke to the old man, the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, so we can have sex with him.”
Na hĩndĩ o ĩyo meekenagia-rĩ, andũ amwe aaganu a itũũra rĩu inene makĩrigiicĩria nyũmba ĩyo. Makĩhũũra mũrango, na makĩgũthũkĩra mũthuuri ũcio mũkũrũ ũrĩa warĩ mwene nyũmba ĩyo, makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ruta mũndũ ũcio ũũkire nyũmba yaku nĩguo tũkome nake.”
23 The man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not do this evil thing! Since this man is a guest in my house, do not do this wicked thing!
Mwene nyũmba ĩyo akiuma na nja akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Aca, arata akwa, mũtigeke ũndũ wa waganu ũguo. Kuona atĩ mũndũ ũyũ nĩ mũgeni wakwa-rĩ, tigai gwĩka ũndũ ũyũ wa thoni ũguo.
24 See, my virgin daughter and his concubine are here. Let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them whatever you like. But do not do such a wicked thing to this man!”
Thikĩrĩriai, haha harĩ mũirĩtu wakwa gathirange, na thuriya ya mũgeni ũyũ. Nĩngũmaruta na nja kũrĩ inyuĩ rĩu, na no mũmahũthĩre na mũmeke o ũrĩa mũngĩenda. No mũndũ ũyũ-rĩ, mũtikamwĩke ũndũ wa thoni ta ũcio.”
25 But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them. They raped her and abused her all throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.
No andũ acio matiigana kũmũthikĩrĩria. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, mũndũ ũcio akĩoya thuriya yake na akĩmĩruta na nja kũrĩ o, nao makĩmĩnyiita na hinya na makĩmĩnyariira ũtukũ wothe, na gwakĩa makĩreka ĩĩthiĩre.
26 At dawn the woman came and she fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, and she lay there until it was light.
Na gũgĩthererũka-rĩ, mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio agĩcooka nyũmba kũrĩa mwathi wake aarĩ, akĩgũa thĩ hau mũrango-inĩ, na agĩkoma ho nginya gũgĩkĩa.
27 Her master rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way. He could see his concubine lying there at the door, with her hands on the threshold.
Na rĩrĩa mwathi wake ookĩrire rũciinĩ na akĩhingũra mũrango wa nyũmba akiuma nja nĩguo ethiĩre-rĩ, thuriya yake yakomete hau ĩgwĩte mũromo-inĩ wa nyũmba, namo moko mayo maarĩ hingĩro-inĩ.
28 The Levite said to her, “Get up. Let us go.” But there was no answer. He put her on the donkey, and the man set out for home.
Nake akĩmĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũkĩra; reke tũthiĩ.” No ndĩacookirie. Nake mũndũ ũcio agĩcooka akĩmĩoya, akĩmĩigĩrĩra igũrũ rĩa ndigiri yake, makĩinũka.
29 When the Levite came to his house, he took a knife, and he took hold of his concubine, and cut her up, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent the pieces everywhere throughout Israel.
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa aakinyire mũciĩ-rĩ, akĩoya kahiũ agĩtinangia thuriya yake kĩĩga o kĩĩga icunjĩ ikũmi na igĩrĩ, agĩcitũma ngʼongo ciothe cia Isiraeli,
30 All who saw this said, “Such a thing has never been done or seen from the day the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this present day. Think about it! Give us advice! Tell us what to do!”
na mũndũ o wothe ũrĩa wonire ũndũ ũcio akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ta ũyũ ndũrĩ wonwo kana ũgĩĩkwo, kuuma mũthenya ũrĩa andũ a Isiraeli moimire bũrũri wa Misiri. Teciriei ũhoro ũcio na mũwĩcũũranie, mũtwĩre ũrĩa tũgwĩka!”

< Judges 19 >