< Judges 19 >

1 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.
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 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.
Nanso ɔbea no anni no nokware enti ɔsan kɔɔ nʼagya fi wɔ Betlehem. Asram anan akyi no,
3 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.
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 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.
Ɔbea no agya ka kyerɛɛ no se ɔntena nkyɛ kakra. Enti odii nnansa, didi, nom, daa hɔ.
5 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.”
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 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.”
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 rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.
Ɔbarima no sɔree sɛ anka ɔrekɔ, nanso nʼase no hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔntena. Enti ɔpenee so daa hɔ anadwo no.
8 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.
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 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.”
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 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.
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 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.”
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 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.”
Ne wura no buae se, “Dabi, yɛrentumi ntena ananafo kuropɔn a Israelfo nni mu yi mu. Yɛbɛtoa so akɔ Gibea.
13 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.”
Yebenya nnabea anadwo yi wɔ Gibea anaa Rama.”
14 So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
Enti wɔtoaa so. Wɔrebedu kurow Gibea a ɛwɔ Benyamin asase so no, na owia rekɔtɔ.
15 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.
Ɛhɔ na wɔdaa anadwo no. Wɔdaa kurow no abɔnten kɛse so, na obiara amfa wɔn ankɔ fie ankɔsom wɔn hɔho.
16 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.
Anwummere no, akwakoraa bi fii nʼafum baa fie. Na ofi Efraim bepɔw asase so, nanso na ɔte Gibea wɔ Benyamin asase so.
17 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?”
Bere a ohuu akwantufo yi sɛ wɔtete kurow no abɔnten kɛse so no, obisaa wɔn faako a wofi ne nea wɔrekɔ.
18 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.
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 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.”
ɛwɔ mu sɛ yɛwɔ nea ehia yɛn biara. Yɛwɔ sare ne aduan a yɛde bɛma yɛn mfurum; yenhia hwee.”
20 The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.”
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 the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
Enti ɔfaa wɔn de wɔn kɔɔ ne fi, na ɔmaa wɔn mfurum no aduan. Wɔhohoroo wɔn nan ase wiei no, wɔbɔɔ mu didii.
22 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!”
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, 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.
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 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.”
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
Ohuu no no, ɔkae se, “Sɔre! Ma yɛnkɔ!” Nanso wammua. Enti ɔde no too nʼafurum no so de no kɔɔ fie.
29 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.
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 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.”
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 >