Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo 19
1 Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, fia aɖeke menɔ Israel o. Ŋutsu aɖe tso Levi ƒe viwo dome nɔ Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi ƒe kɔƒe aɖe me. Etsɔ ahiãvi tso Betlehem le Yuda.
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 Ke nyɔnuvi la do dɔmedzoe ɖe eŋu eye wòsi yi fofoa gbɔ le Betlehem, henɔ afi ma ɣleti ene.
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 Ŋutsu sia kplɔ subɔla ɖeka kple tedzi eve yi be yewoable ahiãvi la nu akplɔe agbɔe. Esi woɖo Betlehem la, nyɔnuvi la xɔ wo nyuie eye wòɖe wo fia fofoa, ame si hã xɔ wo nyuie
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 eye wòbia tso wo si be woanɔ yewo gbɔ vie. Ale wonɔ wo gbɔ ŋkeke etɔ̃ le dzidzɔ kple dzidzeme me. Woɖu nu, no nu eye wotsi afi ma dɔ ŋkeke etɔ̃.
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 Le ŋkeke enelia gbe la, wofɔ kaba hedzra ɖo na dzodzo, ke nyɔnuvi la fofo zi wo dzi be woaɖu ŋdinu gbã.
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 Ale wo kple eve la wonɔ anyi, eye woɖu nu, no nu ɖekae. Emegbe la nyɔnuvi la fofo gblɔ be, “Meɖe kuku tsi mía gbɔ egbe sia hã eye nàdo dzidzɔ na ɖokuiwò.”
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 Ŋutsu la melɔ̃ ɖe edzi gbã o gake aƒea tɔ ƒoe ɖe enu va se ɖe esime wòlɔ̃.
The man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.
8 Esi ŋu ke la, wogafɔ kaba hena dzodzo gake nyɔnuvi la fofo gagblɔ nɛ be, “Miganɔ anyi egbea ko eye miadzo egbe fiẽ.” Ale woganɔ anyi, ɖu nu, no nu ŋkeke ɖeka kpee.
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 Gbe ma gbe ɣetrɔ esi Levitɔ la kple eƒe ahiãvi la kple subɔla la nɔ dzadzram ɖo na dzodzo la, nyɔnuvi la fofo gagblɔ na wo be, “Zã do xoxo, miganɔ mía gbɔ zã sia hã; míagaɖu nu, miano nu, ekema miate ŋu adze mɔ ŋdi kanya.”
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 toward 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 Ke ŋutsu la melɔ̃ be yeagatsi anyi zã ma me o, ale wodze mɔ heɖo ta Yebus si woyɔna hã be Yerusalem kple eƒe tedzi eve siwo wodo agba na kple eƒe ahiãvi la.
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 Esi woɖo afi ma la, subɔla la gblɔ nɛ be, “Zã do akpa na mɔzɔzɔ eya ta na míatsi afi sia adɔ.”
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 Ŋutsu la ɖo eŋu be, “Ao, míayi amedzrowo ƒe du me, du si me tɔwo menye Israelviwo o. Míayi 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 Eyi edzi be, “Mina míadze agbagba be míaɖo Gibea alo Rama eye míatsi teƒe mawo dometɔ ɖeka adɔ.”
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 Ale woyi mɔzɔzɔ la dzi. Ɣe nɔ to ɖom esime wova ɖo Gibea, si nye Benyamin ƒe du sue aɖe me.
So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15 Woɖo be yewoatsi afi ma adɔ, ke esi ame aɖeke mekpe wo be woava dze ye gbɔ o ta la, wodro ɖe dua ƒe ablɔme.
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 Sẽe ko la, ŋutsu tsitsi aɖe tso agble gbɔ va yina aƒe me. Etso Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi, ke fifia la ele Gibea, togbɔ be Gibea nɔ Benyamin ƒe anyigba dzi hã.
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 Esi wòkpɔ be amedzroawo dro ɖe ablɔme la, ebia afi si wotso kple afi si woyina la wo.
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 Levitɔ la ɖo eŋu be, “Míetso Betlehem le Yuda eye míeyina Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi ƒe mlɔea nu te ɖe Silo ŋu. Ame aɖeke mekpe mí be míava dze ye gbɔ o,
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 Yahweh’s house; and there is no one who has taken me into his house.
19 togbɔ be nuɖuɖu le mía si na míaƒe tedziwo eye nuɖuɖu kple wain hã sɔ gbɔ na nye ŋutɔ kple nye ahiãvi kple subɔla la hã hafi.”
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 Ŋutsu tsitsi la gblɔ be, “Miva dze gbɔnye, menyo be miatsi ablɔme le afi sia o elabena mianɔ dedie o.”
The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.”
21 Ŋutsu tsitsi la kplɔ wo yi aƒe mee, ena nuɖuɖu woƒe tedziwo. Esi woklɔ woƒe afɔwo vɔ la, woɖu nu eye wono nu.
So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22 Esi wonɔ dzidzɔ dom na wo ɖokui la, ŋutsu vlo aɖewo tso dua me va ƒo xlã aƒe la eye wonɔ ʋɔa ƒom sesĩe nɔ ɣli dom bobobo gblɔ na ŋutsu tsitsi la be, “Kplɔ ŋutsu si va dze aƒewò me la do goe ne míadɔ kplii.”
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 Aƒea tɔ do ɖe wo ŋuti eye wògblɔ na wo be, “Ao, xɔ̃nyewo, migawɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi sia o. Esi ŋutsu sia nye nye amedzro ta la, migawɔ ŋukpenanu sia ɖe eŋuti o.
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 Mina maɖe asi le vinye ɖetugbi si menya ŋutsu haɖe o kple ŋutsu la ƒe ahiãvi ŋuti na mi. Makplɔ wo do goe eye miate ŋu awɔ nu sia nu kpli wo, gake migawɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi, nyɔŋu sia tɔgbi ɖe ŋutsu sia ŋu o.”
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 Ame vloawo meɖo toe o. Tete Levitɔ la he ahiãvi la do goe tso xɔ la me na wo. Ameawo wɔ fui, dɔ kplii ɖekaɖeka to zã blibo la me. Esi woɖe asi le eŋu mlɔeba le fɔŋli la,
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 eyi eƒe aƒetɔ ƒe aƒe me, edze anyi ɖe aƒea ƒe mɔnu eye wòtsi afi ma va se ɖe esime ŋu ke nyuie.
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 Esi Levitɔ la ʋu ʋɔa hena mɔdzedze la, ekpɔ eƒe ahiãvi la wòmlɔ anyigba le ʋɔtrua ŋgɔ, eye eƒe asiwo nɔ kpui dzi.
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 Egblɔ nɛ be, “Tso mídzo,” gake meɖo nya la ŋu nɛ o. Tete ŋutsu la kɔe da ɖe eƒe tedzi dzi eye wolé aƒemɔ tsɔ.
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 Esi wòɖo aƒe la, etsɔ hɛ fli eƒe ahiãvi la ɖe eƒe ƒunuɖeƒewo ɖe akpa wuieve me eye wòɖo akpa ɖeka ɖe Israel ƒe to ɖe sia ɖe.
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 Ame sia ame si kpɔ nu sia la gblɔ be, “Womekpɔ nu sia tɔgbi kpɔ alo wòdzɔ kpɔ tso esime Israelviwo do go tso Egipte la o. Mibu eŋuti! Mide ŋugble le eŋuti! Migblɔ nu si míawɔ la na mí!”
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.”
