Juges 19
1 Dans ce temps, alors qu'il n'y avait pas de roi en Israël, un Lévite, qui séjournait à l'extrémité de la montagne d'Ephraïm, prit pour concubine une femme de Bethléem de Juda.
There was a certain man, a Levite, living beside mount Ephraim, who took a wife from Bethlehem of Judah.
2 Sa concubine lui fut infidèle, et elle le quitta pour aller dans la maison de son père à Bethléem de Juda, où elle resta l'espace de quatre mois.
She left him, and she returned to the house of her father in Bethlehem. And she stayed with him for four months.
3 Son mari se leva et alla vers elle, pour parler à son cœur et la ramener à lui; il avait avec lui son serviteur et deux ânes. Elle le fit entrer dans la maison de son père; et quand le père de la jeune femme le vit, il alla avec joie au-devant de lui.
And her husband followed her, wishing to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to lead her back with him. And he had with him a servant and two donkeys. And she received him, and brought him into the house of her father. And when his father-in-law had heard about this, and had seen him, he met him with joy.
4 Son beau-père, le père de la jeune femme, le retint, et il demeura chez lui trois jours; ils mangèrent et burent, et ils y séjournèrent.
And he embraced the man. And the son-in-law stayed in the house of his father-in-law for three days, eating and drinking with him in a friendly manner.
5 Le quatrième jour, ils se levèrent de bon matin et le Lévite se disposait à partir. Mais le père de la jeune femme dit à son gendre: " Fortifie ton cœur en prenant un morceau de pain, et vous partirez ensuite. "
But on the fourth day, arising in the night, he intended to set out. But his father-in-law took hold of him, and he said to him, “First taste a little bread, and strengthen your stomach, and then you shall set out.”
6 S'étant assis, ils mangèrent tous deux ensemble et burent. Puis le père de la jeune femme dit au mari: " Consens, je te prie, à passer la nuit, et que ton cœur se réjouisse. "
And they sat down together, and they ate and drank. And the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “I ask you to remain here today, so that we may rejoice together.”
7 Le mari se leva pour s'en aller; mais, sur les instances de son beau-père, il revint et y passa encore la nuit.
But getting up, he intended to begin to set out. But nevertheless, his father-in-law pressed him resolutely, and made him remain with him.
8 Le cinquième jour, il se leva de bon matin pour partir. Alors le père de la jeune femme dit: " Fortifie ton cœur, je te prie, et diffère jusqu'au déclin du jour. " Et ils mangèrent tous deux.
But when morning came, the Levite was preparing for his journey. And his father-in-law said to him again, “I beg you to take a little food, and to be strengthened, until the daylight increases, and after that, you shall set out.” Therefore, they ate together.
9 Le mari se levait pour s'en aller, lui, sa concubine et son serviteur; mais son beau-père, le père de la jeune femme, lui dit: " Voici, le jour s'incline vers le soir; je vous prie, passez donc ici la nuit; voici que le jour baisse, passe ici la nuit, et que ton cœur se réjouisse; demain vous vous lèverez de bon matin pour vous mettre en route, et tu t'en iras à ta tente. "
And the young man got up, so that he might travel with his wife and servant. And his father-in-law spoke to him again: “Consider that the daylight is declining, and it approaches toward evening. Remain with me also today, and spend the day in gladness. And tomorrow you shall set out, so that you may go to your own house.”
10 Le mari ne consentit pas à passer la nuit; il se leva et partit. Il vint jusqu'en face de Jébus, qui est Jérusalem, ayant avec lui les deux ânes bâtés et sa concubine.
His son-in-law was not willing to agree to his words. Instead, he immediately continued on, and he arrived opposite Jebus, which by another name is called Jerusalem, leading with him two donkeys carrying burdens, and his mate.
11 Lorsqu'ils furent près de Jébus, le jour avait beaucoup baissé. Le serviteur dit alors à son maître: " Viens, je te prie, détournons-nous vers cette ville des Jébuséens, et nous y passerons la nuit. "
And now they were near Jebus, but day was turning into night. And the servant said to his lord, “Come, I beg you, let us turn aside to the city of the Jebusites, so that we may find lodging in it.”
12 Son maître lui répondit: " Nous ne nous détournerons pas vers une ville étrangère, où il n'y a pas d'enfants d'Israël; nous passerons jusqu'à Gabaa. "
His lord responded to him: “I will not enter into the town of a foreign people, who are not of the sons of Israel. Instead, I will cross over as far as Gibeah.
13 il dit encore à son serviteur: " Allons, tâchons d'atteindre l'une de ces localités pour y passer la nuit, Gabaa ou Rama. "
And when I will have arrived there, we will lodge in that place, or at least in the city of Ramah.”
14 Ils continuèrent à marcher, et le soleil se coucha lorsqu'ils furent près de Gabaa, qui appartient à Benjamin.
Therefore, they passed by Jebus, and continuing on, they undertook the journey. But the sun went down on them when they were near Gibeah, which is of the tribe of Benjamin.
15 Ils se détournèrent de ce côté, pour aller passer la nuit à Gabaa. Le Lévite, étant entré, s'arrêta sur la place de la ville, et il n'y eut personne qui les reçut dans sa maison pour y passer la nuit.
And so they diverted to it, so that they might lodge there. And when they had entered, they were sitting in the street of the city. For no one was willing to give them hospitality.
16 Mais voici qu'un vieillard revenait le soir de travailler aux champs; c'était un homme de la montagne d'Ephraïm, qui séjournait à Gabaa, et les gens du lieu étaient Benjamites.
And behold, they saw an old man, returning from the field and from his work in the evening, and he was also from mount Ephraim, and he was living as a stranger in Gibeah. For the men of that region were of the sons of Benjamin.
17 Ayant levé les yeux, il vit le voyageur sur la place de la ville, et le vieillard dit: " Où vas-tu et d'où viens-tu? "
And the old man, lifting up his eyes, saw the man sitting with his bundles in the street of the city. And he said to him: “Where have you come from? And where are you going?”
18 Il lui répondit: " Nous allons de Bethléem de Juda jusqu'à l'extrémité de la montagne d'Ephraïm, d'où je suis. J'étais allé à Bethléem de Juda, et maintenant je vais à la maison de Yahweh, et il n'y a personne qui me reçoive dans sa maison.
He answered him: “We set out from Bethlehem of Judah, and we are traveling to our own place, which is beside mount Ephraim. From there we went to Bethlehem, and now we go to the house of God. But no one is willing to receive us under his roof.
19 Nous avons cependant de la paille et du fourrage pour nos ânes, et aussi du pain et du vin pour moi, pour ta servante et pour le jeune homme qui est avec tes serviteurs; nous ne manquons de rien. "
We have straw and hay as fodder for the donkeys, and we have bread and wine for the use of myself, and for your handmaid and the servant who is with me. We lack nothing except lodging.”
20 Le vieillard dit: " La paix soit avec toi! Seulement je pourvoirai à tous tes besoins; mais ne passe pas la nuit sur la place. "
And the old man responded to him: “Peace be with you. I will provide all that is necessary. Only, I beg you, do not stay in the street.”
21 Il le fit entrer dans sa maison, et il donna du fourrage aux ânes; les voyageurs se lavèrent les pieds, puis ils mangèrent et burent.
And he led him into his house, and he gave fodder to his donkeys. And after they had washed their feet, he received them with a banquet.
22 Pendant qu'ils réjouissaient leur cœur, voici, que des hommes de la ville, gens pervers, entourèrent la maison et, frappant avec force à la porte, ils dirent au vieillard, maître de la maison: " Fais sortir l'homme qui est entré chez toi, afin que nous le connaissions. "
And while they were feasting, and were refreshing their bodies with food and drink after the labor of the journey, the men of that city, sons of Belial (that is, without yoke), came and surrounded the old man’s house. And they began to knock at the door, calling out to the lord of the house, and saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house, so that we may abuse him.”
23 Le maître de la maison sortit vers eux et leur dit: " Non, mes frères, ne faites pas le mal, je vous prie; puisque cet homme est entré dans ma maison, ne commettez pas cette infamie.
And the old man went out to them, and he said: “Do not choose, brothers, do not choose to do this evil. For this man has entered to my hospitality. And you must cease from this senselessness.
24 Voici ma fille qui est vierge, et sa concubine; je vous les amènerai dehors, vous leur ferez violence et vous les traiterez comme il vous plaira; mais ne commettez pas sur cet homme une action aussi infâme. "
I have a virgin daughter, and this man has a mate. I will lead them out to you, so that you may debase them and may satisfy your lust. Only, I beg you, do not commit this crime against nature on the man.”
25 Ces hommes ne voulurent pas l'écouter. Alors l'homme prit sa concubine et la leur amena dehors. Ils la connurent et ils abusèrent d'elle toute la nuit jusqu'au matin, et ils la renvoyèrent au lever de l'aurore.
But they were not willing to agree to his words. So the man, discerning this, led out his mate to them, and he delivered her to their sexual abuse. And when they had abused her for the entire night, they released her in the morning.
26 Vers le matin, cette femme vint tomber à l'entrée de la maison de l'homme chez qui était son mari, et elle resta là jusqu'au jour.
But the woman, as darkness was receding, came to the door of the house, where her lord was staying, and there she fell down.
27 Son mari se leva le matin et, ayant ouvert la porte de la maison, il sortit pour continuer sa route. Et voici que la femme, sa concubine, était étendue à l'entrée de la maison, les mains sur le seuil.
When morning came, the man arose, and he opened the door, so that he might complete the journey that he had begun. And behold, his mate was lying before the door, with her hands reaching out to the threshold.
28 Il lui dit: " Lève-toi et allons-nous-en. " Et personne ne répondit. Alors le mari la mit sur son âne et partit pour aller dans sa demeure.
And he, thinking that she was resting, said to her, “Get up, and let us walk.” But since she gave no response, realizing that she had died, he took her up, and he laid her on his donkey, and he returned to his house.
29 Arrivé chez lui, il prit un couteau et, saisissant sa concubine, il la coupa membre par membre en douze morceaux, et l'envoya dans tout le territoire d'Israël.
And when he had arrived, he took up a sword, and he cut into pieces the dead body of his wife, with her bones, into twelve parts. And he sent the pieces into all the parts of Israel.
30 Tous ceux qui virent cela dirent: " Jamais chose pareille n'est arrivée et ne s'est vue depuis que les enfants d'Israël sont montés du pays d'Egypte jusqu'à ce jour; réfléchissez-y, consultez-vous et prononcez. "
And when each one had seen this, they were crying out together, “Never has such a thing been done in Israel, from the day that our fathers ascended from Egypt, even to the present time. Let a sentence be brought and let us decide in common what ought to be done.”
