Juges 19
1 Et il arriva en ces jours-là, quand il n’y avait point de roi en Israël, qu’un Lévite qui séjournait au fond de la montagne d’Éphraïm, prit une concubine de Bethléhem de Juda.
There was a certain man, a Levite, living beside mount Ephraim, who took a wife from Bethlehem of Judah.
2 Et sa concubine lui étant infidèle se prostitua, et s’en alla d’avec lui à la maison de son père, à Bethléhem de Juda; et elle fut là quelque temps, 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 Et son mari se leva, et alla après elle pour parler à son cœur, afin de la ramener, et il avait avec lui son jeune homme et une paire d’ânes. Et elle le fit entrer dans la maison de son père; et quand le père de la jeune femme le vit, il se réjouit de le rencontrer.
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 Et son beau-père, le père de la jeune femme, le retint; et il demeura avec lui trois jours; et ils mangèrent et burent, et ils passèrent la nuit là.
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 Et il arriva, le quatrième jour, qu’ils se levèrent de bonne heure le matin; et, comme il se levait pour s’en aller, le père de la jeune femme dit à son gendre: Fortifie ton cœur avec une bouchée de pain, et après, vous vous en irez.
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 Et ils s’assirent, et mangèrent et burent, eux deux ensemble; et le père de la jeune femme dit à l’homme: Consens, je te prie, et passe [ici] 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 Et l’homme se leva pour s’en aller, mais son beau-père le pressa, et il revint et passa [encore] la nuit là.
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 Et le cinquième jour, il se leva de bonne heure le matin pour s’en aller; mais le père de la jeune femme dit: Je te prie, fortifie ton cœur. Et ils s’attardèrent jusqu’à ce que le jour baissa, et ils mangèrent eux 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 Et l’homme se leva pour s’en aller, lui et sa concubine, et son serviteur. Et son beau-père, le père de la jeune femme, lui dit: Tu vois que le jour faiblit, le soir approche; je vous prie, passez la nuit; voici, le jour tombe, passe ici la nuit, et que ton cœur se réjouisse; et demain vous vous lèverez de bonne heure pour [aller] votre chemin, 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 Mais l’homme ne voulut point passer la nuit, et il se leva, et s’en alla; et il vint jusque vis-à-vis de Jébus qui est Jérusalem, et, avec lui, la paire d’ânes bâtés, et sa concubine avec lui.
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 Ils étaient tout près de Jébus, et le jour avait beaucoup baissé; et le serviteur dit à son maître: Allons, je te prie, et détournons-nous vers cette ville des Jébusiens, et passons-y 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 Et son maître lui dit: Nous ne nous détournerons point vers une ville des étrangers, qui n’est pas des fils d’Israël; mais nous passerons jusqu’à Guibha.
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 Et il dit à son serviteur: Viens, et approchons-nous d’un de ces endroits, et passons la nuit à Guibha ou à Rama.
And when I will have arrived there, we will lodge in that place, or at least in the city of Ramah.”
14 Et ils passèrent plus avant, et marchèrent, et le soleil se coucha, comme ils étaient près de Guibha, qui est 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 Et ils se détournèrent pour entrer [et] pour passer la nuit à Guibha. Et il entra, et s’assit sur la place de la ville, et il n’y eut personne qui les reçoive dans sa maison pour 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 Et voici, sur le soir, un vieillard venait des champs, de son travail; et l’homme était de la montagne d’Éphraïm, et séjournait à Guibha; et les hommes du lieu étaient Benjaminites.
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 Et il leva ses yeux, et vit le voyageur sur la place de la ville; et le vieillard [lui] 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 Et il lui dit: Nous passons de Bethléhem de Juda vers le fond de la montagne d’Éphraïm; je suis de là, et je suis allé à Bethléhem de Juda, et j’ai à faire avec la maison de l’Éternel; 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 Et pourtant j’ai de la paille et du fourrage pour nos ânes, et j’ai aussi du pain et du vin pour moi et pour ta servante, et pour le jeune homme qui est avec tes serviteurs; rien ne nous manque.
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 Et le vieillard lui dit: Paix te soit! Seulement, que tous tes besoins soient à ma charge; 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 Et il le fit entrer dans sa maison, et donna le fourrage aux ânes; et ils lavèrent leurs pieds, et 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 Comme ils faisaient bonne chère, voici, les hommes de la ville, des hommes, fils de Bélial, entourèrent la maison, frappant à la porte; et ils parlèrent au vieillard, maître de la maison, disant: Fais sortir l’homme qui est entré dans ta maison, 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 Et le maître de la maison sortit vers eux, et leur dit: Non, mes frères, ne faites pas [ce] mal, je vous prie; après que cet homme est entré dans ma maison, ne faites 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: laissez-moi les faire sortir, et vous les humilierez, et vous leur ferez ce qu’il vous plaira; mais à cet homme ne faites pas cette chose 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 Mais ces gens ne voulurent pas l’écouter; et l’homme saisit sa concubine et la leur amena dehors; et ils la connurent et abusèrent d’elle toute la nuit jusqu’au matin; et ils la renvoyèrent comme l’aurore se levait.
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 Et comme le matin arrivait, la femme vint et tomba à l’entrée de la maison de l’homme chez qui était son seigneur, [et y resta] 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 Et son seigneur se leva le matin, et ouvrit la porte de la maison, et sortit pour aller son chemin; et voici, la femme, sa concubine, était tombée à l’entrée de la maison, ses 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 Et il lui dit: Lève-toi, et allons-nous-en. Mais personne ne répondit. Et l’homme la prit sur son âne, et se leva et s’en alla en son lieu.
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 Et il entra dans sa maison, et prit le couteau, et saisit sa concubine, et la partagea selon ses os en douze morceaux, et l’envoya dans tous les confins 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 Et il arriva que tous ceux qui virent cela, dirent: Jamais chose pareille n’a eu lieu ni ne s’est vue, depuis le jour où les fils d’Israël sont montés du pays d’Égypte jusqu’à ce jour. Pensez à cela, prenez conseil, et parlez.
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.”
