Ndị Ikpe 19
1 Nʼoge a, Izrel enweghị eze na-achị ha. Nʼoge ahụ kwa, ọ dị otu nwoke, onye Livayị bi nʼebe dị anya nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem. Nwoke a gara Betlehem, nʼime Juda, kpọrọ otu nwaagbọghọ ka ọ bụrụ iko ya nwanyị.
Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
2 Ma iko ya nwanyị ahụ kwara iko megide ya. Ọ hapụrụ ya laghachi nʼezinaụlọ nne na nna ya na Betlehem, Juda. Ọ nọrọ ọnwa anọ nʼebe ahụ.
But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,
3 Nwoke ahụ kpebiri ịga nʼụlọ nna nwaagbọghọ ahụ ịrịọ ya ka ọ lọghachi. Ọ kpọọrọ otu nʼime ndị ohu ya, duru ịnyịnya ibu abụọ. Mgbe nwoke ahụ bịaruru nʼụlọ ahụ, iko ya nwanyị kpọbatara ya nʼụlọ nna ya. Mgbe nna nwaagbọghọ ahụ hụrụ ya, o jiri ọṅụ kelee ya ekele.
her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
4 Nna nwanyị ahụ rịọrọ ya ka ọ nọnyere ha ụfọdụ oge. Nʼihi nke a, ọ nọnyeere ha ụbọchị atọ. Ha niile nọrọ ọnọdụ obi ụtọ abalị atọ ahụ niile, rie ṅụọkwa.
His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there.
5 Nʼụbọchị nke anọ, nwoke ahụ na iko ya jikeere nʼisi ụtụtụ ịlaghachi. Ma nna nwanyị ahụ rịọrọ ha sị ha, “Jirinụ ihe oriri gbaanụ onwe unu ume. Emesịa unu nwere ike ịlawa.”
On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to depart, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and then you can go.”
6 Ya mere, ha abụọ nọdụrụ ala rie ihe, ṅụọkwa ihe ọṅụṅụ. Mgbe e mesiri, nna nwaagbọghọ ahụ sịrị ha, “Biko, nọdụnụ rahụ ụra nʼabalị taa, meekwanụ onwe unu obi ụtọ.”
So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and let your heart be merry.”
7 Ma mgbe nwoke ahụ biliri ka ọ laa, nna nwaagbọghọ ahụ, nọgidere ya, nke a mere ka o kwenye ịnọ ruo echi ya.
The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.
8 Nʼisi ụtụtụ ụbọchị nke ise, ha bilikwara ngwangwa jikere ịhapụ ma ịlaghachi. Ọzọkwa, nna nwaagbọghọ ahụ rịọkwara ha sị ha, “Biko, nọgidenụ nʼụtụtụ taa, ma nʼoge ehihie unu nwere ike laa.” Nʼihi nke a, ha nọgidekwara rie, ṅụọ.
On the fifth day, he got up early in the morning to depart, but the girl’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate.
9 Mgbe nwoke ahụ na iko ya nwanyị, na ohu ya, jikeere ịhapụ, nna nwaagbọghọ ahụ rịọkwara ha sị ha, “Biko, lee chi ebidola iji ugbu a, abalị adịkwala nso. Biko, nọgide nʼụlọ m naanị abalị taa. Anyị ga-emekwa onwe anyị obi ụtọ abalị taa niile. Ma unu ga-amalite ije unu nʼisi ụtụtụ echi. Mgbe ahụ, unu ga-ala nʼudo.”
When the man got up to depart with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing to a close. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, that your heart may be merry. Then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey home.”
10 Ma nwoke ahụ ekweghị ịnọ ọnọdụ abalị ọzọ, ọ hapụrụ gawa nʼụzọ ije Jebus (ya bụ Jerusalem), ya na ịnyịnya ibu ya abụọ akwadoro maka njem nakwa iko ya nwanyị.
But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
11 Ha rutere ebe ahụ oge chi na-akwado iji. Ohu ya sịrị nna ya ukwu, “Bịa, ka anyị kwụsị nʼobodo ndị Jebus a, nọ ọnọdụ abalị.”
When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Please, let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here.”
12 Ma nna ya ukwu zaghachiri, “Mba! Anyị agaghị aba nʼobodo ndị na abụghị ụmụ Izrel. Anyị ga-aga nʼihu ruo Gibea.”
But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.”
13 O kwukwara sị, “Bịa ka anyị gbalịa iru Gibea maọbụ Rema, nọọ ọnọdụ abalị nʼotu nʼime ebe ndị a.”
He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
14 Ya mere, ha gara nʼihu nʼije ha. Anwụ dara dịka ha na-eru Gibea dị na Benjamin.
So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
15 Nʼebe ahụ ka ha kwụsịrị ịnọ ọnọdụ abalị. Ha gara nọrọ na mbara ama obodo ahụ, ma o nweghị onye ọbụla kpọbatara ha ka ha rahụ ụra nʼụlọ ya.
They stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for the night.
16 Nʼanyasị ahụ, otu agadi nwoke zutere ha ka o si ịrụ ọrụ nʼubi na-alọghachi, onye si nʼobodo ugwu ugwu Ifrem, ma o bi ka onye ọbịa na Gibea (ndị bi nʼebe a bụ ndị Benjamin).
That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was residing in Gibeah (the men of that place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the field.
17 Mgbe agadi nwoke a hụrụ ndị ije ahụ na mbara ama obodo ahụ, ọ jụrụ ha ajụjụ sị, “Ebee ka unu si bịa? Ebee ka unu na-aga?”
When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where have you come from?”
18 Nwoke ahụ zara sị ya, “Anyị si Betlehem dị na Juda na-alọghachi nʼụlọ anyị dị nʼebe dị anya nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem. Esi m ebe ahụ gaa Betlehem dị na Juda, ma ugbu a, ana m aga nʼụlọ Onyenwe anyị. O nweghị onye kpọbatara anyị nʼụlọ ya.
The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home,
19 Anyị nwere ihe oriri nke ịnyịnya ibu anyị ga-eri, achịcha na mmanya nke anyị bụ ndị ohu gị ga-eri, ya bụ, mụ onwe m na ohu gị nwanyị na nwokorobịa so anyị. Anyị achọghị ihe ọbụla nʼaka onye ọbụla.”
even though there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and the maidservant and young man with me. There is nothing that we, your servants, lack.”
20 Agadi nwoke ahụ sịrị ha, “Batanụ nʼụlọ m dịka ndị ọbịa nke m. Ka m nye unu ihe niile bụ mkpa unu. Naanị unu anọla ọnọdụ abalị nʼama.”
“Peace to you,” said the old man. “Let me supply everything you need. Only do not spend the night in the square.”
21 Nʼihi nke a, ọ kpọbatara ha nʼụlọ ya. O duuru ịnyịnya ibu ha, nye ha ihe oriri. Emesịa, ha sara ụkwụ ha mmiri, nọdụ ala rie ma ṅụọkwa.
So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.
22 Ma mgbe ha risiri nri, nọrọ na-ezu ike, na-akpakọrịta ụka, na mberede, ndị ikom ụfọdụ sitere nʼobodo ahụ, ndị jọgburu onwe ha nʼomume gbara ụlọ ahụ gburugburu. Ha malitekwara iti aka nʼụzọ ahụ na iti mkpu na-akpọku agadi nwoke ahụ, sị ya, “Kpọpụta onye ọbịa ahụ nọ nʼime ụlọ gị ka anyị mara ya.”
While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”
23 Agadi nwoke ahụ bụ onyenwe ụlọ ahụ pụkwuuru ha nʼezi, sị ha, “Biko ụmụnna m, unu emela ihe ọjọọ dị otu a. Nwoke a nọ nʼụlọ m dịka ọbịa. Unu emela ihe ihere dị otu a.
The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage.
24 Ka m kpọpụtara unu nwa m nwanyị na-amaghị nwoke, na iko nwanyị nwoke a ka unu jiri ha mee ihe ọbụla unu chọrọ ma hapụnụ nwoke a. Unu emela ihe ihere dị otu a.”
Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”
25 Ma ndị ikom ahụ egeghị ya ntị. Ya mere, nwoke ahụ kpọpụtara iko ya nwanyị zipụrụ ha ya nʼezi. Ha niile nʼotu na otu, dinakwuru nwanyị ahụ abalị ahụ niile. Mgbe chi na-achọ ịbọ, ha hapụrụ ya ka ọ laa.
But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.
26 Nʼisi ụtụtụ, nwanyị ahụ biliri laghachi azụ nʼụlọ ahụ iko ya nwoke nọ. Ma ọ dara nʼala nʼihu ọnụ ụzọ ụlọ ahụ tọgbọrọ nʼebe ahụ tutu chi abọzie.
Early that morning, the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, collapsed at the doorway, and lay there until it was light.
27 Mgbe nwoke ahụ biliri nʼụtụtụ, meghee ụzọ ka ọ malite ije ya, ọ hụrụ iko ya nwanyị ahụ ka ọ tọgbọ nʼọnụ ụzọ ahụ. Aka ya abụọ dịkwa nʼọnụ ụzọ mbata ụlọ ahụ.
In the morning, when her master got up and opened the doors of the house to go out on his journey, there was his concubine, collapsed in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
28 Nwoke ahụ kpọkuru ya sị ya, “Ngwa, bilie ka anyị laa.” Ma nwaagbọghọ ahụ ekwughị okwu ọbụla. Nwoke ahụ buliri ya, tụkwasị ya nʼelu ịnyịnya ibu ya, buru ya laa nʼobodo nke aka ya.
“Get up,” he told her. “Let us go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
29 Mgbe ọ bịaruru obodo ya, ọ banyere nʼụlọ ya wepụta mma jiri ya bọwaa ozu iko ya nwanyị ahụ ụzọ iri na abụọ. O zigaara ebo iri na abụọ niile dị nʼIzrel otu ụzọ, otu ụzọ.
When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
30 Nʼihi nke a, Onye ọbụla hụrụ ihe ọjọọ a kwuru sị, “O nwebeghị onye ọbụla mere ụdị ajọ omume dị otu a kemgbe ụmụ Izrel si nʼobodo Ijipt pụta. Chee echiche banyere ihe a. Tulee ya ma gwa anyị ihe anyị ga-eme?”
And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”
