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.
At that time the Israeli people had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi who lived in a remote place in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. He had previously taken as a wife a woman who was a slave. She was from Bethlehem, in the area where the tribe of Judah lives.
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 started to sleep with other men also. Then she left him and returned to her father’s house in Bethlehem. She stayed there for 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.
Then her husband took his servant and two donkeys and went to Bethlehem. He went to ask her to come back to live with him again. When he arrived at her father’s house, she invited him to come in. Her father was happy to see 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.
The woman’s father asked him to stay. So he stayed there for three days. During that time he ate and drank and slept 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 all got up early in the morning. The man from the tribe of Levi was preparing to leave, but the woman’s father said to him, “Eat something before you 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 the two men sat down to eat and drink together. Then the woman’s father said to him, “Please stay another night. Relax/Rest and have a joyful time.”
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 from the tribe of Levi wanted to leave, but the woman’s father requested him to stay one more night. So he stayed again 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, the man got up early and prepared to leave. But the woman’s father said to him again, “Have something to eat. Wait until this afternoon, [and then leave].” So the two men ate together.
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.”
In the afternoon, when the man from the tribe of Levi and his slave wife and his servant got up to leave, the woman’s father said, “It will soon be dark. The day is almost over. Stay here tonight and have a good/joyful time. Tomorrow morning you can get up early and leave for your 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 from the tribe of Levi did not want to stay for another night. He put saddles on his two donkeys, and started to go with his slave wife [and his servant] toward Jebus [city], which is [now named] Jerusalem.
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.”
Late in the afternoon, they came near to Jebus. The servant said to his master, “We should stop in this city where the Jebus people-group live, and stay here tonight.”
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 said, “No, it would not be good for us to stay here where foreign people live. There are no Israeli people here. We will go on to Gibeah [city].”
13 O kwukwara sị, “Bịa ka anyị gbalịa iru Gibea maọbụ Rema, nọọ ọnọdụ abalị nʼotu nʼime ebe ndị a.”
He said to his servant, “Let’s go. It is not far to Gibeah. We can go there, or we can go a bit further to Ramah. We can stay in one of those two cities tonight.”
14 Ya mere, ha gara nʼihu nʼije ha. Anwụ dara dịka ha na-eru Gibea dị na Benjamin.
So they continued walking. When they came near Gibeah, where people from the tribe of Benjamin live, the sun was setting.
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 stay there that night. They went to the public square of that city and sat down. But no one [who passed by] invited them to stay in their house for that 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).
Finally, in the evening, an old man came by. He had been working in the fields. He was from the hilly area of the tribe of Ephraim, but at that time he was living in Gibeah.
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?”
He realized that the man from the tribe of Levi was only traveling and did not have a home in that city. So he asked the man, “Where have you come from? And where are you going?”
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.
He replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem to my home in the hilly area where people of the tribe of Ephraim live. I went from there to Bethlehem, but now we are going to [Shiloh] where Yahweh’s Sacred tent (OR, my house) is. No one here has invited us to stay in their house tonight.
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.”
We have straw and food for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and the young woman and my servant. We do not need anything else.”
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.”
The old man said, “I wish that things will go well for you, but I would like to provide what you need. Do not stay here in the square tonight.”
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.
Then the old man took them to his house. He gave food to the donkeys. He [gave water to the man and the woman and the servant to] wash their feet. And he gave them something to eat and drink.
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 having a good/joyful time together, some wicked men from that city surrounded the house and started to bang on the door. They shouted to the old man, “Bring out to us the man who has come to your house. We want to have sex 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 old man went outside and said to them, “Friends, I will not do that. That would be a very evil thing. This man is a guest in my house. You should not do such a terrible/disgraceful/shameful thing!
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, my daughter is here. She is [still] a virgin. And this man’s slave wife is here. I will bring them out to you now. You may do to them whatever you wish, but do not do such a terrible/disgraceful/shameful thing to this young 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 did not pay attention to what he said. So the man from the tribe of Levi took his slave wife and sent her to them, outside the house. They raped [EUP] her and abused her all night. Then at dawn, they allowed her to 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.
She returned to the old man’s house, where her husband was staying, but she fell down at the doorway and lay there all night.
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 the man from the tribe of Levi got up, he went outside of the house to continue his journey. He saw his slave wife lying there at the doorway of the house. Her hands were on the doorsill.
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.
He said to her, “Get up! Let’s go!” But she did not answer, [because she had died]. He put her body on the donkey and traveled to his 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 arrived home, he took a knife and cut the body of the slave woman into twelve pieces. Then he sent one piece to each area of Israel, [along with a message telling what had happened].
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?”
Everyone who saw a piece of the body and the message said, “Nothing like this has ever happened before. Not since our ancestors left Egypt [have we heard of such a terrible thing]. We need to think carefully about it. Someone should decide what we should do.”
