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.
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 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.
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 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 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 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 young lady’s father, kept him there; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank, and stayed 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 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 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, 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 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 rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Ma nna ya ukwu zaghachiri, “Mba! Anyị agaghị aba nʼobodo ndị na abụghị ụmụ Izrel. Anyị ga-aga nʼihu ruo 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 O kwukwara sị, “Bịa ka anyị gbalịa iru Gibea maọbụ Rema, nọọ ọnọdụ abalị nʼotu nʼime ebe ndị a.”
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 Ya mere, ha gara nʼihu nʼije ha. Anwụ dara dịka ha na-eru Gibea dị na Benjamin.
So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to 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 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 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).
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 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 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 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 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 the LORD’s house; and there is no one who has taken me into his house.
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.”
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 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, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.”
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 into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then 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.”
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 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 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 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.”
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 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 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 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.
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 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.
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 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, 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 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 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 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?”
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.”
