Bilombe 19
1 Na mikolo oyo mokonzi azalaki te kati na Isalaele, Molevi moko oyo azalaki kovanda na suka ya etuka ya bangomba ya Efrayimi azwaki lokola makangu mwasi ya mboka Beteleemi kati na Yuda.
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 Kasi makangu yango atambolaki na ekobo liboso na ye, alongwaki na libala mpe azongaki na ndako ya tata na ye, na Beteleemi kati na Yuda. Sima na basanza minei wuta azongaki na ndako ya tata na ye,
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 mobali na ye ayaki epai na ye mpo na kobondela ye ete azonga na libala. Mobali ayaki elongo na mosali na ye mpe amemaki ba-ane mibale. Mwasi yango akotisaki mobali na ye kati na ndako ya tata na ye; mpe tango tata na ye amonaki mobali yango, asepelaki koyamba ye.
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 Tata-bokilo na ye, tata ya mwana mwasi, akangaki ye mpo ete avanda mwa moke. Boye avandaki na ye mikolo misato, aliaki, amelaki mpe alalaki kuna.
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 Na mokolo ya minei, balamukaki na tongo-tongo, mpe Molevi abongamaki mpo na kokende. Kasi tata ya mwana mwasi alobaki na bokilo na ye: « Lia mwa eloko mpo ete ozwa makasi; bongo sima, okoki na yo kokende. »
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 Boye, bango mibale bavandaki esika moko mpo na kolia mpe komela. Sima na yango, tata ya mwana mwasi alobaki: « Nabondeli yo, vanda lisusu, na butu ya lelo, mpo ete motema na yo esepela. »
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 Mobali atelemaki mpo na kokende; kasi lokola tata-bokilo na ye abondelaki ye makasi ete avanda, avandaki kuna na butu yango.
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 Na tongo ya mokolo ya mitano, tango mobali alamukaki, tata ya mwana mwasi alobaki: « Lia mwa eloko mpo ete ozwa makasi, zela kino na sima ya midi. » Boye, bango mibale baliaki mesa moko.
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 Tango mobali elongo na makangu na ye mpe mosali na ye batelemaki mpo na kokende, tata-bokilo na ye, tata ya mwana mwasi, alobaki na ye: « Tala, pokwa esili koya! Nabondeli yo: lekisa lisusu butu awa; mokolo esili, vanda mpe sepelisa motema na yo. Bongo lobi, na tongo-tongo, bokoki kotelema mpo na kokende, mpe okozonga na ndako na yo. »
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 Kasi mosali asepelaki te kolekisa butu mosusu; alongwaki mpe, elongo na ba-ane na ye mibale mpe makangu na ye, akendeki na Yebusi oyo ezali Yelusalemi. Ba-ane na ye ezalaki na bivandelo ya malamu penza.
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 Tango bakomaki pembeni ya Yebusi mpe mokolo ekomaki pene ya kosila, mosali alobaki na nkolo na ye: — Nabondeli yo, tokota na engumba oyo ya bato ya Yebusi mpe tolekisa kuna butu.
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 Nkolo azongiselaki ye: — Te, tokotelema te na engumba oyo ya bapaya, epai wapi ata mwana moko te ya Isalaele azali; tokokoma kino na 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 Alobaki lisusu na mosali na ye: — Yaka, topusana pene na moko ya bamboka oyo; bongo tokolekisa butu kati na Gibea to na Rama.
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 Boye bakobaki kotambola, mpe moyi ebungaki tango bakomaki pene ya Gibea, kati na mokili ya Benjame.
So they continued walking. When they came near Gibeah, where people from the tribe of Benjamin live, the sun was setting.
15 Batelemaki na Gibea mpo na kolekisa butu. Bakotaki mpe bavandaki na esika oyo bato ebele ya engumba bakutanaka, kasi moto moko te ayambaki bango na ndako na ye mpo na kolekisa butu.
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 Na pokwa, mobali moko ya mobange awutaki na mosala na ye ya bilanga; azalaki moto ya etuka ya bangomba ya Efrayimi mpe azalaki kovanda na Gibea. Nzokande bato ya esika wana bazalaki bato ya libota ya Benjame.
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 Tango atombolaki miso, amonaki moto ya mobembo na esika oyo bato ebele ya engumba bakutanaka. Mobange yango atunaki ye: — Okeyi wapi mpe owuti wapi?
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 Moto ya mobembo azongiselaki ye: — Towuti na Beteleemi ya Yuda; tozali kokende na esika oyo navandaka, na suka ya mboka ya etuka ya bangomba ya Efrayimi. Nazalaki na Beteleemi, na Yuda, sik’oyo nazali kokende na Ndako ya Yawe. Moto moko te ayambi ngai kati na ndako na ye.
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 Nzokande tozali na matiti mpe biloko mpo na ba-ane na biso mibale, tozali lisusu na lipa mpe vino mpo na ngai, mwasi na ngai mpe mosali na ngai moko oyo nazali na ye elongo; tozangi eloko moko te.
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 Mobange yango alobaki: — Tika ete kimia ezala na yo! Bosenga na yo nyonso ekozala na moto na ngai. Kasi kolekisa butu te na esika oyo bato ebele ya engumba bakutanaka.
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 Akotisaki bango na ndako na ye mpe apesaki ba-ane na ye matiti. Sima, basukolaki makolo, baliaki mpe bamelaki.
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 Wana bazalaki nanu kolia mpe komela, ndambo ya mibali ya engumba, ya mitema mabe, bazingelaki ndako; babetaki na ekuke mpe balobaki na mobange oyo azalaki nkolo ndako: — Bimisa mosali oyo ayei na ndako na yo; tolingi kosangisa na ye nzoto ndenge basangisaka nzoto na basi.
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 Nkolo ndako abimaki libanda mpe alobaki na bango: — Te, bandeko na ngai, bozala mabe boye te! Lokola mobali oyo azali kati na ndako na ngai, bosala ye mabe oyo te.
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 Botala mwana na ngai ya mwasi oyo ayebi nanu nzoto ya mibali te mpe makangu ya mobali oyo azali kati na ndako! Nazali kobimisa bango sik’oyo libanda mpo na bino mpo ete bokoka kosala bango nyonso oyo bolingi. Kasi mpo na mobali oyo, bosala likambo ya soni ya boye te.
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 Kasi mibali yango baboyaki koyokela ye. Boye mobali azwaki makangu na ye mpe abimisaki ye libanda epai na bango. Bakangaki ye mpe basangisaki na ye nzoto na makasi, butu mobimba; mpe tango tongo ekomaki pene ya kotana, batikaki ye akende.
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 Tango tongo ezali kotana, mwasi azongaki na ndako epai wapi mobali na ye azalaki, akweyaki na ekuke mpe alelaki wana kino tongo etanaki malamu.
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 Na tongo, tango mobali na ye alamukaki, afungolaki ekuke ya ndako mpo na kobima libanda mpe kokoba mobembo na ye; amonaki makangu na ye alali na ekuke ya ndako, maboko liboso ya ekuke.
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 Alobaki na ye: « Telema; tokende! » Kasi azwaki eyano te. Bongo mobali yango atiaki makangu na ye na likolo ya ane na ye, akobaki mobembo na ye mpo na kozonga na ndako na ye.
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 Tango akomaki na ndako na ye, azwaki mbeli, akataki nzoto ya makangu na ye na biteni zomi na mibale mpe atindaki yango na etando nyonso ya Isalaele.
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 Moto nyonso oyo amonaki yango alobaki: « Likambo ya boye nanu namona yango te mpe nanu esalema te, wuta mokolo oyo bana ya Isalaele babimaki na Ejipito. Bokanisa na tina na yango, botala yango malamu mpe boyebisa biso nini tosengeli kosala. »
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.”
