< Balam 19 >

1 Awo mu biro ebyo tewaali kabaka mu Isirayiri. Ne wabaawo Omuleevi eyabeeranga mu kyalo mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu eyawasa omukazi mu Besirekemu mu Yuda.
Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living in the inmost parts of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he got for himself a servant-wife from Beth-lehem-judah.
2 Naye mukazi we oyo n’ataba mwesigwa n’anoba ku bba, n’addayo mu nnyumba ya kitaawe e Besirekemu mu Yuda n’amalayo emyezi ena.
And his servant-wife was angry with him, and went away from him to her father's house at Beth-lehem-judah, and was there for four months.
3 Bba n’agolokoka n’agenda n’omuweereza we n’endogoyi bbiri okwogera ne mukazi we amukomyewo. Omukazi n’amutwala mu nnyumba ya kitaawe era kitaawe w’omuwala bwe yamulaba n’asanyuka era n’amwaniriza.
Then her husband got up and went after her, with the purpose of talking kindly to her, and taking her back with him; he had with him his young man and two asses: and she took him into her father's house, and her father, when he saw him, came forward to him with joy.
4 Awo mukoddomi we, kitaawe w’omuwala n’amuwaliriza asigaleyo ennaku ssatu. Ne balya ne banywa ne basula eyo.
And his father-in-law, the girl's father, kept him there for three days; and they had food and drink and took their rest there.
5 Awo ku lunaku olwokuna ne bagolokoka mu makya, Omuleevi ne yeeteekateeka okugenda. Kyokka kitaawe w’omuwala n’agamba mukoddomi we nti, “Mwesanyuse mumale okulya ku mmere, mulyoke mugende.”
Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning and he made ready to go away; but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, Take a little food to keep up your strength, and then go on your way.
6 Ne batuula ne balya era ne banywa bonna wamu. Kitaawe w’omuwala n’agamba omusajja nti, “Kaakano kkiriza osule, omutima gwo gusanyukeko.”
So seating themselves they had food and drink, the two of them together; and the girl's father said to the man, If it is your pleasure, take your rest here tonight, and let your heart be glad.
7 Omusajja bwe yagolokoka okugenda, mukoddomi we n’amuwaliriza okusigala era n’asula ekiro ekyo.
And the man got up to go away, but his father-in-law would not let him go, so he took his rest there again for the night.
8 Ku lunaku olwokutaano, bwe yagolokoka mu makya okugenda, kitaawe w’omuwala n’amugamba nti, “Weesanyuse kaakano. Ojjira weesanyusa okutuusa obudde lwe bunaawungeera.” Ne balya bonna wamu.
Then early on the morning of the fifth day he got up to go away; but the girl's father said, Keep up your strength; so the two of them had a meal, and the man and his woman and his servant did not go till after the middle of the day.
9 Omusajja bwe yagolokoka okugenda ne mukazi we n’omugole we, mukoddomi we kitaawe w’omuwala n’amugamba nti, “Laba, kaakano obudde buzibye. Sula obudde buyise. Sigala wano weesanyuse, onoogolokoka enkya n’oddayo ewuwo.”
And when they got up to go away, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, Now evening is coming on, so do not go tonight; see, the day is almost gone; take your rest here and let your heart be glad, and tomorrow early, go on your way back to your house.
10 Naye omusajja n’atakkiriza. N’asitula n’agenda ne mukazi we, n’endogoyi ze zombi nga zeetisse, ku luuyi olw’e Yebusi, ye Yerusaalemi.
But the man would not be kept there that night, and he got up and went away and came opposite to Jebus (which is Jerusalem); and he had with him the two asses, ready for travelling, and his woman.
11 Bwe baali bali kumpi ne Yebusi, n’obudde nga buyise, omuweereza n’agamba mukama we nti, “Jjangu tukyame tuyingire mu kibuga kino eky’Abayebusi tusule omwo.”
When they got near Jebus the day was far gone; and the servant said to his master, Now let us go from our road into this town of the Jebusites and take our night's rest there.
12 Mukama we n’amuddamu nti, “Tetuukyame kuyingira mu kibuga ky’abatali baana ba Isirayiri, eky’abannaggwanga. Tujja kweyongerayo tulage e Gibea.”
But his master said to him, We will not go out of our way into a strange town, whose people are not of the children of Israel; but we will go on to Gibeah.
13 N’agamba omuweereza we nti, “Tusemberere ekimu ku bifo ebyo, tusule e Gibea oba mu Laama.”
And he said to his servant, Come, let us go on to one of these places, stopping for the night in Gibeah or Ramah.
14 Ne beeyongerayo. Enjuba n’egwa nga basemberera Gibea ekya Benyamini.
So they went on their way; and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.
15 Ne bakyama eyo mu Gibea, gye baba basula. Ne balaga mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga ne batuula eyo, kyokka ne wataba muntu n’omu eyajja okubatwala ewuwe.
And they went off the road there with the purpose of stopping for the night in Gibeah: and he went in, seating himself in the street of the town, for no one took them into his house for the night.
16 Era laba, ne wajja omusajja omukadde eyali ava ku mirimu gye egy’omu nnimiro akawungeezi, ng’asibuka mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu, ng’abeera mu Gibea. Abantu b’e Gibea baayitibwanga Babenyamini.
Now when it was evening they saw an old man coming back from his work in the fields; he was from the hill-country of Ephraim and was living in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
17 N’ayimusa amaaso ge n’alaba omusajja omutambuze, ng’ali mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga. Omusajja n’amubuuza nti, “Ova wa era olaga wa?”
And when he saw the traveller in the street of the town, the old man said, Where are you going? and where do you come from?
18 N’amuddamu nti, “Nva mu Besirekemu mu Yuda, ndaga mu byalo eby’ensi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu gye mbeera. Nva mu Besirekemu mu Yuda, nzirayo mu nnyumba ya Mukama, naye tewali anyannirizza mu nnyumba ye.”
And he said to him, We are on our way from Beth-lehem-judah to the inmost parts of the hill-country of Ephraim: I came from there and went to Beth-lehem-judah: now I am on my way back to my house, but no man will take me into his house.
19 Wabula nnina essubi n’emmere ey’endogoyi zange, ate naffe abaweereza bo tulina emmere ne wayini ebitumala nze, n’omuweereza wo omukazi, n’omuvubuka.
But we have dry grass and food for our asses, as well as bread and wine for me, and for the woman, and for the young man with us: we have no need of anything.
20 Omusajja omukadde n’abagamba nti, “Mbanirizza ewange mwenna. Temwetaaga kusula mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga.”
And the old man said, Peace be with you; let all your needs be my care; only do not take your rest in the street.
21 Awo n’abatwala mu nnyumba ye, n’aliisa endogoyi ze, ne banaaba ku bigere, ne balya, ne banywa.
So he took them into his house and gave the asses food; and after washing their feet they took food and drink.
22 Awo bwe baali nga beesanyusaamu, laba, abasajja ab’omu kibuga ekyo, abaana ab’obutali butuukirivu ne bazingiza ennyumba nga bwe bakoona oluggi. Ne bagamba nannyini nnyumba, omusajja omukadde nga bwe bawowoggana nti, “Fulumya omusajja oyo ayingidde mu nnyumba yo, tumusiyage.”
While they were taking their pleasure at the meal, the good-for-nothing men of the town came round the house, giving blows on the door; and they said to the old man, the master of the house, Send out that man who came to your house, so that we may take our pleasure with him.
23 Nannyini nnyumba n’afuluma, n’abagamba nti, “Nedda mikwano gyange, temubeera bagwenyufu. Olw’okuba ng’omusajja ono azze mu nnyumba yange, temukola kintu kya buswavu bwe kityo.
So the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said, No, my brothers, do not this evil thing; this man has come into my house, and you are not to do him this wrong.
24 Mulaba muwala wange wuuno, mbeerera, ate n’omukazi w’omusajja naye nzija kubamuwa. Baabo mubakole kye mwagala. Naye omusajja ono temumukola kintu kya buswavu bwe kityo.”
See, here is my daughter, a virgin, and his servant-wife: I will send them out for you to take them and do with them whatever you will. But do no such thing of shame to this man.
25 Naye abasajja ne bagaana okumuwuliriza. Omusajja kyeyava addira mukazi we, n’amufulumya, ne bamukwata ne bamusobyako ekiro kyonna, ne bamuta agende ng’emmambya esala.
But the men would not give ear to him: so the man took his woman and sent her out to them; and they took her by force, using her for their pleasure all night till the morning; and when dawn came they let her go.
26 Omukazi n’addayo n’atuuka obudde nga bukya, n’agwa ku luggi lw’ennyumba, mukama we gye yali asuze, n’abeera awo okutuusa obudde bwe bwakya.
Then at the dawn of day the woman came, and, falling down at the door of the man's house where her master was, was stretched there till it was light.
27 Mukama we bwe yagolokoka mu makya, n’aggulawo enzigi z’ennyumba ye n’afuluma agende ku lugendo lwe, laba, mukazi we ng’agudde mu maaso g’ennyumba, ng’emikono gye gikunukkiriza omulyango.
In the morning her master got up, and opening the door of the house went out to go on his way; and he saw his servant-wife stretched on the earth at the door of the house with her hands on the step.
28 N’agamba mukazi we nti, “Golokoka tugende.” Kyokka ne wataba kanyego. Omusajja n’amuteeka ku ndogoyi, n’agenda ewuwe.
And he said to her, Get up and let us be going; but there was no answer; so he took her up and put her on the ass, and went on his way and came to his house.
29 Bwe yatuuka ewuwe, n’addira akambe, n’akwata mukazi we, n’amusalaasalamu ebifi kkumi na bibiri, n’abiweereza mu buli kitundu ekya Isirayiri.
And when he had come to his house, he got his knife, and took the woman, cutting her up bone by bone into twelve parts, which he sent through all Israel.
30 Awo buli muntu eyabirabangako n’agamba nti, “Ekikolwa ekiri nga kino tekikolebwanga so tekirabibwanga okuva ku lunaku abaana ba Isirayiri lwe baayambukirako okuva mu nsi y’e Misiri n’okutuusa leero. Mukirowoozeeko, mukifumiitirizeeko era tulabe eky’okukola.”
And he gave orders to the men whom he sent, saying, This is what you are to say to all the men of Israel, Has ever an act like this been done from the day when the children of Israel came out of Egypt to this day? Give thought to it, turning it over in your minds, and give your opinion of it.

< Balam 19 >