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.
And it came to pass in those days, when, king, there was none in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-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 concubine went astray against him, and departed from him, unto the house of her father, in Bethlehem-judah, —and remained there, the space of 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 arose her husband, and went after her, to speak unto her heart, that he might bring her back again, having his young man with him, and a couple of asses, —and she brought him into the house of her father, and, when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
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 father of the damsel, constrained him, and he abode with him three days, —and they did eat and drink, and lodged 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.”
And it came to pass, on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, and gat up to go, that the father of the damsel said unto his son-in-law, —Stay thy heart with a morsel of bread, and, afterwards, ye shall go 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 they both of them sat down and did eat together, and drink. Then said the father of the damsel unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry the night, and let thy heart be glad.
7 Omusajja bwe yagolokoka okugenda, mukoddomi we n’amuwaliriza okusigala era n’asula ekiro ekyo.
And, when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, so he turned back and tarried the night there.
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.
And, when he arose early on the morning of the fifth day, to go, the father of the damsel said—Come now, stay thy heart, and tarry ye until the decline of the day. And they did eat, both of them.
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 the man rose up to go—he and his concubine and his young man, —his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, said to him, Come now, see! the day hath sunk down towards evening, come now! tarry the night; lo! the day goeth down, tarry the night here, and let thy heart be glad, so shall ye rise early to-morrow for your journey, and thou shalt go thy way to thine own home.
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 tarry the night, but rose up and went his way, and came as far as over against Jebus, the same, is Jerusalem, —and, with him, were a couple of asses, saddled, his concubine also, was with him.
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.”
They being by Jebus, and, the day, having gone far down, the young man said unto his lord—Do come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and tarry the night therein.
12 Mukama we n’amuddamu nti, “Tetuukyame kuyingira mu kibuga ky’abatali baana ba Isirayiri, eky’abannaggwanga. Tujja kweyongerayo tulage e Gibea.”
And his lord said unto him, We will not turn aside into a city of aliens, who are, not of the sons of Israel, —but will pass on as far as Gibeah.
13 N’agamba omuweereza we nti, “Tusemberere ekimu ku bifo ebyo, tusule e Gibea oba mu Laama.”
And he said to his young man, Come and let us draw near unto one of the places, —and tarry the night in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14 Ne beeyongerayo. Enjuba n’egwa nga basemberera Gibea ekya Benyamini.
So they passed on, and went their way, —and the sun went in upon them beside Gibeah, which belongeth to 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.
Then turned they aside there, to go in and tarry the night in Gibeah, —so he went in and abode in the broadway of the city; and there was no one minded to take them into a house, to tarry 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.
But lo! an old man, coming in from his work, out of the field, in the evening, and, the man, was from the hill country of Ephraim, he himself, being a sojourner 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?”
So he lifted up his eyes, and saw a wayfaring man in the broadway of the city, —and the old man said—Whither goest thou? and from whence hast thou come?
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 unto him—We, are passing along, from Bethlehem-judah, unto the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, whence I am, but I have been as far as Bethlehem-judah, and now, unto the house of Yahweh, am I going, and there is no one minded to take me into a 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.
Nevertheless, straw and fodder too, is there for our asses, yea moreover, bread and wine, there are for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants, —there is lack, of nothing.
20 Omusajja omukadde n’abagamba nti, “Mbanirizza ewange mwenna. Temwetaaga kusula mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga.”
And the old man said—Thou art welcome! only, all thy wants, be on me, —by no means, in the broadway, mayest thou lodge.
21 Awo n’abatwala mu nnyumba ye, n’aliisa endogoyi ze, ne banaaba ku bigere, ne balya, ne banywa.
So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses, —and they bathed their feet, and did eat 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.”
They, were gladdening their heart, when lo! men of the city, men of the sons of the Abandoned One, beset the house round about, beating violently against the door, —and they spake unto the old man the owner of the house, saying, Bring forth the man that hath entered into thy house, that we may know 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.
And the man, the owner of the house, went forth unto them, and said unto them, Do not, my brethren, do not act vilely, I pray you, —after this man hath entered into my house, do not commit this impiety.
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.”
Lo, my virgin daughter, and his concubine, I must needs now bring, them, forth, and ye must humble, them, and do, unto them, what seemeth good in your own eyes, —but, unto this man, must ye not do this impious thing!
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 hearken unto him, so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them, outside, —and they knew, her, and abused her all the night, until the morning, and let her go at the uprisings of the dawn.
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.
So the woman came in at the turnings of the morning, —and fell down at the entrance of the man’s house where her lord was, and [lay 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.
So then her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went forth, to go on his journey, —when lo! the woman, his concubine, fallen at the entrance of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.
28 N’agamba mukazi we nti, “Golokoka tugende.” Kyokka ne wataba kanyego. Omusajja n’amuteeka ku ndogoyi, n’agenda ewuwe.
And he said unto her—Up! and let us be going. But there was no answer. So he took her up on the ass, and the man rose up, and went his way to his own place.
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 was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, —and sent her throughout all the bounds of 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 so it was, that every one who beheld said—There hath not happened, nor been seen the like of this, from the day when the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt, until this day: Put it to yourselves contemning it, take counsel and speak!
