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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Awo mukoddomi we, kitaawe w’omuwala n’amuwaliriza asigaleyo ennaku ssatu. Ne balya ne banywa ne basula eyo.
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 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.”
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 Ne batuula ne balya era ne banywa bonna wamu. Kitaawe w’omuwala n’agamba omusajja nti, “Kaakano kkiriza osule, omutima gwo gusanyukeko.”
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 Omusajja bwe yagolokoka okugenda, mukoddomi we n’amuwaliriza okusigala era n’asula ekiro ekyo.
The man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.
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.
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 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.”
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 towards 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 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 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 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 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 Mukama we n’amuddamu nti, “Tetuukyame kuyingira mu kibuga ky’abatali baana ba Isirayiri, eky’abannaggwanga. Tujja kweyongerayo tulage e 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 N’agamba omuweereza we nti, “Tusemberere ekimu ku bifo ebyo, tusule e Gibea oba mu Laama.”
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 Ne beeyongerayo. Enjuba n’egwa nga basemberera Gibea ekya Benyamini.
So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs 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.
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 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.
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 N’ayimusa amaaso ge n’alaba omusajja omutambuze, ng’ali mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga. Omusajja n’amubuuza nti, “Ova wa era olaga wa?”
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 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.”
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 Wabula nnina essubi n’emmere ey’endogoyi zange, ate naffe abaweereza bo tulina emmere ne wayini ebitumala nze, n’omuweereza wo omukazi, n’omuvubuka.
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 Omusajja omukadde n’abagamba nti, “Mbanirizza ewange mwenna. Temwetaaga kusula mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga.”
The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.”
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 the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
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.”
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 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.
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 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.”
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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 N’agamba mukazi we nti, “Golokoka tugende.” Kyokka ne wataba kanyego. Omusajja n’amuteeka ku ndogoyi, n’agenda ewuwe.
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 Bwe yatuuka ewuwe, n’addira akambe, n’akwata mukazi we, n’amusalaasalamu ebifi kkumi na bibiri, n’abiweereza mu buli kitundu ekya Isirayiri.
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 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.”
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.”
