Abahluleli 19
1 Ngalezonsuku abako-Israyeli babengelankosi. UmLevi othile owayehlala esiqintini esikhatshana, elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wathatha umfazi weceleni eBhethilehema koJuda.
And it comes to pass in those days, when there is no king in Israel, that there is a man, a Levite, a sojourner in the sides of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he takes a wife for himself, a concubine, out of Beth-Lehem-Judah;
2 Kodwa wayengathembekanga kuye. Wamtshiya wabuyela endlini kayise eBhethilehema, koJuda. Esehlale khona okwezinyanga ezine,
and his concubine commits whoredom against him, and she goes from him to the house of her father, to Beth-Lehem-Judah, and is there four months of days.
3 indoda yamlandela ukuyamncenga ukuba abuye. Indoda yayilenceku yayo labobabhemi ababili. Umfazi wamngenisa endlini kayise, njalo kwathi uyise embona wamamukela ngokuthokoza.
And her husband rises and goes after her, to speak to her heart, to bring her back, and his young man [is] with him, and a couple of donkeys; and she brings him into the house of her father, and the father of the young woman sees him, and rejoices to meet him.
4 Uyisezala, uyise wentombi, wamncenga ukuba ahlale; ngakho wahlala laye insuku ezintathu, esidla enatha, njalo elala khona.
And his father-in-law keeps hold on him, father of the young woman, and he abides with him three days, and they eat and drink, and lodge there.
5 Ngelanga lesine bavuka ekuseni, walungiselela ukusuka, kodwa uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe, “Qinisa umzimba wakho ngongakudla; ubusuhamba.”
And it comes to pass, on the fourth day, that they rise early in the morning, and he rises to go, and the father of the young woman says to his son-in-law, “Support your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you go on.”
6 Ngakho bobabili bahlala phansi badla banatha. Emva kwalokho uyise wentombi wathi, “Ake ulale ubusuku balamuhla uzithokozise.”
And both of them sit, and eat and drink together, and the father of the young woman says to the man, “Please be willing and lodge all night, and let your heart be glad.”
7 Kwathi umuntu lowo evuka ukuba ahambe, uyisezala wamncenga, ngakho walala khona ngalobobusuku.
And the man rises to go, and his father-in-law presses on him, and he turns back and lodges there.
8 Ekuseni ngosuku lwesihlanu, wathi evuka ukuba ahambe, uyise wentombi wathi, “Phumula. Hlala kuze kube ngemva kwemini.” Ngakho bobabili badla ndawonye.
And he rises early in the morning, on the fifth day, to go, and the father of the young woman says, “Please support your heart”; and they have tarried until the turning of the day, and both of them eat.
9 Kwathi lapho umuntu lowo, lomkakhe weceleni kanye lenceku yakhe belungiselela ukusuka, uyisezala, uyise wentombi wathi, “Khangela, sekuzakuhlwa. Lala lapha; ilanga selizatshona. Hlala uzithokozise. Kusasa ekuseni kakhulu uzavuka uthathe indlela yakho yokuya ekhaya.”
And the man rises to go, he, and his concubine, and his young man, but his father-in-law, father of the young woman, says to him, “Now behold, the day has fallen toward evening, please lodge all night; behold, the declining of the day! Lodge here and let your heart be glad—and you have risen early tomorrow for your journey, and you have gone to your tent.”
10 Kodwa umuntu lowo engasafuni ukulala obunye ubusuku lapho, wasuka waqonda eJebusi (leyo yiJerusalema), labobabhemi bakhe ababili ababebotshelwe izihlalo kanye lomkakhe weceleni.
And the man has not been willing to lodge all night, and he rises, and goes, and comes in until [he is] opposite Jebus (it [is] Jerusalem), and a couple of saddled donkeys [are] with him; and his concubine [is] with him.
11 Kwathi sebebanga eJebusi ilanga laselitshona, inceku yathi enkosini yayo, “Uyabona, kasime kulelidolobho lamaJebusi silale.”
They [are] near Jebus, and the day has greatly gone down, and the young man says to his lord, “Please come, and we turn aside to this city of the Jebusite and lodge in it.”
12 Inkosi yayo yathi, “Hayi. Kasiyikungena edolobheni elilabantu abangasibako-Israyeli. Sizaqhubeka siye eGibhiya.”
And his lord says to him, “Let us not turn aside to the city of a stranger, that is not of the sons of Israel there, but we have passed over to Gibeah.”
13 Wengeza wathi, “Kasambeni, sizame ukuyafika eGibhiya loba eRama, silale kwenye yalezizindawo.”
And he says to his young man, “Come, and we draw near to one of the places, and have lodged in Gibeah, or in Ramah.”
14 Ngakho baqhubeka, ilanga latshona sebebanga eGibhiya koBhenjamini.
And they pass over, and go on, and the sun goes in on them near Gibeah, which is of Benjamin;
15 Bema lapho ukuba balale khona. Bahamba bayahlala egcekeni ledolobho, kodwa kakho owabangenisa endlini yakhe ukuba balale khona.
and they turn aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah, and he goes in and sits in a broad place of the city, and there is no man gathering them into the house to lodge.
16 Ngalokhokuhlwa ixhegu laselizweni lamaqaqa ko-Efrayimi, elalihlala eGibhiya (abantu bakuleyondawo babengabakoBhenjamini), lafika livela emsebenzini walo emasimini.
And behold, an old man has come from his work from the field in the evening, and the man [is] of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he [is] a sojourner in Gibeah, and the men of the place [are] Benjamites.
17 Selikhangele labona isihambi egcekeni ledolobho, ixhegu labuza lathi, “Liya ngaphi? Livela ngaphi?”
And he lifts up his eyes, and sees the man, the traveler, in a broad place of the city, and the old man says, “To where do you go? And where do you come from?”
18 Yena waphendula wathi, “Siphakathi kohambo lwethu sivela eBhethilehema koJuda siya esiqintini esikhatshana elizweni lamaqaqa ko-Efrayimi lapho engihlala khona. Kade ngiseBhethilehema koJuda kodwa khathesi sengisiya endlini kaThixo. Akulamuntu ongingenise endlini yakhe.
And he says to him, “We are passing over from Beth-Lehem-Judah to the sides of the hill-country of Ephraim—I [am] from there, and I go to Beth-Lehem-Judah; and I am going to the house of YHWH, and there is no man gathering me into the house,
19 Silotshani lokudla kwabobabhemi bethu lesinkwa kanye lewayini lethu thina zinceku zakho, mina lencekukazi yakho kanye lejaha esilalo. Kasisweli lutho.”
and there is both straw and provender for our donkeys, and there is also bread and wine for me, and for your handmaid, and for the young man with your servants; there is no lack of anything.”
20 Ixhegu lathi, “Lamukelekile endlini yami. Ngizalinika konke elikuswelayo. Kodwa lingalali egcekeni.”
And the old man says, “Peace to you; only, all your lack [is] on me, but do not lodge in the broad place.”
21 Ngakho lamngenisa endlini yalo, lanika labobabhemi bakhe ukudla. Sebegeze inyawo zabo, badla banatha.
And he brings him into his house, and mixes [food] for the donkeys, and they wash their feet, and eat and drink.
22 Besazitika, abanye babantu abaxhwalileyo bakulelodolobho bahanqa indlu leyo. Batshaya isivalo, bamemeza ixhegu elalingumnikazi wendlu besithi, “Mkhuphele phandle umuntu ongene endlini ukuze siye emacansini laye.”
They are making their heart glad, and behold, men of the city, men—sons of worthlessness—have gone around the house, beating on the door, and they speak to the old man, the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who has come into your house, and we know him.”
23 Umnikazi wendlu waya phandle wathi kubo, “Hayi, bangane bami, lingenzi okubi kangaka. Njengoba umuntu eyisethekeli sami, lingenzi into elihlazo kanje.
And the man, the master of the house, goes out to them and says to them, “No, my brothers, please do not do evil after that this man has come into my house; do not do this folly;
24 Khangelani, nansi indodakazi yami eyintombi egcweleyo, kanye lomfazi weceleni walindoda. Ngizabaletha phandle kini, lingabasebenzisa lenze kubo konke elikufisayo. Kodwa lingenzi ihlazo elinjalo kule indoda.”
behold, my daughter, the virgin, and his concubine, please let me bring them out and you humble them, and do that which is good in your eyes to them, and do not do this foolish thing to this man.”
25 Kodwa abantu labo kabamlalelanga. Ngakho indoda leyo yathatha umkayo weceleni yamusa phandle kubo, bamdlova njalo bamphatha kubi ubusuku bonke, kwathi emadabukakusa bamyekela wahamba.
And the men have not been willing to listen to him, and the man takes hold on his concubine and brings [her] out to them outside, and they know her and roll themselves on her all the night until the morning, and they send her away in the ascending of the dawn;
26 Ekuseni owesifazane lowo waya endlini lapho umkakhe ayehlezi khona, wawela emnyango, walala khonapho kwaze kwakhanya.
and the woman comes in at the turning of the morning, and falls at the opening of the man’s house where her lord [is], until the light.
27 Esevukile umkakhe ekuseni, wavula umnyango wendlu waphuma ukuba aqhubeke ngohambo lwakhe, wabona umkakhe weceleni ewele emnyango wendlu, izandla zakhe zisentubeni yomnyango.
And her lord rises in the morning, and opens the doors of the house, and goes out to go on his way, and behold, the woman, his concubine, is fallen at the opening of the house, and her hands [are] on the threshold,
28 Wathi kuye, “Vuka; kasihambe.” Kodwa kamphendulanga. Ngakho umuntu lowo wambeka phezu kukababhemi wakhe wasuka waya emzini wakhe.
and he says to her, “Rise, and we go”; but there is no answering, and he takes her on the donkey, and the man rises and goes to his place,
29 Esefikile ekhaya wathatha ingqamu waquma umkakhe weceleni iziqayiqa ezilitshumi lambili wazithumela kuzozonke izigaba zako-Israyeli.
and comes into his house, and takes the knife, and lays hold on his concubine, and cuts her in pieces to her bones—into twelve pieces, and sends her into all the border of Israel.
30 Umuntu wonke owakubonayo lokho wathi, “Into enje kayikaze ibonakale loba yenziwe, selokhu u-Israyeli waphuma eGibhithe. Cabangani ngakho! Likuhlole! Litsho okungenziwa!”
And it has come to pass, everyone who sees has said, “There has not been—indeed, there has not been seen [anything] like this, from the day of the coming up of the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt until this day; set your [heart] on it, take counsel, and speak.”
