Abahluleli 19
1 Kwasekusithi ngalezonsuku, kungelankosi koIsrayeli, kwakulomLevi othile owayehlala njengowezizwe eceleni elikhatshana lentaba yakoEfrayimi, owazithathela umfazi, umfazi omncinyane eBhethelehema-Juda.
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite, sojourning on the further side of mount Ephraim, took him a concubine out of Bethlehem-Judah.
2 Lowomfazi wakhe omncinyane waphinga emelene laye, wasuka kuye waya endlini kayise eBhethelehema-Juda, waba lapho izinyanga ezine ezigcweleyo.
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem-Judah, and was there some time, — four months.
3 Umkakhe wasesukuma wamlandela ukuyakhuluma enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi ambuyise, lejaha lakhe lilaye labobabhemi ababili. Umfazi wasemngenisa endlini kayise; kwathi uyise wentombi embona wathokoza ukuhlangana laye.
And her husband rose up and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again; and his servant was with him, and a couple of asses. And she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him he rejoiced to meet him.
4 Uyisezala, uyise wentombazana, wamlibazisa; wasehlala laye insuku ezintathu; basebesidla banatha balala khona ubusuku.
And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he abode with him three days; and they ate and drank, and lodged there.
5 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesine, lapho bevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wasukuma ukuthi ahambe; kodwa uyise wentombazana wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe: Qinisa inhliziyo yakho ngocezu lwesinkwa; langemva kwalokho lizahamba.
And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart; and the damsel's father said to his son-in-law, Refresh thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards ye may go your way.
6 Ngakho bahlala badla banatha bobabili ndawonye. Uyise wentombazana wasesithi endodeni: Ake wanele ulale ubusuku uthokozise inhliziyo yakho.
And they sat down, and ate and drank, both of them together. And the damsel's father said to the man, Be content, I pray thee, and pass the night, and let thy heart be glad.
7 Indoda isisukuma ukuthi ihambe, kodwa uyisezala wayicindezela yaze yabuya yalala lapho ubusuku.
And the man rose up to depart, but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.
8 Yasivuka ekuseni kakhulu ngosuku lwesihlanu ukuze ihambe. Uyise wentombazana wasesithi: Ake uqinise inhliziyo yakho. Basebelibala ilanga laze lakhothama, badla bobabili.
And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; but the damsel's father said, Refresh thy heart, I pray thee. And they lingered until the afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
9 Lapho indoda isukuma ukuthi ihambe, yona lomfazi wayo omncinyane lejaha layo, uyisezala, uyise wentombazana, wathi kuyo: Khangela, khathesi ilanga selitshona, sekuzakuhlwa; ake ulale ubusuku; khangela, ilanga selikhotheme, lala ubusuku lapha, ukuze inhliziyo yakho ithokoze. Kusasa-ke lizavuka ngovivi ngohambo lwenu, uye ethenteni lakho.
And the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant; and his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said to him, Behold now, the day draws toward evening — I pray you stay all night; behold, the day is declining, lodge here, and let thy heart be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go to thy tent.
10 Kodwa indoda kayithandanga ukulala ubusuku, kodwa yasukuma yahamba, yafika maqondana leJebusi eyiJerusalema. Yayilabobabhemi ababili ababotshelwe izihlalo; lomfazi wayo omncinyane wayelayo.
But the man would not tarry the night; and he rose up and departed, and came opposite to Jebus, that is, Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, and his concubine was with him.
11 Sebeseduze leJebusi ilanga laselitshonile kakhulu, ijaha laselisithi enkosini yalo: Ake uhambe, siphambukele kulo umuzi wamaJebusi, silale khona ubusuku.
They were near Jebus, and the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12 Inkosi yayo yasisithi kuyo: Kasiyikuphambukela emzini wesizwe ongeyisiwo wabantwana bakoIsrayeli, kodwa sizadlulela eGibeya.
But his master said to him, We will not turn aside into the city of a stranger, which is not of the children of Israel, but we will pass on to Gibeah.
13 Yasisithi encekwini yayo: Woza sisondele kwenye yalezozindawo, siyelala ubusuku eGibeya kumbe eRama.
And he said to his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places, and lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14 Basebesedlula behamba; ilanga labatshonela eduze leGibeya eyakoBhenjamini.
And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them [when they were] by Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15 Basebephambuka lapho ukuze bangene balale ubusuku eGibeya. Esengenile wahlala phansi emdangeni womuzi, ngoba kwakungekho muntu owabemukela endlini yakhe ukuze balale ubusuku.
And they turned aside thither, to go in, to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in, and sat down in the open place of the city; and there was no one that received him into his house to pass the night.
16 Khangela-ke, kwafika ixhegu livela emsebenzini walo ensimini kusihlwa. Lowomuntu laye wayevela entabeni yakoEfrayimi; yena-ke wahlala njengowezizwe eGibeya. Kodwa abantu baleyondawo babengabakoBhenjamini.
And behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even; and the man was of mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjaminites.
17 Esephakamise amehlo akhe wabona lowomuntu, isihambi, emdangeni womuzi, njalo ixhegu lathi: Uya ngaphi, njalo uvela ngaphi?
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the open place of the city; and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
18 Wasesithi kulo: Siyedlula sivela eBhethelehema-Juda, siya eceleni elikhatshana lentaba yakoEfrayimi; ngivela lapho. Bengiye eBhethelehema-Juda, kodwa sengisiya endlini yeNkosi; kodwa kakulamuntu ongemukela endlini.
And he said to him, We are travelling from Bethlehem-Judah towards the further side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I; and I went to Bethlehem-Judah, and I have to do with the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that receives me into his house.
19 Kube kanti kulamahlanga lokudla kwabobabhemi bethu, njalo kulesinkwa futhi lewayini lami lokwencekukazi yakho lokwejaha elilenceku zakho; kakuswelekanga lutho.
And we have both straw and provender for our asses; and I have bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man with thy servants: there is no lack of anything.
20 Leloxhegu laselisithi: Ukuthula kakube kuwe. Kodwa zonke inswelo zakho ziphezu kwami. Kuphela ungalali emdangeni.
Then the old man said, Peace be with thee; only let all thy wants lie on me; but lodge not in the street.
21 Ngakho laselimngenisa endlini yalo, lanika obabhemi ukudla. Basebegeza inyawo zabo, badla banatha.
And he brought him into his house, and gave the asses provender; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22 Besathokozisa inhliziyo yabo, khangela, amadoda omuzi, abantwana abathile bakaBheliyali, ayizingelezela indlu, etshaya esivalweni, akhuluma kumninindlu, ixhegu, esithi: Khupha lowomuntu ongene endlini yakho, ukuze simazi.
They were making their hearts merry, when behold, the men of the city, sons of Belial, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him.
23 Umuntu, umninindlu, wasephuma waya kiwo, wathi kiwo: Hatshi, bafowethu, ngiyalicela, lingenzi okubi; lokhu lumuntu engenile endlini yami, lingenzi lobubuthutha.
And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, No, my brethren, I pray you, do not wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this villany.
24 Khangelani, indodakazi yami eyintombi emsulwa, lomfazi wakhe omncane. Ake ngibakhuphele kini. Libathobise, lenze kibo okulungileyo emehlweni enu; kodwa kulumuntu lingenzi linto yobuthutha.
Behold, my daughter, who is a virgin, and his concubine; let me bring them out, and humble ye them, and do to them as is good in your sight; but to this man do not so vile a thing.
25 Kodwa lawomadoda kawathandanga ukumlalela. Ngakho lowomuntu wasebamba umfazi wakhe omncane, wamkhuphela kibo phandle. Njalo amazi amdlova ubusuku bonke kwaze kwasa. Kwathi emadabukakusa amyekela wahamba.
But the men would not hearken to him; and the man took his concubine, and brought her forth to them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning; and let her go when the morning-dawn arose.
26 Ngovivi lokusa owesifazana weza wawela phansi emnyango wendlu yomuntu lapho okwakukhona inkosi yakhe, kwaze kwakhanya.
And the woman came at the dawning of the day, and fell down at the entrance of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.
27 Inkosi yakhe yasivuka ekuseni, yavula iminyango yendlu, yaphuma ukuze ihambe ngendlela yayo; khangela-ke, umfazi, umfazi wakhe omncane wayewele emnyango wendlu, lezandla zakhe ziphezu kombundu.
And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the door of the house, and went out to go his way, and behold, there lay the woman his concubine at the entrance of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.
28 Yasisithi kuye: Sukuma, sihambe. Kodwa kakuphendulanga muntu. Yasimkhweza kubabhemi; indoda yasuka yaya endaweni yayo.
And he said to her, Up, and let us go; but no one answered. And he took her upon the ass; and the man rose up, and went to his place.
29 Lapho isifikile endlini yayo yathatha ingqamu, yambamba umfazi wayo omncane yamqumaquma lamathambo akhe iziqa ezilitshumi lambili; yamthumela kuyo yonke imingcele yakoIsrayeli.
And when he was come into his house, he took the knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, according to her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the borders of Israel.
30 Kwasekusithi bonke abakubonayo bathi: Kakukaze kwenzeke njalo kakukaze kubonwe okunje kusukela ngosuku abantwana bakoIsrayeli abenyuka ngalo elizweni leGibhithe kuze kube lamuhla. Nakanani ngalokho, leluleke, likhulume.
And it came to pass that every one that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came out of Egypt to this day. Think it over, advise, and speak.
