Dommernes 19
1 På denne tid da det ingen konge fantes i Israel, var det en mann av Levi stamme som opholdt sig som fremmed langt inne på Efra'imfjellet. Han tok sig en medhustru fra Betlehem i Juda.
There was a certain man, a Levite, living beside mount Ephraim, who took a wife from Bethlehem of Judah.
2 Men hans medhustru var utro mot ham og reiste fra ham og hjem til sin fars hus i Betlehem i Juda. Der blev hun en tid, en fire måneder.
She left him, and she returned to the house of her father in Bethlehem. And she stayed with him for four months.
3 Da tok hennes mann avsted og reiste efter henne for å tale kjærlig til henne og få henne til å komme tilbake, og han hadde med sig sin dreng og et par asener. Hun førte ham inn i sin fars hus, og da den unge kvinnes far så ham, gikk han ham glad i møte.
And her husband followed her, wishing to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to lead her back with him. And he had with him a servant and two donkeys. And she received him, and brought him into the house of her father. And when his father-in-law had heard about this, and had seen him, he met him with joy.
4 Og hans svigerfar - den unge kvinnes far - holdt på ham, så han blev hos ham i tre dager; og de åt og drakk og blev der natten over.
And he embraced the man. And the son-in-law stayed in the house of his father-in-law for three days, eating and drinking with him in a friendly manner.
5 Den fjerde dag stod de tidlig op om morgenen, og han gjorde sig ferdig til å reise. Da sa den unge kvinnes far til sin svigersønn: Få dig først litt mat til å styrke dig med! Så kan I siden ta avsted.
But on the fourth day, arising in the night, he intended to set out. But his father-in-law took hold of him, and he said to him, “First taste a little bread, and strengthen your stomach, and then you shall set out.”
6 De satte sig da begge to og åt og drakk sammen, og den unge kvinnes far sa til mannen: Vær nu så snild og bli her natten over og hygg dig her!
And they sat down together, and they ate and drank. And the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “I ask you to remain here today, so that we may rejoice together.”
7 Og da mannen reiste sig og vilde ta avsted, nødde svigerfaren ham, så han gav efter og blev der natten over.
But getting up, he intended to begin to set out. But nevertheless, his father-in-law pressed him resolutely, and made him remain with him.
8 Den femte dag stod han atter tidlig op om morgenen og vilde reise sin vei. Da sa den unge kvinnes far: Kjære, få dig først noget å styrke dig med, og så får I bie til det lider over middag. Så åt de begge sammen.
But when morning came, the Levite was preparing for his journey. And his father-in-law said to him again, “I beg you to take a little food, and to be strengthened, until the daylight increases, and after that, you shall set out.” Therefore, they ate together.
9 Siden gjorde da mannen sig ferdig til å reise med sin medhustru og sin dreng; men hans svigerfar - den unge kvinnes far - sa til ham: Nu lider det mot aften; bli her natten over! Du ser dagen heller, bli her inatt og hygg dig her! Så kan I tidlig imorgen gi eder på veien, så du kan komme hjem igjen.
And the young man got up, so that he might travel with his wife and servant. And his father-in-law spoke to him again: “Consider that the daylight is declining, and it approaches toward evening. Remain with me also today, and spend the day in gladness. And tomorrow you shall set out, so that you may go to your own house.”
10 Men mannen vilde ikke bli natten over. Han gjorde sig ferdig og drog avsted og kom på sin vei til midt imot Jebus, det er Jerusalem. Han hadde med sig et par asener med kløv, og hans medhustru var med ham.
His son-in-law was not willing to agree to his words. Instead, he immediately continued on, and he arrived opposite Jebus, which by another name is called Jerusalem, leading with him two donkeys carrying burdens, and his mate.
11 Da de var ved Jebus, var det alt sent på dagen og drengen sa til sin herre: Kom, la oss ta inn i jebusittenes by og bli der inatt!
And now they were near Jebus, but day was turning into night. And the servant said to his lord, “Come, I beg you, let us turn aside to the city of the Jebusites, so that we may find lodging in it.”
12 Men hans herre sa til ham: Vi vil ikke ta inn i en by hvor det bare bor fremmede og ikke nogen av Israels barn; vi vil dra videre til Gibea.
His lord responded to him: “I will not enter into the town of a foreign people, who are not of the sons of Israel. Instead, I will cross over as far as Gibeah.
13 Så sa han til drengen: Kom, la oss se til å nå en av de andre byer og bli natten over i Gibea eller Rama!
And when I will have arrived there, we will lodge in that place, or at least in the city of Ramah.”
14 Så drog de da videre frem, og da solen gikk ned, var de tett ved Gibea, som hører Benjamin til.
Therefore, they passed by Jebus, and continuing on, they undertook the journey. But the sun went down on them when they were near Gibeah, which is of the tribe of Benjamin.
15 Der bøide de av for å gå inn i Gibea og bli der natten over. Da han kom inn i byen, blev han på gaten, for det var ingen som vilde ta dem inn i sitt hus for natten.
And so they diverted to it, so that they might lodge there. And when they had entered, they were sitting in the street of the city. For no one was willing to give them hospitality.
16 Da kom det ut på aftenen en gammel mann hjem fra sitt arbeid på marken. Mannen var fra Efra'im-fjellet og opholdt sig som fremmed i Gibea; men folket der på stedet var benjaminitter.
And behold, they saw an old man, returning from the field and from his work in the evening, and he was also from mount Ephraim, and he was living as a stranger in Gibeah. For the men of that region were of the sons of Benjamin.
17 Da han så op, fikk han øie på den veifarende mann på byens gate. Da sa den gamle mann: Hvor skal du hen, og hvor kommer du fra?
And the old man, lifting up his eyes, saw the man sitting with his bundles in the street of the city. And he said to him: “Where have you come from? And where are you going?”
18 Han svarte: Vi kommer fra Betlehem i Juda og skal langt inn i Efra'im-fjellene; der er jeg fra, og derfra drog jeg til Betlehem i Juda; jeg er nu på veien til Herrens hus, men det er ingen som vil ta mig inn i sitt hus.
He answered him: “We set out from Bethlehem of Judah, and we are traveling to our own place, which is beside mount Ephraim. From there we went to Bethlehem, and now we go to the house of God. But no one is willing to receive us under his roof.
19 Jeg har både halm og fôr til våre asener og likeledes brød og vin for mig og for din tjenerinne og for drengen som dine tjenere har med sig; vi mangler ingen ting.
We have straw and hay as fodder for the donkeys, and we have bread and wine for the use of myself, and for your handmaid and the servant who is with me. We lack nothing except lodging.”
20 Da sa den gamle mann: Fred være med dig! La bare mig sørge for alt det du trenger, men på gaten må du ikke bli natten over.
And the old man responded to him: “Peace be with you. I will provide all that is necessary. Only, I beg you, do not stay in the street.”
21 Så førte han ham inn i sitt hus og blandet fôr for asenene, og de tvettet sine føtter og åt og drakk.
And he led him into his house, and he gave fodder to his donkeys. And after they had washed their feet, he received them with a banquet.
22 Mens de nu gjorde sig til gode, kom mennene i byen, ugudelige folk som de var, og omringet huset; de banket sterkt på døren og ropte til den gamle mann som eide huset: La den mann som har tatt inn i ditt hus, komme ut, så vi kan få vår vilje med ham!
And while they were feasting, and were refreshing their bodies with food and drink after the labor of the journey, the men of that city, sons of Belial (that is, without yoke), came and surrounded the old man’s house. And they began to knock at the door, calling out to the lord of the house, and saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house, so that we may abuse him.”
23 Men mannen - han som eide huset - gikk ut til dem og sa: Ikke så, mine brødre! Gjør ikke så ond en gjerning! Siden denne mann nu er kommet i mitt hus, så bær eder ikke så skammelig at!
And the old man went out to them, and he said: “Do not choose, brothers, do not choose to do this evil. For this man has entered to my hospitality. And you must cease from this senselessness.
24 Se, her er min datter, som er jomfru, og hans medhustru; la mig føre dem ut, så kan I krenke dem og gjøre med dem som I finner for godt! Men mot denne mann må I ikke bære eder så skammelig at!
I have a virgin daughter, and this man has a mate. I will lead them out to you, so that you may debase them and may satisfy your lust. Only, I beg you, do not commit this crime against nature on the man.”
25 Men mennene vilde ikke høre på ham. Da tok mannen sin medhustru og førte henne ut på gaten til dem, og de lå hos henne og fór ille med henne hele natten til om morgenen og slapp henne ikke før det begynte å lysne.
But they were not willing to agree to his words. So the man, discerning this, led out his mate to them, and he delivered her to their sexual abuse. And when they had abused her for the entire night, they released her in the morning.
26 Ved daggry kom kvinnen og falt om ved inngangen til den manns hus hos hvem hennes herre var, og der blev hun liggende til det blev lyst.
But the woman, as darkness was receding, came to the door of the house, where her lord was staying, and there she fell down.
27 Da hennes herre stod op om morgenen og lukket op husets dør og gikk ut for å reise videre, da lå kvinnen, hans medhustru, ved inngangen til huset med hendene på dørtreskelen.
When morning came, the man arose, and he opened the door, so that he might complete the journey that he had begun. And behold, his mate was lying before the door, with her hands reaching out to the threshold.
28 Han sa til henne: Stå op og la oss ta avsted! Men det var ingen som svarte. Da løftet mannen henne op på asenet og gav sig på veien til sitt hjem.
And he, thinking that she was resting, said to her, “Get up, and let us walk.” But since she gave no response, realizing that she had died, he took her up, and he laid her on his donkey, and he returned to his house.
29 Og da han kom til sitt hus, grep han en kniv og tok sin medhustru og skar henne op, lem for lem, i tolv stykker og sendte henne omkring i hele Israels land.
And when he had arrived, he took up a sword, and he cut into pieces the dead body of his wife, with her bones, into twelve parts. And he sent the pieces into all the parts of Israel.
30 Og hver den som så det, sa: Slikt har ikke hendt og er ikke sett like fra den dag Israels barn drog op fra Egyptens land, og til denne dag; tenk over det, hold råd og si eders mening!
And when each one had seen this, they were crying out together, “Never has such a thing been done in Israel, from the day that our fathers ascended from Egypt, even to the present time. Let a sentence be brought and let us decide in common what ought to be done.”
