< Waamuzi 19 >

1 Katika siku hizo Israeli hawakuwa na mfalme. Basi Mlawi mmoja aliyeishi sehemu za mbali katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, akamchukua suria mmoja kutoka Bethlehemu ya Yuda.
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
2 Lakini suria wake akafanya ukahaba dhidi yake, naye akamwacha akarudi nyumbani kwa baba yake huko Bethlehemu ya Yuda. Baada ya kukaa huko kwa muda wa miezi minne,
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.
3 mume wake akaenda kumsihi ili arudi. Alikwenda na mtumishi wake na punda wawili. Yule mwanamke akamkaribisha nyumbani mwa baba yake, baba yake alipomwona akamkaribisha kwa furaha.
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant 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 Baba mkwe wake, yaani, baba yake yule msichana, akamzuia ili akae, hivyo akakaa na huyo baba mkwe wake kwa siku tatu, wakila, wakinywa na kulala huko.
And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
5 Siku ya nne wakaamka mapema naye akajiandaa kuondoka, lakini baba wa yule msichana akamwambia mkwewe, “Ujiburudishe kwa kula kitu chochote, ndipo uweze kwenda.”
And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, Comfort your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.
6 Basi wakaketi wote wawili ili kula na kunywa pamoja. Baadaye baba wa msichana akamwambia, “Tafadhali ubakie usiku huu upate kujifurahisha nafsi yako.”
And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray you, and tarry all night, and let your heart be merry.
7 Basi yule mtu alipotaka kuondoka baba wa yule msichana akamsihi, basi akabaki usiku ule.
And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
8 Asubuhi ya siku ya tano, alipoamka ili aondoke, baba wa yule msichana akamwambia, “Jiburudishe nafsi yako. Ngoja mpaka mchana!” Kwa hiyo wote wawili wakala chakula pamoja.
And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel's father said, Comfort your heart, I pray you. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
9 Basi wakati yule mtu alipoinuka aende zake, pamoja na suria wake na mtumishi wake, baba mkwe wake, yaani, baba wa yule msichana akamwambia, “Tazama sasa jioni inakaribia. Ulale hapa usiku unakaribia. Ukae, ukajifurahishe nafsi yako. Kesho unaweza kuamka mapema asubuhi na uende nyumbani kwako.”
And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day grows to an end, lodge here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow get you early on your way, that you may go home.
10 Lakini akakataa kulala tena, akaondoka na kwenda mpaka Yebusi (ndio Yerusalemu), akiwa na punda wake wawili waliotandikiwa, pamoja na suria wake.
But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came opposite to Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.
11 Alipokaribia Yebusi na usiku ukiwa umekaribia, mtumishi akamwambia bwana wake, “Haya sasa natuingie katika mji huu wa Wayebusi tulale humo.”
And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray you, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12 Lakini bwana wake akamjibu, “Hapana. Hatutaingia kwenye mji wa kigeni, ambao watu wake si Waisraeli. Tutaendelea mpaka tufike Gibea.”
And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside here into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
13 Akasema, “Haya, tujitahidi tufike Gibea au Rama, nasi tutalala katika mji mmojawapo.”
And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14 Hivyo wakaendelea na safari, jua likachwea walipokaribia Gibea ambao ni mji wa Benyamini.
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 Wakageuka ili kuingia na kulala Gibea. Wakaingia humo, wakaketi kwenye uwanja wa mji, wala hakuna mtu yeyote aliyewakaribisha kwake ili wapate kulala.
And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
16 Jioni ile mtu mmoja mzee toka nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, aliyekuwa anaishi huko Gibea (watu wa sehemu ile walikuwa Wabenyamini), akarudi kutoka kwenye kazi za shamba.
And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
17 Alipotazama na kuwaona hao wasafiri katika uwanja wa mji, yule mzee akawauliza, “Ninyi mnakwenda wapi? Nanyi mmetoka wapi?”
And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a travelling man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Where go you? and whence come you?
18 Akamwambia, “Tumepita kutoka Bethlehemu ya Yuda, tunaelekea katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, ambako ndiko ninakoishi. Nilikwenda Bethlehemu ya Yuda na sasa ninakwenda katika nyumba ya Bwana. Hakuna mtu yeyote aliyenikaribisha katika nyumba yake.
And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receives me to house.
19 Tunazo nyasi na chakula cha punda wetu na mkate na divai kwa ajili yetu sisi watumishi wako, yaani mimi, mtumishi wako mwanamke, pamoja na huyu kijana tuliyefuatana naye. Hatuhitaji kitu chochote.”
Yet there is both straw and animal food for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your handmaid, and for the young man which is with your servants: there is no lack of any thing.
20 Yule mzee akawaambia, “Amani iwe kwenu! Karibuni nyumbani mwangu. Nitawapa mahitaji yenu yote, msilale katika uwanja huu wa mji.”
And the old man said, Peace be with you; howsoever let all your wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21 Hivyo akamwingiza nyumbani mwake na kuwalisha punda wake. Baada ya kunawa miguu yao, wakala na kunywa.
So he brought him into his house, and gave animal food unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
22 Walipokuwa wakijiburudisha, watu waovu wa mji huo, wakaizingira ile nyumba. Wakagonga mlango na kusema na yule mzee mwenye nyumba, “Mtoe nje yule mtu aliyeingia kwako, tupate kumlawiti.”
Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into your house, that we may know him.
23 Yule mwenye nyumba akatoka nje na kuwaambia, “Hapana, ndugu zangu msiwe waovu namna hii, ninawasihi. Kwa kuwa huyu mtu ni mgeni wangu msifanye jambo hili la aibu.
And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man has come into mine house, do not this folly.
24 Tazameni, hapa yupo binti yangu ambaye ni bikira na suria wa huyu mtu. Nitawatoleeni hawa sasa, mkawatwae kwa nguvu na kuwafanyia lolote mtakalo. Lakini kwa mtu huyu msimfanyie jambo ovu hivyo.”
Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble all of you them, and do with them what seems good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
25 Lakini wale watu hawakumsikia. Hivyo yule mtu akamtoa yule suria wake nje kwa wale watu, nao wakambaka na kumnajisi usiku ule kucha mpaka asubuhi. Kulipoanza kupambazuka wakamwachia aende.
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they had sexual contact with her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
26 Alfajiri yule mwanamke akarudi kwenye ile nyumba bwana wake alikokuwa, akaanguka chini mlangoni, akalala pale hata kulipopambazuka.
Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.
27 Bwana wake alipoamka asubuhi na kufungua mlango wa nyumba na kutoka nje ili kuendelea na safari yake, tazama, yule suria wake alikuwa ameanguka pale penye ingilio la nyumba na mikono yake ikiwa penye kizingiti cha chini.
And 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 was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.
28 Akamwambia yule suria, “Inuka, twende.” Lakini hakujibu. Yule bwana akamwinua akampandisha juu ya punda wake, wakaondoka kwenda nyumbani.
And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and got him unto his place.
29 Alipofika nyumbani, akachukua kisu na kumkatakata yule suria kiungo kwa kiungo, sehemu kumi na mbili, na kuvipeleka hivyo vipande katika sehemu zote za Israeli.
And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.
30 Kila mtu aliyeona akasema, “Jambo la namna hii halijaonekana wala kutendeka, tangu Israeli walipopanda kutoka Misri. Fikirini juu ya jambo hili! Tafakarini juu ya jambo hili! Tuambieni tufanye nini!”
And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

< Waamuzi 19 >