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 there was a Levite sojourning in the sides of mount Ephraim, and he took to himself a concubine from Bethleem Juda.
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 departed from him, and went away from him to the house of her father to Bethleem Juda, and she was there four 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 rose up, and went after her to speak kindly to her, to recover her to himself; and he had his young man with him, and a pair of asses; and she brought him into the house of her father; and the father of the damsel saw him, and was well pleased 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 father of the damsel, constrained him, and he stayed with him for three days; and they ate and drank, 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 that they rose early, and he stood up to depart; and the father of the damsel said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards you shall go.
6 Basi wakaketi wote wawili ili kula na kunywa pamoja. Baadaye baba wa msichana akamwambia, “Tafadhali ubakie usiku huu upate kujifurahisha nafsi yako.”
So they two sat down together and ate and drank: and the father of the damsel said to her husband, Tarry now the night, and let your heart be merry.
7 Basi yule mtu alipotaka kuondoka baba wa yule msichana akamsihi, basi akabaki usiku ule.
And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law constrained him, and he stayed and lodged there.
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 rose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the father of the damsel said, Strengthen now your heart, and quit yourself as a soldier till the day decline; and the two ate.
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 the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine, and his young man; but his father-in-law the father of the damsel said to him, Behold now, the day has declined toward evening; lodge here, an let your heart rejoice; and you shall rise early to-morrow for your journey, and you shall go to your habitation.
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 lodge there, but he arose and departed, and came to the part opposite Jebus, (this is Jerusalem, ) and [there was] with him a pair of asses saddled, and his concubine [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 they came as far as Jebus: and the day had far advanced, and the young man said to his master, Come, I pray you, and let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites, and let us 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 to him, We will not turn aside to a strange city, where there is not one of the children of Israel, but we will pass on as far as Gabaa.
13 Akasema, “Haya, tujitahidi tufike Gibea au Rama, nasi tutalala katika mji mmojawapo.”
And he said to his young man, Come, and let us draw near to one of the places, and we will lodge in Gabaa or in Rama.
14 Hivyo wakaendelea na safari, jua likachwea walipokaribia Gibea ambao ni mji wa Benyamini.
And they passed by and went on, and the sun went down upon them near to Gabaa, which is in 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 thence to go in to lodge in Gabaa; and they went in, and sat down in the street of the city, and there was no one who conducted them into a house to lodge.
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, an old man came out of the field from his work in the evening; and the man was of mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gabaa, and the men of the place [were] sons of Benjamin.
17 Alipotazama na kuwaona hao wasafiri katika uwanja wa mji, yule mzee akawauliza, “Ninyi mnakwenda wapi? Nanyi mmetoka wapi?”
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw a traveller in the street of the city; and the old man said to him, Whither 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 to him, We are passing by from Bethleem Juda to the sides of mount Ephraim: I am from thence, and I went as far as Bethleem Juda, and I am going home, and there is no man to take me into his 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 is there straw and food for our asses, and bread and wine for me and my handmaid and the young man with your servants; there is no lack of anything.
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] to you; only be every lack of your upon me, only do you by no means lodge in the street.
21 Hivyo akamwingiza nyumbani mwake na kuwalisha punda wake. Baada ya kunawa miguu yao, wakala na kunywa.
And he brought him into his house, and made room for his asses; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
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.”
And they [were] comforting their heart, when, behold, the men of the city, sons of transgressors, compassed the house, knocking at the door: and they spoke to the old man the owner of the house, saying, Bring out the man who 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 master of the house came out to them, and said, Nay, brethren, do not you wrong, I pray you, after this man has come into my house; do not you 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 my daughter a virgin, and the man's concubine: I will bring them out, and humble you them, and do to them that which is good in your eyes; but to this man do not this folly.
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 consent to listen to him; so the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night till the morning, and let her go when the morning dawned.
26 Alfajiri yule mwanamke akarudi kwenye ile nyumba bwana wake alikokuwa, akaanguka chini mlangoni, akalala pale hata kulipopambazuka.
And the woman came toward morning, and fell down at the door of the house where her husband was, until 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 husband rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went forth to go on his journey; and, behold, the woman his concubine had fallen down by the doors of the house, and her hands were on the threshold.
28 Akamwambia yule suria, “Inuka, twende.” Lakini hakujibu. Yule bwana akamwinua akampandisha juu ya punda wake, wakaondoka kwenda nyumbani.
And he said to her, Rise, and let us go; and she answered not, for she was dead: and he took her upon his ass, and went to 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 he took his sword, and laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve parts, and sent them to every coast 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 every one who saw it said, [Such a day] as this has not happened nor has been seen from the day of the going up of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt until this day: take you counsel concerning it, and speak.
