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.
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a man, a Levite, living for a while in the most remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. He took for himself a woman, a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
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,
But his concubine was unfaithful to him; she left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem of Judah. She stayed there for 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.
Then her husband got up and went after her in order to persuade her to come back. His servant was with him, and a pair of donkeys. She brought him into her father's house. When the girl's father saw him, he was glad.
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.
His father-in-law, the girl's father, persuaded him to stay for three days. They ate and drank, and they spent the night 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.”
On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to go, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen yourself with a bit of bread, then you may 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 the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Then the girl's father said, “Please be willing to spend the night and have a good time.”
7 Basi yule mtu alipotaka kuondoka baba wa yule msichana akamsihi, basi akabaki usiku ule.
When the Levite got up to leave, the father of the young woman urged him to stay, so he changed his plan and spent the night 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.
On the fifth day he woke up early to leave, but the girl's father said, “Strengthen yourself, and wait until the afternoon.” So the two of them had a meal.
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.”
When the Levite and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his father-in-law, the girl's father said to him, “See, now the day is advancing toward evening. Please stay another night, and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and go back 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 Levite was not willing to spend the night. He got up and left. He went toward Jebus (that is Jerusalem). He had a pair of saddled donkeys—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.”
When they were near Jebus, the day was nearly over, and the servant said to his master, “Come, let us turn aside to the city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.”
12 Lakini bwana wake akamjibu, “Hapana. Hatutaingia kwenye mji wa kigeni, ambao watu wake si Waisraeli. Tutaendelea mpaka tufike Gibea.”
His master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who do not belong to the people of Israel. We will go on to Gibeah.”
13 Akasema, “Haya, tujitahidi tufike Gibea au Rama, nasi tutalala katika mji mmojawapo.”
The Levite said to his young man, “Come, let us go to one of those other places, and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
14 Hivyo wakaendelea na safari, jua likachwea walipokaribia Gibea ambao ni mji wa Benyamini.
So they went on, and the sun set as they came near to Gibeah, in the territory of Benjamin.
15 Wakageuka ili kuingia na kulala Gibea. Wakaingia humo, wakaketi kwenye uwanja wa mji, wala hakuna mtu yeyote aliyewakaribisha kwake ili wapate kulala.
They turned aside there to spend the night in Gibeah. They went and sat down in the city square, but no one took them into his house for the night.
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.
But then an old man was coming from his work in the field that evening. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying for a while in Gibeah. But the men living in that place were Benjamites.
17 Alipotazama na kuwaona hao wasafiri katika uwanja wa mji, yule mzee akawauliza, “Ninyi mnakwenda wapi? Nanyi mmetoka wapi?”
He raised his eyes and saw the traveler in the city square. The old man said, “Where are you going? Where are you coming from?”
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.
The Levite said to him, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to the most remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, which is where I come from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to the house of Yahweh, but there is no one who will 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.”
We have straw and feed for our donkeys, and there is bread and wine for me and your female servant here, and for this young man with your servants. We lack nothing.”
20 Yule mzee akawaambia, “Amani iwe kwenu! Karibuni nyumbani mwangu. Nitawapa mahitaji yenu yote, msilale katika uwanja huu wa mji.”
The old man greeted them, “Peace be with you! I will take care of all your needs. Only do not spend the night in the square.”
21 Hivyo akamwingiza nyumbani mwake na kuwalisha punda wake. Baada ya kunawa miguu yao, wakala na kunywa.
So the man brought the Levite into his house and gave feed to the donkeys. 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.”
While they were making their hearts glad, some men of the city, worthless men, surrounded the house, beating on the door. They spoke to the old man, the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, so we can have sex with 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.
The man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not do this evil thing! Since this man is a guest in my house, do not do this wicked thing!
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.”
See, my virgin daughter and his concubine are here. Let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them whatever you like. But do not do such a wicked thing to this man!”
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 listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them. They raped her and abused her all throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.
26 Alfajiri yule mwanamke akarudi kwenye ile nyumba bwana wake alikokuwa, akaanguka chini mlangoni, akalala pale hata kulipopambazuka.
At dawn the woman came and she fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, and she lay there 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.
Her master rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way. He could see his concubine lying there at the door, with her hands on the threshold.
28 Akamwambia yule suria, “Inuka, twende.” Lakini hakujibu. Yule bwana akamwinua akampandisha juu ya punda wake, wakaondoka kwenda nyumbani.
The Levite said to her, “Get up. Let us go.” But there was no answer. He put her on the donkey, and the man set out for home.
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.
When the Levite came to his house, he took a knife, and he took hold of his concubine, and cut her up, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent the pieces everywhere throughout 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!”
All who saw this said, “Such a thing has never been done or seen from the day the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this present day. Think about it! Give us advice! Tell us what to do!”
