Waamuzi 19
1 Katika siku hizo, wakati hakuna mfalme katika Israeli, kulikuwa na mtu, Mlawi, aliyekuwa akiishi kwa muda kidogo katika eneo la mbali zaidi ya nchi ya Efraimu. Alijichukulia mwanamke, masuria kutoka Bethlehemu huko Yuda.
At that time the Israeli people had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi who lived in a remote place in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. He had previously taken as a wife a woman who was a slave. She was from Bethlehem, in the area where the tribe of Judah lives.
2 Lakini mkewe hakuwa mwaminifu kwake; akaondoka na kurudi nyumbani kwa baba yake huko Bethlehemu ya Yuda. Alikaa huko kwa muda wa miezi minne.
But she started to sleep with other men also. Then she left him and returned to her father’s house in Bethlehem. She stayed there for four months.
3 Kisha mumewe akaondoka na kumfuata ili kumshawishi arudi. Mtumishi wake alikuwa pamoja naye, na punda wawili. Akamleta nyumbani kwa baba yake. Baba wa msichana alipomwona, alifurahi.
Then her husband took his servant and two donkeys and went to Bethlehem. He went to ask her to come back to live with him again. When he arrived at her father’s house, she invited him to come in. Her father was happy to see him.
4 Baba mkwe wake, baba wa msichana, alimshawishi kukaa siku tatu. Walikula na kunywa, na walikaa usiku huko.
The woman’s father asked him to stay. So he stayed there for three days. During that time he ate and drank and slept there.
5 Siku ya nne waliamka mapema na alijiandaa kuondoka, lakini baba wa msichana akamwambia mkwewe, “Jipe nguvu na mkate kidogo, kisha unaweza kwenda.”
On the fourth day, they all got up early in the morning. The man from the tribe of Levi was preparing to leave, but the woman’s father said to him, “Eat something before you go.”
6 Basi hao wawili wakaketi kula na kunywa pamoja. Kisha baba ya msichana akasema, “Tafadhali uwe tayari kukaa usiku huu na kuwa na wakati mzuri.'
So the two men sat down to eat and drink together. Then the woman’s father said to him, “Please stay another night. Relax/Rest and have a joyful time.”
7 Mlawi alipoinuka ili aondoke, baba wa mwanamke huyo alimwomba akae, hivyo alibadili mpango wake na akalala usiku tena.
The man from the tribe of Levi wanted to leave, but the woman’s father requested him to stay one more night. So he stayed again that night.
8 Siku ya tano aliamka mapema kuondoka, lakini baba wa msichana akasema, 'Jitie nguvu mwenyewe, na kusubiri mpaka alasiri.' Kwa hiyo hao wawili wakala chakula.
On the fifth day, the man got up early and prepared to leave. But the woman’s father said to him again, “Have something to eat. Wait until this afternoon, [and then leave].” So the two men ate together.
9 Mlawi na suria wake na mtumishi wake wakainuka ili kuondoka, baba mkwe wake, baba wa msichana akamwambia, “Angalia, sasa mchana unaelekea jioni. Tafadhali kaa usiku mwingine, na uwe na wakati mzuri. Unaweza kuamka kesho mapema na kurudi nyumbani.”
In the afternoon, when the man from the tribe of Levi and his slave wife and his servant got up to leave, the woman’s father said, “It will soon be dark. The day is almost over. Stay here tonight and have a good/joyful time. Tomorrow morning you can get up early and leave for your home.”
10 Lakini Mlawi hakuwa tayari kukaa usiku. Aliamka na kuondoka. Akaenda kuelekea Yebusi (hiyo ni Yerusalemu). Alikuwa na pande mbili za punda-na masuria wake alikuwa pamoja naye.
But the man from the tribe of Levi did not want to stay for another night. He put saddles on his two donkeys, and started to go with his slave wife [and his servant] toward Jebus [city], which is [now named] Jerusalem.
11 Walipokuwa karibu na Yebusi, siku hiyo ilikuwa imeenda mno, na mtumishi akamwambia bwana wake, Haya, tupate kwenda kwa mji wa Wayebusi, tukakae ndani yake usiku huu.
Late in the afternoon, they came near to Jebus. The servant said to his master, “We should stop in this city where the Jebus people-group live, and stay here tonight.”
12 Bwana wake akamwambia, “Hatuwezi kwenda katika mji wa wageni ambao si wa wana wa Israeli.” Tutakwenda Gibea.
But his master said, “No, it would not be good for us to stay here where foreign people live. There are no Israeli people here. We will go on to Gibeah [city].”
13 Mlawi akamwambia yule kijana, “Njoo, twende sehemu moja wapo, na tukae usiku huko Gibea au Rama.”
He said to his servant, “Let’s go. It is not far to Gibeah. We can go there, or we can go a bit further to Ramah. We can stay in one of those two cities tonight.”
14 Basi, wakaenda, na jua likachwea wakiwa karibu na Gibea, katika eneo la Benyamini.
So they continued walking. When they came near Gibeah, where people from the tribe of Benjamin live, the sun was setting.
15 Wakageuka huko ili wawezenkukaa usiku huko Gibea. Naye akaingia na kukaa katika njia kuu ya jiji, maana hakuna mtu aliyewaingiza nyumbani kwake usiku.
They stopped to stay there that night. They went to the public square of that city and sat down. But no one [who passed by] invited them to stay in their house for that night.
16 Lakini mtu mzee alikuwa akija kutoka kazini kwake katika shamba jioni hiyo. Alikuwa kutoka mlima wa Efraimu, naye alikuwa akikaa kwa muda huko Gibea. Lakini watu wanaoishi mahali hapo walikuwa Wabenyamini.
Finally, in the evening, an old man came by. He had been working in the fields. He was from the hilly area of the tribe of Ephraim, but at that time he was living in Gibeah.
17 Aliinua macho na kumwona msafiri katika njia kuu ya jiji. Huyo mzee akasema, “Unakwenda wapi? Unatoka wapi?”
He realized that the man from the tribe of Levi was only traveling and did not have a home in that city. So he asked the man, “Where have you come from? And where are you going?”
18 Mlawi akamwambia, “Tunaenda kutoka Betelehemu ya Yuda mpaka sehemu ya mbali zaidi ya nchi ya kilima ya Efraimu, ambako mimi hutoka. Nilikwenda Bethlehemu huko Yuda, nami nenda nyumbani mwa Bwana; lakini hakuna mtu atakayenichukua nyumbani kwake.
He replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem to my home in the hilly area where people of the tribe of Ephraim live. I went from there to Bethlehem, but now we are going to [Shiloh] where Yahweh’s Sacred tent (OR, my house) is. No one here has invited us to stay in their house tonight.
19 Tuna nyasi za kulisha punda zetu, na kuna mkate na divai kwa ajili yangu na mtumishi wako mwanamke hapa, na kwa kijana huyu pamoja na watumishi wako. Hatujapungukiwa chochote. '
We have straw and food for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and the young woman and my servant. We do not need anything else.”
20 Huyo mzee akawasalimu, “Amani iwe na wewe! Nitakupatia mahitaji yako yote. Usikae usiku tu katika njia kuu.”
The old man said, “I wish that things will go well for you, but I would like to provide what you need. Do not stay here in the square tonight.”
21 Basi huyo mtu akamleta Mlawi nyumbani kwake, akawalisha punda. Wakaosha miguu yao na kula na kunywa.
Then the old man took them to his house. He gave food to the donkeys. He [gave water to the man and the woman and the servant to] wash their feet. And he gave them something to eat and drink.
22 Walipokuwa wakifurahisha mioyo yao, watu wengine wa jiji, watu wasiokuwa na maana, walizunguka nyumba, wakipiga mlango. Wakamwambia yule mzee, mwenye nyumba, wakisema, “Mtoe mtu aliyeingia nyumbani kwako, ili tuweze kufanya mapenzi naye.”
While they were having a good/joyful time together, some wicked men from that city surrounded the house and started to bang on the door. They shouted to the old man, “Bring out to us the man who has come to your house. We want to have sex with him.”
23 Yule mtu, mwenye nyumba, akawajia, akawaambia, “Hapana, ndugu zangu, tafadhali msifanye jambo baya! Kwa kuwa mtu huyu ni mgeni nyumbani kwangu, musifanye jambo hili baya!”
The old man went outside and said to them, “Friends, I will not do that. That would be a very evil thing. This man is a guest in my house. You should not do such a terrible/disgraceful/shameful thing!
24 Angalia, binti yangu bikira na masuria wake hawa hapa. Ngoja niwalete sasa. Wapuuze na kufanya nao chochote mnachopenda. Lakini msifanyie jambo hili mbaya kwa mtu huyu!”
Look, my daughter is here. She is [still] a virgin. And this man’s slave wife is here. I will bring them out to you now. You may do to them whatever you wish, but do not do such a terrible/disgraceful/shameful thing to this young man!”
25 Lakini watu hawakumsikiliza, kwa hiyo huyo mwanamume akamshika yule mwanamke, akamleta nje. Walimkamata, wakambaka, na kumtendea uovu usiku mzima, na asubuhi wakamruhusu aende.
But the men did not pay attention to what he said. So the man from the tribe of Levi took his slave wife and sent her to them, outside the house. They raped [EUP] her and abused her all night. Then at dawn, they allowed her to go.
26 Asubuhi mwanamke alikuja akaanguka chini ya mlango wa nyumba ya mtu ambapo bwana wake alikuwa, na yeye akalala pale mpaka kulipokucha.
She returned to the old man’s house, where her husband was staying, but she fell down at the doorway and lay there all night.
27 Bwana wake akaondoka asubuhi na kufungua milango ya nyumba, akatoka kwenda njiani. Aliweza kumwona mwanamke wake amelala pale mlangoni, mikono yake ikiwa juu ya kizingiti.
In the morning, when the man from the tribe of Levi got up, he went outside of the house to continue his journey. He saw his slave wife lying there at the doorway of the house. Her hands were on the doorsill.
28 Mlawi akamwambia, “Simama twende.” Lakini hakujibiwa. Alimuweka juu ya punda, na huyo mtu akaondoka nyumbani.
He said to her, “Get up! Let’s go!” But she did not answer, [because she had died]. He put her body on the donkey and traveled to his home.
29 Mlawi alipofika nyumbani kwake, akachukua kisu, naye akamshika suria wake, akamkataa, mguu kwa mguu, akafanya vipande kumi na viwili, akapeleka vipande kila mahali katika Israeli.
When he arrived home, he took a knife and cut the body of the slave woman into twelve pieces. Then he sent one piece to each area of Israel, [along with a message telling what had happened].
30 Wote waliona hili wakasema, “Kitu hicho hakijawahi kufanyika au kuonekana tangu siku ambayo watu wa Israeli walikuja kutoka nchi ya Misri mpaka leo. Fikiria juu ya hili! Tupe ushauri! Tuambie nini cha kufanya!”
Everyone who saw a piece of the body and the message said, “Nothing like this has ever happened before. Not since our ancestors left Egypt [have we heard of such a terrible thing]. We need to think carefully about it. Someone should decide what we should do.”
