Atemmufoɔ 19
1 Saa ɛberɛ no na Israel nni ɔhene. Na ɔbarima bi a ɔfiri Lewi abusuakuo mu te Efraim bepɔ asase no so akyirikyiri baabi. Ɛda bi, ɔde ɔbaa bi firi Betlehem a ɛwɔ Yuda baa fie sɛ ne mpena.
And there was a Levite sojourning in the sides of mount Ephraim, and he took to himself a concubine from Bethleem Juda.
2 Nanso, ɔbaa no anni no nokorɛ enti ɔsane kɔɔ nʼagya fie wɔ Betlehem. Abosome ɛnan akyi,
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 ne kunu no faa ɔsomfoɔ ne afunumu foforɔ kaa ne ho kɔɔ Betlehem sɛ ɔde rekɔkorɔkorɔ no na wasane nʼakyi aba. Ɔduruu ɔbaa no agya fie no, ɔde no kɔɔ efie no mu maa nʼagya no gyee no fɛ so.
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 Ɔbaa no agya ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ ɔntena nkyɛ kakra. Enti, ɔdii nnansa, didiiɛ, nomeeɛ, daa hɔ.
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 Ne nna ɛnan so no, ɔbarima no sɔree anɔpa, pɛɛ sɛ ɔkɔ. Nanso, ɔbaa no agya ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Didi ansa na woakɔ.”
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 Enti, wɔn baanu no tenaa ase didiiɛ, nomeeɛ. Afei, ɔbaa no agya ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, da anadwo yi na gye wʼani.”
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 Ɔbarima no sɔree sɛ anka ɔrekɔ, nanso, nʼase no hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔntena. Enti, ɔpenee so daa hɔ anadwo no.
And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law constrained him, and he stayed and lodged there.
8 Nnanum so anɔpa no, ɔsɔree bio a ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔkɔ. Nanso, bio, ɔbaa no agya kaa sɛ, “Didi ansa, na awiam kakra no wobɛtumi akɔ.” Enti, wɔsane didii bio.
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 Awia no, ɔbarima no ne ne mpena no ne ne ɔsomfoɔ boaboaa wɔn ho pɛɛ sɛ wɔkɔ. Nanso, nʼase no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Montie! Adeɛ reyɛ asa. Montena na monnye mo ani anadwo yi. Ɔkyena mobɛtumi asim anɔpahema.”
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 towards 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 Nanso, afei deɛ ɔbarima no pɛɛ sɛ ɔbɛkɔ. Enti ɔfaa ne mfunumu mmienu a wɔahyehyɛ wɔn no ne mpena no, na wɔde wɔn ani kyerɛɛ Yebus (a ɛyɛ Yerusalem).
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 Ɛberɛ a wɔduruu Yebus no na adeɛ reyɛ asa, na ɔsomfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ ne wura no sɛ, “Adeɛ reyɛ asa, enti momma yɛnna Yebusifoɔ kuropɔn yi mu anadwo yi.”
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 Ne wura no buaa sɛ, “Dabi, yɛrentumi ntena ananafoɔ kuropɔn a Israelfoɔ nni mu yi mu. Yɛbɛtoa so akɔ 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 Yɛbɛnya daberɛ anadwo yi wɔ Gibea anaa Rama.”
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 Enti, wɔtoaa so. Wɔrebɛduru kuro Gibea a ɛwɔ Benyamin asase so no, na owia rekɔtɔ,
And they passed by and went on, and the sun went down upon them near to Gabaa, which is in Benjamin.
15 Enti wɔdaa hɔ anadwo no. Wɔdaa kuro no abɔntene kɛseɛ so, na obiara amfa wɔn ankɔ fie ankɔsom wɔn hɔhoɔ.
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 Anwummerɛ no, akɔkoraa bi firii nʼafuom baa fie. Na ɔfiri Efraim bepɔ asase so, nanso na ɔte Gibea wɔ Benyamin asase so.
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 Ɛberɛ a ɔhunuu akwantufoɔ yi sɛ wɔtete kuro no abɔntene kɛseɛ so no, ɔbisaa wɔn baabi a wɔfiri ne baabi a wɔrekorɔ.
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 Ɔbarima no buaa no sɛ, “Yɛfiri Betlehem a ɛwɔ Yudea na yɛrekɔ Efraim bepɔ asase no so kuro bi a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri, na yɛrekɔ Awurade Asɔrefie. Nanso obiara amfa yɛn ankɔ ne fie ankɔpɛ yɛn daberɛ,
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 ɛwom sɛ yɛwɔ deɛ ɛhia yɛn biara. Yɛwɔ ɛserɛ ne aduane a yɛde bɛma yɛn mfunumu; yɛwɔ burodo ne nsã.”
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 Akɔkoraa no kaa sɛ, “Mommra mmɛsoɛ me. Mɛma mo biribiara a ɛbɛhia mo. Na mmom, anadwo yi deɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ moda abɔntene kɛseɛ so hɔ.”
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 Enti, ɔfaa wɔn de wɔn kɔɔ ne fie, na ɔmaa wɔn mfunumu no aduane. Wɔhohoroo wɔn nan ase wieeɛ no, wɔbɔɔ mu didiiɛ.
And he brought him into his house, and made room for his asses; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22 Ɛberɛ a wɔregye wɔn ani no, kuro no mu nnipa bɔnefoɔ bi bɛtwaa fie no ho hyiaeɛ. Wɔhyɛɛ aseɛ pempem ɛpono no teateaam guu akɔkoraa no so sɛ, “Fa ɔbarima a wabɛsoɛ wo no ma yɛn sɛdeɛ yɛbɛtumi ne no ada.”
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 Akɔkoraa no firi baeɛ, bɛkasa kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Dabi, anuanom, monnyɛ bɔne a ɛte saa. Saa ɔbarima yi yɛ me hɔhoɔ na sɛ moyɛ saa a, ɛbɛyɛ animguaseɛ.
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 Me babaa ɔbaabunu ne ɔbarima yi mpena nie. Mede wɔn bɛma mo. Na deɛ mopɛ biara no monyɛ wɔn. Na mo ne saa ɔbarima yi nyɛ saa animguasedeɛ yi.”
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 Nanso, wɔantie no. Enti, Lewini no faa ne mpena no piaa no firii adi. Na kuro no mu mmarima no faa no nnidisoɔ nnidisoɔ kɔsii adekyeeɛ. Ahemadakye no na wɔgyaa no ma ɔkɔeɛ.
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 Ɔbaa no kɔduruu fie a ne kunu no te mu no ɛpono ano ara pɛ na ɔtɔɔ mum. Ɔdaa hɔ ara kɔsii sɛ anim teteeɛ.
And the woman came towards morning, and fell down at the door of the house where her husband was, until it was light.
27 Ɛberɛ a ne kunu buee ɛpono sɛ ɔrepue pɛ na ɔhunuu sɛ ɔda hɔ. Na nʼanim butu hɔ a ne nsa gu aponnwa no so.
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 Ɔhunuu no no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Sɔre! Ma yɛnkɔ!” Nanso, wammua. Enti, ɔde no too nʼafunumu no so de no kɔɔ efie.
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 Ɔduruu fie no, ɔtwee sekan de twitwaa ne mpena no mu asinasini dumienu. Na ɔde esini baako biara kɔɔ Israel mmusuakuo dumienu no mu.
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 Na obiara a ɔhunuu saa aninyanneɛ yi kaa sɛ, “Ɛfiri ɛberɛ a Israel firii Misraim no, obi nnii saa amumuyɛsɛm yi bi da. Adɛn enti na ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛkasa na yɛyɛ ho biribi?”
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.
