The Levite and His Concubine
1 In those days before Israel had a king, there was a Levite living far back in the hill country of Ephraim. He took a young woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine. 2 But she became angry with him, went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, and stayed there four months. 3 Then the man decided to go after her and try to persuade her to return to him. He took his servant and two donkeys with him. The woman showed the Levite into the house, and when her father saw him, he gave him a hearty greeting. 4 The father insisted that he stay, and so he stayed for three days. The couple had their meals and spent the nights there. 5 On the morning of the fourth day they woke up early and got ready to go. But the woman's father said to the Levite, “Have something to eat first. You'll feel better. You can go later.”
6 So the two men sat down and ate and drank together. Then the woman's father told him, “Please spend the night and enjoy yourself.”
7 The Levite got up to go, but the father urged him to stay, so he spent another night there. 8 Early in the morning of the fifth day he started to leave, but the woman's father said, “Eat something, please. Wait until later in the day.” So the two men ate together.
9 When the man, his concubine, and the servant once more started to leave, the father said, “Look, it's almost evening now; you might as well stay all night. It will be dark soon; stay here and have a good time. Tomorrow you can get up early for the trip and go home.”
10-11 But the man did not want to spend another night there, so he and his concubine started on their way, with their servant and two donkeys with pack saddles. It was late in the day when they came near Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), so the servant said to his master, “Why don't we stop and spend the night here in this Jebusite city?”
12-13 But his master said, “We're not going to stop in a city where the people are not Israelites. We'll pass on by and go a little farther and spend the night at Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they passed by Jebus and continued on their way. It was sunset when they came to Gibeah in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. 15 They turned off the road to go and spend the night there. They went into town and sat down in the city square, but no one offered to take them home for the night.
16 While they were there, an old man came by at the end of a day's work on the farm. He was originally from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was now living in Gibeah. (The other people there were from the tribe of Benjamin.) 17 The old man noticed the traveler in the city square and asked him, “Where do you come from? Where are you going?”
18 The Levite answered, “We have been in Bethlehem in Judah, and now we are on our way home deep in the hill country of Ephraim. No one will put us up for the night, 19 even though we have fodder and straw for our donkeys, as well as bread and wine for my concubine and me and for my servant. We have everything we need.”
20 The old man said, “You are welcome in my home! I'll take care of you; you don't have to spend the night in the square.” 21 So he took them home with him and fed their donkeys. His guests washed their feet and had a meal.
22 They were enjoying themselves when all of a sudden some sexual perverts from the town surrounded the house and started beating on the door. They said to the old man, “Bring out that man that came home with you! We want to have sex with him!”
23 But the old man went outside and said to them, “No, my friends! Please! Don't do such an evil, immoral thing! This man is my guest. 24 Look! Here is his concubine and my own virgin daughter. I'll bring them out now, and you can have them. Do whatever you want to with them. But don't do such an awful thing to this man!” 25 But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and put her outside with them. They raped her and abused her all night long and didn't stop until morning.
26 At dawn the woman came and fell down at the door of the old man's house, where her husband was. She was still there when daylight came. 27 Her husband got up that morning, and when he opened the door to go on his way, he found his concubine lying in front of the house with her hands reaching for the door. 28 He said, “Get up. Let's go.” But there was no answer. So he put her body across the donkey and started on his way home. 29 When he arrived, he went in the house and got a knife. He took his concubine's body, cut it into twelve pieces, and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, “We have never heard of such a thing! Nothing like this has ever happened since the Israelites left Egypt! We have to do something about this! What will it be?”
Nlevi ne nkadzi uwe
1 Mu misi iyeyo kusina mambo mu Iziraela, kwakabe kuna Nlevi wakabe egala shule tjose ku shango ye matuthu ye Ifureimi, wakazwitolegwa tjamba kudwa ku Bhetelehema mu Juda. 2 Ngono tjamba tjitje tjikan'siya, tjikayenda ku ng'umba ya tate batjo ku Bhetelehema mu Juda, tjikagala ikweno kwe mimwedzi minna. 3 Ngono nlume uwe kamilika kantobela, kanonkwekweredza kuti abuye ku nzi. Wakabe ana nlanda uwe ne madonki mabili. Nkadzi kantola kanlonga mu ng'umba ya tate babe, ngono tate be nkadzi bakati bembona, bakashatha baka nshanganidza. 4 Ngono tezwale babe, tate be mwanana, bakalamba e yenda, ngono bakagala naye mazhuba matatu, ndizo bakaja bakang'wa belala ikoko. 5 Mu zhuba le bunna kabinduka mangwanana kululwamisila yenda, ngono tate be mwanana bakadwa nkwasha wabo bakati, “Uzwisimise ne tjimwe tjinojiwa, mukoyenda zwenyu.” 6 Ndizo balume bakagala pasi nge bubili gwabo bakaja bakang'wa bose, ngono tate be nkadzi bakadwa nlume bakati, “Ndokumbila ulale kakale moyo uwo ushathe.” 7 Nlume wakati emilika wotjiyenda, tezwale babe bakankumbila kwazo, ndizo kalala kakale. 8 Mu zhuba le bushanu kamuka kutji mangwanana kuti atjiyenda, tate be mwanana bakandwa bakati, “Simisa moyo uwo, gala kuswikila kube masikati.” Ndizo bakaja bose bubili gwabo. 9 Kwakati nlume ne tjamba tjitje ne nlanda uwe bemilika kuti batjiyenda, tezwale babe, tate be mwanana bakandwa bakati, “Bona, kwatjibe madekwana kale. Lala imomu zhuba lamila. Lala ndizo kuti moyo uwo ushathe. Mowobinduka mangwana muwila zila muyenda kanyi.” 10 Koga nlume kalamba lala kakale, kamilika kayenda ngono kaswika kulingisana ne Jebusi iyo Jerusalema. Wakabe ana madonki mabili akabelesiwa ne tjamba tjitje.
11 Bakati batjilinga Jebusi, zhuba lakabe lotjimila, nlanda kadwa tetshi uwe kati, “Buyani tingine mu nzi iwoyu we Bajebusi tilale.”
12 Tetshi uwe kanshandula eti, “Atinga ngine mu nzi we bataya basi bathu be Iziraela, koga towopindila ku Gibiya.” 13 Kadwa nlanda uwe kati, “Buya tisedzele hwunde ye umwe we magalo iyawa, towolala ku Gibiya kene ku Rama.” 14 Ndizo bakapinda bakayenda, ngono zhuba likabamilila bakalinga Gibiya ya Bhenjamini, 15 ngono bakatendebukila ko bakangina kuti balale mu Gibiya. Bakayenda bakanogala pa tjibata tje nzi, koga akuna nthu wakabatolela ku ng'umba iye kuti banolala.
16 Ngono madekwana iyawo kukazha nthutana wakakula edwa kushinga ku minda, wakabe edwa ku shango ye matuthu ye Ifureimi, wakabe egala mu Gibiya, beni be magalo kwakabe kuli Babhenjamini. 17 Kati e milidza mesho awe, kabona nlume pa tjibata tje nzi, ngono nthutana kabhuzwa eti, “Unoyenda ngayi? Unodwa ngayi?”
18 Kandabila eti, “Timu zila topinda, todwa ku Bhetelehema we Juda toyenda ku shango ye matuthu ye Ifureimi kwatinogala. Ndakabendayenda ku Bhetelehema we Juda ngono ngwenu ndoyenda ku Ng'umba ya Yahwe, akuna iye wandiamutjila mu ng'umba iye. 19 Tina mbuba yedu ne zojiwa zwe madonki ne tjiwunga ne nkumbi we zhambi iswi balanda babo, akuna tjatinosheta.” 20 Nthutana kabe eti, “Usidziyidzike, ndowomutjengeta, usilale mu tjibata.” 21 Ndizo kabalonga mu ng'umba iye, kapa madonki zojiwa zwawo, bakan'gula makumbo bakaja bakang'wa.
22 Bakati batjakashatha, balume bamwe be zwilalume bakapoteleka ng'umba bakaloba libati, bakadwa nthutana bakati, “Dusa nlume iwoyo wa walonga mu ng'umba ndizo tinzibe.”
23 Ngono nthutana iye mweni we ng'umba kabhuda kabadwa kati, “Aa, bakanyi kwedu musithame tjithu tjakabipa tjakajali. Mobona kuti nlume iwoyo wazha mu ng'umba yangu, musithame tjithu tjinobhatisa shoni itjetji. 24 Bonani, ndina nkololokadzi wangu we mwanadi ne tjamba tjitje. Ndowomudusila ibo ngwenu. Shingisani ibo, muthame tjamunoshaka mubali. Koga nlume iwoyu musinthame tjithu tjakajali tjinobhatisa shoni.” 25 Koga balume bakasinteedze. Nlume katola tjamba tjitje katjidusila pazhe kubali, bakandzula, bakanshingisa kwakabipa busiku gose kuswikila mazhokuyedza.
26 Kwakati kwatjibe mangwanana nkadzi kabuya kawila pa nkoba we ng'umba ya tetshi uwe, kalala ipapo kuswikila kuyedza.
27 Kwakati tetshi uwe emuka kutji mangwanana, kazhula nkoba we ng'umba eti unobhuda unoyenda, kabona tjamba tjitje tjililele pa nkoba we ng'umba, maboko ali pa itubhu tje ng'umba. 28 Kandwa kati, “Mukatiyende.” Koga kukasheteka dabilo. Kambiga pezhugwi kwe donki ngono nlume kamilika kayenda kanyi kwabo.
29 Wakati eswika ku ng'umba iye, katola mpanga kathubulila tjamba tjitje nge ndungululo dzatjo, kathama zwitho zwili gumi lina kubili (12), kazwitumila mu mituthu yose ye Iziraela. 30 Mmwe ne mmwe wakakubona kati, “Akuthu kukashingikala kene kuka bong'wa tjithu tjakajali kudwa tjose Baiziraela bebhuda mu Egipiti kunoti nasi. Mukubone, mukumbuludze, mulebeleke.”