Abahluleli 19
1 Ngalezonsuku abako-Israyeli babengelankosi. UmLevi othile owayehlala esiqintini esikhatshana, elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wathatha umfazi weceleni eBhethilehema koJuda.
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.
2 Kodwa wayengathembekanga kuye. Wamtshiya wabuyela endlini kayise eBhethilehema, koJuda. Esehlale khona okwezinyanga ezine,
His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there for four months.
3 indoda yamlandela ukuyamncenga ukuba abuye. Indoda yayilenceku yayo labobabhemi ababili. Umfazi wamngenisa endlini kayise, njalo kwathi uyise embona wamamukela ngokuthokoza.
Her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him and a couple of donkeys. She brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young lady saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
4 Uyisezala, uyise wentombi, wamncenga ukuba ahlale; ngakho wahlala laye insuku ezintathu, esidla enatha, njalo elala khona.
His father-in-law, the young lady’s father, kept him there; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank, and stayed there.
5 Ngelanga lesine bavuka ekuseni, walungiselela ukusuka, kodwa uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe, “Qinisa umzimba wakho ngongakudla; ubusuhamba.”
On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning, and he rose up to depart. The young lady’s father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you shall go your way.”
6 Ngakho bobabili bahlala phansi badla banatha. Emva kwalokho uyise wentombi wathi, “Ake ulale ubusuku balamuhla uzithokozise.”
So they sat down, ate, and drank, both of them together. Then the young lady’s father said to the man, “Please be pleased to stay all night, and let your heart be merry.”
7 Kwathi umuntu lowo evuka ukuba ahambe, uyisezala wamncenga, ngakho walala khona ngalobobusuku.
The man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.
8 Ekuseni ngosuku lwesihlanu, wathi evuka ukuba ahambe, uyise wentombi wathi, “Phumula. Hlala kuze kube ngemva kwemini.” Ngakho bobabili badla ndawonye.
He arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the young lady’s father said, “Please strengthen your heart and stay until the day declines;” and they both ate.
9 Kwathi lapho umuntu lowo, lomkakhe weceleni kanye lenceku yakhe belungiselela ukusuka, uyisezala, uyise wentombi wathi, “Khangela, sekuzakuhlwa. Lala lapha; ilanga selizatshona. Hlala uzithokozise. Kusasa ekuseni kakhulu uzavuka uthathe indlela yakho yokuya ekhaya.”
When the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the young lady’s father, said to him, “Behold, now the day draws towards evening, please stay all night. Behold, the day is ending. Stay here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow go on your way early, that you may go home.”
10 Kodwa umuntu lowo engasafuni ukulala obunye ubusuku lapho, wasuka waqonda eJebusi (leyo yiJerusalema), labobabhemi bakhe ababili ababebotshelwe izihlalo kanye lomkakhe weceleni.
But the man wouldn’t stay that night, but he rose up and went near Jebus (also called Jerusalem). With him were a couple of saddled donkeys. His concubine also was with him.
11 Kwathi sebebanga eJebusi ilanga laselitshona, inceku yathi enkosini yayo, “Uyabona, kasime kulelidolobho lamaJebusi silale.”
When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, “Please come and let’s enter into this city of the Jebusites, and stay in it.”
12 Inkosi yayo yathi, “Hayi. Kasiyikungena edolobheni elilabantu abangasibako-Israyeli. Sizaqhubeka siye eGibhiya.”
His master said to him, “We won’t enter into the city of a foreigner that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah.”
13 Wengeza wathi, “Kasambeni, sizame ukuyafika eGibhiya loba eRama, silale kwenye yalezizindawo.”
He said to his servant, “Come and let’s draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.”
14 Ngakho baqhubeka, ilanga latshona sebebanga eGibhiya koBhenjamini.
So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15 Bema lapho ukuba balale khona. Bahamba bayahlala egcekeni ledolobho, kodwa kakho owabangenisa endlini yakhe ukuba balale khona.
They went over there, to go in to stay in Gibeah. He went in, and sat down in the street of the city; for there was no one who took them into his house to stay.
16 Ngalokhokuhlwa ixhegu laselizweni lamaqaqa ko-Efrayimi, elalihlala eGibhiya (abantu bakuleyondawo babengabakoBhenjamini), lafika livela emsebenzini walo emasimini.
Behold, an old man came from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.
17 Selikhangele labona isihambi egcekeni ledolobho, ixhegu labuza lathi, “Liya ngaphi? Livela ngaphi?”
He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”
18 Yena waphendula wathi, “Siphakathi kohambo lwethu sivela eBhethilehema koJuda siya esiqintini esikhatshana elizweni lamaqaqa ko-Efrayimi lapho engihlala khona. Kade ngiseBhethilehema koJuda kodwa khathesi sengisiya endlini kaThixo. Akulamuntu ongingenise endlini yakhe.
He said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to the LORD’s house; and there is no one who has taken me into his house.
19 Silotshani lokudla kwabobabhemi bethu lesinkwa kanye lewayini lethu thina zinceku zakho, mina lencekukazi yakho kanye lejaha esilalo. Kasisweli lutho.”
Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.”
20 Ixhegu lathi, “Lamukelekile endlini yami. Ngizalinika konke elikuswelayo. Kodwa lingalali egcekeni.”
The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.”
21 Ngakho lamngenisa endlini yalo, lanika labobabhemi bakhe ukudla. Sebegeze inyawo zabo, badla banatha.
So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22 Besazitika, abanye babantu abaxhwalileyo bakulelodolobho bahanqa indlu leyo. Batshaya isivalo, bamemeza ixhegu elalingumnikazi wendlu besithi, “Mkhuphele phandle umuntu ongene endlini ukuze siye emacansini laye.”
As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain wicked fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we can have sex with him!”
23 Umnikazi wendlu waya phandle wathi kubo, “Hayi, bangane bami, lingenzi okubi kangaka. Njengoba umuntu eyisethekeli sami, lingenzi into elihlazo kanje.
The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, “No, my brothers, please don’t act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, don’t do this folly.
24 Khangelani, nansi indodakazi yami eyintombi egcweleyo, kanye lomfazi weceleni walindoda. Ngizabaletha phandle kini, lingabasebenzisa lenze kubo konke elikufisayo. Kodwa lingenzi ihlazo elinjalo kule indoda.”
Behold, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but to this man don’t do any such folly.”
25 Kodwa abantu labo kabamlalelanga. Ngakho indoda leyo yathatha umkayo weceleni yamusa phandle kubo, bamdlova njalo bamphatha kubi ubusuku bonke, kwathi emadabukakusa bamyekela wahamba.
But the men wouldn’t listen to him; so the man grabbed his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all night until the morning. When the day began to dawn, they let her go.
26 Ekuseni owesifazane lowo waya endlini lapho umkakhe ayehlezi khona, wawela emnyango, walala khonapho kwaze kwakhanya.
Then the woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, until it was light.
27 Esevukile umkakhe ekuseni, wavula umnyango wendlu waphuma ukuba aqhubeke ngohambo lwakhe, wabona umkakhe weceleni ewele emnyango wendlu, izandla zakhe zisentubeni yomnyango.
Her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and behold, the woman his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
28 Wathi kuye, “Vuka; kasihambe.” Kodwa kamphendulanga. Ngakho umuntu lowo wambeka phezu kukababhemi wakhe wasuka waya emzini wakhe.
He said to her, “Get up, and let’s get going!” but no one answered. Then he took her up on the donkey; and the man rose up, and went to his place.
29 Esefikile ekhaya wathatha ingqamu waquma umkakhe weceleni iziqayiqa ezilitshumi lambili wazithumela kuzozonke izigaba zako-Israyeli.
When he had come into his house, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.
30 Umuntu wonke owakubonayo lokho wathi, “Into enje kayikaze ibonakale loba yenziwe, selokhu u-Israyeli waphuma eGibhithe. Cabangani ngakho! Likuhlole! Litsho okungenziwa!”
It was so, that all who saw it said, “Such a deed has not been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day! Consider it, take counsel, and speak.”
