< Judges 19 >

1 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.
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.
2 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.
Nanso, ɔbaa no anni no nokorɛ enti ɔsane kɔɔ nʼagya fie wɔ Betlehem. Abosome ɛnan akyi,
3 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.
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.
4 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.
Ɔbaa no agya ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ ɔntena nkyɛ kakra. Enti, ɔdii nnansa, didiiɛ, nomeeɛ, daa hɔ.
5 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.”
Ne nna ɛnan so no, ɔbarima no sɔree anɔpa, pɛɛ sɛ ɔkɔ. Nanso, ɔbaa no agya ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Didi ansa na woakɔ.”
6 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.”
Enti, wɔn baanu no tenaa ase didiiɛ, nomeeɛ. Afei, ɔbaa no agya ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, da anadwo yi na gye wʼani.”
7 The man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.
Ɔbarima no sɔree sɛ anka ɔrekɔ, nanso, nʼase no hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔntena. Enti, ɔpenee so daa hɔ anadwo no.
8 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.
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.
9 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 toward 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.”
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.”
10 But the man would not 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.
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).
11 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.”
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.”
12 His master said to him, “We will not enter into the city of a foreigner that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah.”
Ne wura no buaa sɛ, “Dabi, yɛrentumi ntena ananafoɔ kuropɔn a Israelfoɔ nni mu yi mu. Yɛbɛtoa so akɔ Gibea.
13 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.”
Yɛbɛnya daberɛ anadwo yi wɔ Gibea anaa Rama.”
14 So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
Enti, wɔtoaa so. Wɔrebɛduru kuro Gibea a ɛwɔ Benyamin asase so no, na owia rekɔtɔ,
15 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.
Enti wɔdaa hɔ anadwo no. Wɔdaa kuro no abɔntene kɛseɛ so, na obiara amfa wɔn ankɔ fie ankɔsom wɔn hɔhoɔ.
16 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.
Anwummerɛ no, akɔkoraa bi firii nʼafuom baa fie. Na ɔfiri Efraim bepɔ asase so, nanso na ɔte Gibea wɔ Benyamin asase so.
17 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?”
Ɛberɛ a ɔhunuu akwantufoɔ yi sɛ wɔtete kuro no abɔntene kɛseɛ so no, ɔbisaa wɔn baabi a wɔfiri ne baabi a wɔrekorɔ.
18 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.
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,
19 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.”
ɛwom sɛ yɛwɔ deɛ ɛhia yɛn biara. Yɛwɔ ɛserɛ ne aduane a yɛde bɛma yɛn mfunumu; yɛwɔ burodo ne nsã.”
20 The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but do not sleep in the street.”
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.”
21 So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
Enti, ɔfaa wɔn de wɔn kɔɔ ne fie, na ɔmaa wɔn mfunumu no aduane. Wɔhohoroo wɔn nan ase wieeɛ no, wɔbɔɔ mu didiiɛ.
22 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!”
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.”
23 The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not do this folly.
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.
24 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 do not do any such folly.”
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.”
25 But the men would not 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.
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.
26 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.
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.
27 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.
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.
28 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.
Ɔhunuu no no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Sɔre! Ma yɛnkɔ!” Nanso, wammua. Enti, ɔde no too nʼafunumu no so de no kɔɔ efie.
29 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.
Ɔduruu fie no, ɔtwee sekan de twitwaa ne mpena no mu asinasini dumienu. Na ɔde esini baako biara kɔɔ Israel mmusuakuo dumienu no mu.
30 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.”
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?”

< Judges 19 >