Judges 19
1 There was a certain man, a Levite, living beside mount Ephraim, who took a wife from Bethlehem of Judah.
Or, il y avait dans les montagnes d'Ephraïm un lévite qui prit une femme concubine de Bethléem en Juda;
2 She left him, and she returned to the house of her father in Bethlehem. And she stayed with him for four months.
Puis, sa femme le quitta pour s'en retourner à la maison de son père, à Bethléem en Juda; elle y était depuis quatre mois entiers,
3 And her husband followed her, wishing to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to lead her back with him. And he had with him a servant and two donkeys. And she received him, and brought him into the house of her father. And when his father-in-law had heard about this, and had seen him, he met him with joy.
Quand son mari, s'étant levé, s'en alla vers elle pour parler à son cœur et la ramener avec lui; il emmenait son serviteur et deux ânes. Elle l'introduisit dans la maison de son père; le père de la jeune femme le vit, et il fut joyeux de la rencontre.
4 And he embraced the man. And the son-in-law stayed in the house of his father-in-law for three days, eating and drinking with him in a friendly manner.
Le beau-père du lévite, le père de la jeune femme retint son gendre, qui resta avec lui trois jours; ils mangèrent, ils burent et ils logèrent chez lui.
5 But on the fourth day, arising in the night, he intended to set out. But his father-in-law took hold of him, and he said to him, “First taste a little bread, and strengthen your stomach, and then you shall set out.”
Le quatrième jour parut; et, s'étant levé de grand matin, ils se préparèrent à partir. Et le père de la femme dit au jeune époux: Fortifie ton cœur par une bouchée de pain; après cela, vous partirez.
6 And they sat down together, and they ate and drank. And the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “I ask you to remain here today, so that we may rejoice together.”
Tous les deux s'assirent donc, ils mangèrent et burent ensemble, et le père de la jeune femme dit à l'époux: Allons, passe ici la nuit, et ton cœur s'en trouvera bien.
7 But getting up, he intended to begin to set out. But nevertheless, his father-in-law pressed him resolutely, and made him remain with him.
Mais l'homme se leva pour partir; puis, son père le contraignant, il s'assit, et il passa la nuit dans la maison.
8 But when morning came, the Levite was preparing for his journey. And his father-in-law said to him again, “I beg you to take a little food, and to be strengthened, until the daylight increases, and after that, you shall set out.” Therefore, they ate together.
Le cinquième jour, il se leva de grand matin pour s'en aller, et le père de la jeune femme lui dit: Fortifie ton cœur, reste ici jusqu'au déclin du jour. Et ils mangèrent ensemble.
9 And the young man got up, so that he might travel with his wife and servant. And his father-in-law spoke to him again: “Consider that the daylight is declining, and it approaches toward evening. Remain with me also today, and spend the day in gladness. And tomorrow you shall set out, so that you may go to your own house.”
Quand l'homme se leva pour partir avec sa femme et son serviteur, son beau-père, le père de la jeune femme lui dit: Voilà que, le jour décline vers le soir, passe la nuit avec nous, et ton cœur s'en trouvera bien; demain, vous vous lèverez de grand matin, et tu retourneras en ta demeure.
10 His son-in-law was not willing to agree to his words. Instead, he immediately continued on, and he arrived opposite Jebus, which by another name is called Jerusalem, leading with him two donkeys carrying burdens, and his mate.
Mais l'homme ne consentit point à passer là encore une nuit; il se leva et partit, et il alla jusqu'en face de Jébus, la même que Jérusalem; il avait avec lui ses deux ânes chargés, et sa femme.
11 And now they were near Jebus, but day was turning into night. And the servant said to his lord, “Come, I beg you, let us turn aside to the city of the Jebusites, so that we may find lodging in it.”
Ils poussèrent donc jusqu'à Jébus. Or, le jour était bien avancé, et le serviteur dit à son maître: Viens, et nous entrerons dans cette ville de Jébus, et nous y passerons la nuit.
12 His lord responded to him: “I will not enter into the town of a foreign people, who are not of the sons of Israel. Instead, I will cross over as far as Gibeah.
Le maître lui dit: N'entre pas dans une ville étrangère, où il n'y a point de fils d'Israël; allons jusqu'à Gabaa.
13 And when I will have arrived there, we will lodge in that place, or at least in the city of Ramah.”
Puis, il ajouta: Allons, approchons-nous de l'une de ces deux villes; nous logerons à Gabaa ou à Rhama.
14 Therefore, they passed by Jebus, and continuing on, they undertook the journey. But the sun went down on them when they were near Gibeah, which is of the tribe of Benjamin.
Et, passant outre, ils marchèrent; le soleil se coucha comme ils traversaient le territoire de Gabaa, qui est de la tribu de Benjamin.
15 And so they diverted to it, so that they might lodge there. And when they had entered, they were sitting in the street of the city. For no one was willing to give them hospitality.
Ils entrèrent en cette ville pour y passer la nuit; et étant entrés, ils s'assirent sur la place de la ville. Or, il n'y eut pas un homme qui les conduisit dans sa maison afin de les loger.
16 And behold, they saw an old man, returning from the field and from his work in the evening, and he was also from mount Ephraim, and he was living as a stranger in Gibeah. For the men of that region were of the sons of Benjamin.
Cependant, un homme âgé revenait, sur le tard, de ses travaux des champs, et cet homme était des montagnes d'Ephraïm; il habitait Gabaa, et les hommes de cette ville étaient des fils de Benjamin.
17 And the old man, lifting up his eyes, saw the man sitting with his bundles in the street of the city. And he said to him: “Where have you come from? And where are you going?”
Il leva les yeux, et il vit le voyageur sur la place de la ville; alors, l'homme âgé lui dit: Où vas-tu, et d'où es-tu parti?
18 He answered him: “We set out from Bethlehem of Judah, and we are traveling to our own place, which is beside mount Ephraim. From there we went to Bethlehem, and now we go to the house of God. But no one is willing to receive us under his roof.
Et le lévite lui répondit: Nous allons de Bethléem en Juda, aux montagnes d'Ephraïm. Je suis de ce lieu; j'étais allé à Bethléem en Juda, et je retourne à ma maison, et il n'y a pas ici un homme qui me conduise en sa demeure.
19 We have straw and hay as fodder for the donkeys, and we have bread and wine for the use of myself, and for your handmaid and the servant who is with me. We lack nothing except lodging.”
Cependant, nous avons pour nos ânes de la litière et du fourrage; nous avons du pain et du vin pour moi, ta servante et le jeune homme; aucune chose ne manque donc à tes serviteurs.
20 And the old man responded to him: “Peace be with you. I will provide all that is necessary. Only, I beg you, do not stay in the street.”
Alors, l'homme âgé reprit: La paix soit avec toi; d'ailleurs, tu trouveras chez moi tout ce dont tu as besoin; tu ne passeras pas la nuit sur cette place.
21 And he led him into his house, and he gave fodder to his donkeys. And after they had washed their feet, he received them with a banquet.
Et il l'introduisit dans sa maison, où il prépara un endroit pour loger ses ânes; puis, ils se lavèrent les pieds, et ils mangèrent et ils burent.
22 And while they were feasting, and were refreshing their bodies with food and drink after the labor of the journey, the men of that city, sons of Belial (that is, without yoke), came and surrounded the old man’s house. And they began to knock at the door, calling out to the lord of the house, and saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house, so that we may abuse him.”
Ils étaient donc à se réjouir le cœur. Or, voilà que les hommes de la ville, fils de parents pervers, entourèrent la maison, frappèrent à la porte, et dirent à l'homme, au maître de la maison, au vieillard: Amène-nous l'homme qui est entré en ta demeure, afin que nous le connaissions.
23 And the old man went out to them, and he said: “Do not choose, brothers, do not choose to do this evil. For this man has entered to my hospitality. And you must cease from this senselessness.
Et le maître de la maison sortit auprès d'eux, et il dit: Mes frères, ne maltraitez pas cet homme, après qu'il est entré dans ma maison; ne commettez pas une action si insensée.
24 I have a virgin daughter, and this man has a mate. I will lead them out to you, so that you may debase them and may satisfy your lust. Only, I beg you, do not commit this crime against nature on the man.”
J'ai une fille vierge, et lui a une femme; je vais vous les amener: déshonorez-les, traitez-les comme bon vous semblera; mais, avec cet homme, ne faites pas l'action insensée que vous dites.
25 But they were not willing to agree to his words. So the man, discerning this, led out his mate to them, and he delivered her to their sexual abuse. And when they had abused her for the entire night, they released her in the morning.
Mais les hommes ne consentirent point à l'écouter; enfin, le lévite prit sa femme, et il la leur conduisit au dehors; ils la connurent et l'outragèrent toute la nuit jusqu'au matin, et ils la renvoyèrent lorsqu'ils virent poindre le jour.
26 But the woman, as darkness was receding, came to the door of the house, where her lord was staying, and there she fell down.
Et la femme s'en fut à l'aurore; elle tomba devant la porte de la maison où était son mari, elle y resta jusqu'au jour.
27 When morning came, the man arose, and he opened the door, so that he might complete the journey that he had begun. And behold, his mate was lying before the door, with her hands reaching out to the threshold.
Le lévite se leva dès le matin; il ouvrit la porte de la maison, il sortit pour reprendre sa route, et voilà que la femme, sa concubine, était étendue devant la porte de la maison, les mains sur le seuil.
28 And he, thinking that she was resting, said to her, “Get up, and let us walk.” But since she gave no response, realizing that she had died, he took her up, and he laid her on his donkey, and he returned to his house.
Et il lui dit: Lève-toi, et partons. Elle ne répondit point, car elle était morte. Et il la plaça sur un âne, et il l'emmena où il demeurait.
29 And when he had arrived, he took up a sword, and he cut into pieces the dead body of his wife, with her bones, into twelve parts. And he sent the pieces into all the parts of Israel.
Là, saisissant son glaive, il prit sa femme, et il la divisa en douze parts, qu'il envoya par tout Israël.
30 And when each one had seen this, they were crying out together, “Never has such a thing been done in Israel, from the day that our fathers ascended from Egypt, even to the present time. Let a sentence be brought and let us decide in common what ought to be done.”
Et tout homme qui les vit s'écria: Jamais, depuis le jour où les fils d'Israël sortirent d'Egypte jusqu'à celui-ci, pareille chose ne s'est vue. Tenez conseil au sujet de cette femme, et parlez.
