Judges 19
1 At that time Israel didn't have a king. A Levite who was living in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim married a concubine-wife from Bethlehem in Judah.
Ngalezonsuku abako-Israyeli babengelankosi. UmLevi othile owayehlala esiqintini esikhatshana, elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wathatha umfazi weceleni eBhethilehema koJuda.
2 But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father's house in Bethlehem. She was there for four months.
Kodwa wayengathembekanga kuye. Wamtshiya wabuyela endlini kayise eBhethilehema, koJuda. Esehlale khona okwezinyanga ezine,
3 Then her husband went after her, to talk kindly with her and bring her back home. With him went his servant and two donkeys. She took him to her father's house and when her father met him, he gladly welcomed him.
indoda yamlandela ukuyamncenga ukuba abuye. Indoda yayilenceku yayo labobabhemi ababili. Umfazi wamngenisa endlini kayise, njalo kwathi uyise embona wamamukela ngokuthokoza.
4 Her father pressed him to stay with them, so he remained for three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.
Uyisezala, uyise wentombi, wamncenga ukuba ahlale; ngakho wahlala laye insuku ezintathu, esidla enatha, njalo elala khona.
5 On the fourth day he and his concubine got up early in the morning and prepared to leave, but her father said to his son-in-law, “You'll feel better if you have something to eat before you go.”
Ngelanga lesine bavuka ekuseni, walungiselela ukusuka, kodwa uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe, “Qinisa umzimba wakho ngongakudla; ubusuhamba.”
6 So the two men sat down to eat and drink together. The father said to his son-in law, “Please agree to spend another night here, and you can enjoy yourself!”
Ngakho bobabili bahlala phansi badla banatha. Emva kwalokho uyise wentombi wathi, “Ake ulale ubusuku balamuhla uzithokozise.”
7 The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law pressed him to stay, so in the end he spent the night there.
Kwathi umuntu lowo evuka ukuba ahambe, uyisezala wamncenga, ngakho walala khona ngalobobusuku.
8 On the fifth day he got up early in the morning to leave. But his father-in-law said, “Eat before you go, then leave later this afternoon.” So they had a meal together.
Ekuseni ngosuku lwesihlanu, wathi evuka ukuba ahambe, uyise wentombi wathi, “Phumula. Hlala kuze kube ngemva kwemini.” Ngakho bobabili badla ndawonye.
9 When he got up to leave with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law told him, “Look it's late—it's already evening. Spend the night here. The day's almost over. Stay here the night and enjoy yourself, then tomorrow you can get up early and be on your way home.”
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.”
10 But the man didn't want to spend another night, so he got up and left. He headed towards the town of Jebus (now called Jerusalem) with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
Kodwa umuntu lowo engasafuni ukulala obunye ubusuku lapho, wasuka waqonda eJebusi (leyo yiJerusalema), labobabhemi bakhe ababili ababebotshelwe izihlalo kanye lomkakhe weceleni.
11 As they approached Jebus the day was over, the servant said to his master, “Sir, why don't we stop here at this Jebusite town for the night?”
Kwathi sebebanga eJebusi ilanga laselitshona, inceku yathi enkosini yayo, “Uyabona, kasime kulelidolobho lamaJebusi silale.”
12 But his master replied, “No, we're not going to stop in this town where only foreigners live and no Israelites. We'll continue on to Gibeah.”
Inkosi yayo yathi, “Hayi. Kasiyikungena edolobheni elilabantu abangasibako-Israyeli. Sizaqhubeka siye eGibhiya.”
13 Then he told his servant, “Come on, let's try and get to Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night somewhere there.”
Wengeza wathi, “Kasambeni, sizame ukuyafika eGibhiya loba eRama, silale kwenye yalezizindawo.”
14 So they carried on and reached Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin just as the sun was setting.
Ngakho baqhubeka, ilanga latshona sebebanga eGibhiya koBhenjamini.
15 They stopped in Gibeah to spend the night, and sat down in the town's main square, but no one invited them to come and stay.
Bema lapho ukuba balale khona. Bahamba bayahlala egcekeni ledolobho, kodwa kakho owabangenisa endlini yakhe ukuba balale khona.
16 But later that evening an old man came by, returning from working in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but was now living in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.
Ngalokhokuhlwa ixhegu laselizweni lamaqaqa ko-Efrayimi, elalihlala eGibhiya (abantu bakuleyondawo babengabakoBhenjamini), lafika livela emsebenzini walo emasimini.
17 He looked over and noticed the traveler in the square and asked, “Where are you going and where have you come from?”
Selikhangele labona isihambi egcekeni ledolobho, ixhegu labuza lathi, “Liya ngaphi? Livela ngaphi?”
18 “We've come from Bethlehem in Judah and we're going to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim,” the man replied. “I'm from there and I went to Bethlehem, and now I'm going to the Lord's Temple. No one here has invited me to stay.
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.
19 There's straw and food for our donkeys, and we your servants have bread and wine—enough for me, the woman, and my servant. We have all we need.”
Silotshani lokudla kwabobabhemi bethu lesinkwa kanye lewayini lethu thina zinceku zakho, mina lencekukazi yakho kanye lejaha esilalo. Kasisweli lutho.”
20 “You are welcome to stay with me,” the man replied. “I can let you have everything you need. Just don't spend the night here in the square.”
Ixhegu lathi, “Lamukelekile endlini yami. Ngizalinika konke elikuswelayo. Kodwa lingalali egcekeni.”
21 He took him home and fed the donkeys. The travelers washed their feet and then started to eat and drink.
Ngakho lamngenisa endlini yalo, lanika labobabhemi bakhe ukudla. Sebegeze inyawo zabo, badla banatha.
22 While they were enjoying themselves, some depraved men from the town came and surrounded the house, and banged on the door, shouting to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to stay in your house so we can have sex with him.”
Besazitika, abanye babantu abaxhwalileyo bakulelodolobho bahanqa indlu leyo. Batshaya isivalo, bamemeza ixhegu elalingumnikazi wendlu besithi, “Mkhuphele phandle umuntu ongene endlini ukuze siye emacansini laye.”
23 The man who owned the house went outside and told them, “My brothers, don't act in such an evil way! This man is a guest in my house. Don't do something so disgusting!
Umnikazi wendlu waya phandle wathi kubo, “Hayi, bangane bami, lingenzi okubi kangaka. Njengoba umuntu eyisethekeli sami, lingenzi into elihlazo kanje.
24 Look, here's my virgin daughter and the man's concubine. Let me bring them out and you can rape them and do whatever you want to them. But don't do something so disgusting to this man.”
Khangelani, nansi indodakazi yami eyintombi egcweleyo, kanye lomfazi weceleni walindoda. Ngizabaletha phandle kini, lingabasebenzisa lenze kubo konke elikufisayo. Kodwa lingenzi ihlazo elinjalo kule indoda.”
25 But the men refused to listen, so the man grabbed his concubine and threw her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until the morning, and only discarded her at dawn.
Kodwa abantu labo kabamlalelanga. Ngakho indoda leyo yathatha umkayo weceleni yamusa phandle kubo, bamdlova njalo bamphatha kubi ubusuku bonke, kwathi emadabukakusa bamyekela wahamba.
26 As night turned into day she returned to the house where her master was staying and collapsed in front of the door as it got light.
Ekuseni owesifazane lowo waya endlini lapho umkakhe ayehlezi khona, wawela emnyango, walala khonapho kwaze kwakhanya.
27 Her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house. He went out to continue his journey and there was his concubine, stretched out in the doorway of the house, with her hands holding onto the doorstep.
Esevukile umkakhe ekuseni, wavula umnyango wendlu waphuma ukuba aqhubeke ngohambo lwakhe, wabona umkakhe weceleni ewele emnyango wendlu, izandla zakhe zisentubeni yomnyango.
28 “Get up, let's go,” he told her, but there was no answer. Then the man lifted her onto his donkey and went home.
Wathi kuye, “Vuka; kasihambe.” Kodwa kamphendulanga. Ngakho umuntu lowo wambeka phezu kukababhemi wakhe wasuka waya emzini wakhe.
29 When he got home he took a knife, and holding onto his concubine, cut her up, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent these pieces of her to every part of Israel.
Esefikile ekhaya wathatha ingqamu waquma umkakhe weceleni iziqayiqa ezilitshumi lambili wazithumela kuzozonke izigaba zako-Israyeli.
30 Everyone who saw her said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen before, from the time the Israelites left Egypt up until now. You should think about what happened to her! Decide what to do! Speak up!”
Umuntu wonke owakubonayo lokho wathi, “Into enje kayikaze ibonakale loba yenziwe, selokhu u-Israyeli waphuma eGibhithe. Cabangani ngakho! Likuhlole! Litsho okungenziwa!”
