A Levite and His Concubine
1In those days Israel didn’t have a king.
There was a Levite who lived deep in the hill country of Ephraim. He got a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2But she wasn’t faithful to him. She left him. She went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there for four months. 3Then her husband went to see her. He tried to talk her into coming back with him. He had his servant and two donkeys with him. She took her husband into her parents’ home. When her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. 4His father-in-law, the woman’s father, begged him to stay. So the Levite remained with him for three days. He ate, drank and slept there.
5On the fourth day they got up early. The Levite prepared to leave. But the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have something to eat. It will give you strength. Then you can go on your way.” 6So the two of them sat down. They ate and drank together. After that, the woman’s father said, “Please stay tonight. Enjoy yourself.” 7The man got up to go. But his father-in-law talked him into staying. So he stayed there that night. 8On the morning of the fifth day, the Levite got up to go. But the woman’s father said, “Have something to eat. It will give you strength. Wait until this afternoon!” So the two of them ate together.
9Then the man got up to leave. His concubine and his servant got up when he did. But his father-in-law, the woman’s father, spoke to him again. “Look,” he said. “It’s almost evening. The day is nearly over. So spend another night here. Please stay. Enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and go back home.” 10But the man didn’t want to stay another night. So he left. He went toward Jebus. Jebus is also called Jerusalem. The Levite had his two donkeys and his concubine with him. The donkeys had saddles on them.
11By the time the travelers came near Jebus, the day was almost over. So the servant said to his master, “Come. Let’s stop at this Jebusite city. Let’s spend the night here.”
12His master replied, “No. We won’t go into any city where strangers live. The people there aren’t Israelites. We’ll continue on to Gibeah.” 13He added, “Come. Let’s try to reach Gibeah or Ramah. We can spend the night in one of those places.” 14So they continued on. As they came near Gibeah in Benjamin, the sun went down. 15They stopped there to spend the night. They went to the city’s main street and sat down. But no one took them home for the night.
16That evening an old man came into the city. He had been working in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim. But he was living in Gibeah. The people who lived there were from the tribe of Benjamin. 17The old man saw the traveler in the main street. He asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”
18The Levite answered, “We’ve come from Bethlehem in Judah. We’re on our way to Ephraim. I live deep in the hill country there. I’ve been to Bethlehem. Now I’m going to the house of the Lord. But no one has taken me home for the night. 19We have straw and feed for our donkeys. We have food and wine for ourselves. We have enough for me, the woman and the young man with us. We don’t need anything.”
20“You are welcome at my house,” the old man said. “I’d be happy to supply anything you might need. But don’t spend the night in the street.” 21So the old man took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After the travelers had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.
22They were inside enjoying themselves. But some of the evil men who lived in the city surrounded the house. They pounded on the door. They shouted to the old man who owned the house. They said, “Bring out the man who came to your house. We want to have sex with him.”
23The owner of the house went outside. He said to them, “No, my friends. Don’t do such an evil thing. This man is my guest. So don’t do this terrible thing. 24Look, here is my virgin daughter. And here’s the Levite’s concubine. I’ll bring them out to you now. You can have them. Do to them what you want to. But don’t do such a terrible thing to this man.”
25The men wouldn’t listen to him. So the Levite sent his concubine out to them. They forced her to have sex with them. They raped her all night long. As the night was ending, they let her go. 26At sunrise she went back to the house where her master was staying. She fell down at the door. She stayed there until daylight.
27Later that morning her master got up. He opened the door of the house. He stepped out to continue on his way. But his concubine was lying there. She had fallen at the doorway of the house. Her hands were reaching out toward the door. 28He said to her, “Get up. Let’s go.” But there wasn’t any answer. Then he put her dead body on his donkey. And he started out for home.
29When he reached home, he got a knife. He cut up his concubine. He cut her into 12 pieces. He sent them into all the territories of Israel. 30Everyone who saw it spoke to one another. They said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen or done before. Nothing like this has happened since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So let’s hear your ideas!”
Lewini Ne Ne Mpena
1Saa 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. 2Nanso, ɔbaa no anni no nokorɛ enti ɔsane kɔɔ nʼagya fie wɔ Betlehem. Abosome ɛnan akyi, 3ne 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. 4Ɔbaa no agya ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ ɔntena nkyɛ kakra. Enti, ɔdii nnansa, didiiɛ, nomeeɛ, daa hɔ.
5Ne nna ɛnan so no, ɔbarima no sɔree anɔpa, pɛɛ sɛ ɔkɔ. Nanso, ɔbaa no agya ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Didi ansa na woakɔ.” 6Enti, wɔn baanu no tenaa ase didiiɛ, nomeeɛ. Afei, ɔbaa no agya ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, da anadwo yi na gye wʼani.” 7Ɔbarima no sɔree sɛ anka ɔrekɔ, nanso, nʼase no hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔntena. Enti, ɔpenee so daa hɔ anadwo no. 8Nnanum 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.
9Awia 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.”
10Nanso, 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). 11Ɛberɛ 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.”
12Ne wura no buaa sɛ, “Dabi, yɛrentumi ntena ananafoɔ kuropɔn a Israelfoɔ nni mu yi mu. Yɛbɛtoa so akɔ Gibea. 13Yɛbɛnya daberɛ anadwo yi wɔ Gibea anaa Rama.” 14Enti, wɔtoaa so. Wɔrebɛduru kuro Gibea a ɛwɔ Benyamin asase so no, na owia rekɔtɔ, 15Enti wɔdaa hɔ anadwo no. Wɔdaa kuro no abɔntene kɛseɛ so, na obiara amfa wɔn ankɔ fie ankɔsom wɔn hɔhoɔ.
16Anwummerɛ no, akɔkoraa bi firii nʼafuom baa fie. Na ɔfiri Efraim bepɔ asase so, nanso na ɔte Gibea wɔ Benyamin asase so. 17Ɛberɛ a ɔhunuu akwantufoɔ yi sɛ wɔtete kuro no abɔntene kɛseɛ so no, ɔbisaa wɔn baabi a wɔfiri ne baabi a wɔrekorɔ.
18Ɔbarima 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, 19ɛwom sɛ yɛwɔ deɛ ɛhia yɛn biara. Yɛwɔ ɛserɛ ne aduane a yɛde bɛma yɛn mfunumu; yɛwɔ burodo ne nsã.”
20Akɔkoraa no kaa sɛ, “Mommra mmɛsoɛ me. Mɛma mo biribiara a ɛbɛhia mo. Na mmom, anadwo yi deɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ moda abɔntene kɛseɛ so hɔ.” 21Enti, ɔfaa wɔn de wɔn kɔɔ ne fie, na ɔmaa wɔn mfunumu no aduane. Wɔhohoroo wɔn nan ase wieeɛ no, wɔbɔɔ mu didiiɛ.
22Ɛberɛ 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.”
23Akɔkoraa 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. 24Me 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.”
25Nanso, 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. 26Ɔbaa no kɔduruu fie a ne kunu no te mu no ɛpono ano ara pɛ na ɔtɔɔ mum. Ɔdaa hɔ ara kɔsii sɛ anim teteeɛ.
27Ɛberɛ a ne kunu buee ɛpono sɛ ɔrepue pɛ na ɔhunuu sɛ ɔda hɔ. Na nʼanim butu hɔ a ne nsa gu aponnwa no so. 28Ɔhunuu no no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Sɔre! Ma yɛnkɔ!” Nanso, wammua. Enti, ɔde no too nʼafunumu no so de no kɔɔ efie.
29Ɔduruu fie no, ɔtwee sekan de twitwaa ne mpena no mu asinasini dumienu. Na ɔde esini baako biara kɔɔ Israel mmusuakuo dumienu no mu. 30Na 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?”
