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!”
Omuleevi ne mukazi we
119:1 a Bal 18:1 b Lus 1:1Awo mu biro ebyo tewaali kabaka mu Isirayiri.
Ne wabaawo Omuleevi eyabeeranga mu kyalo mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu eyawasa omukazi mu Besirekemu mu Yuda. 2Naye mukazi we oyo n’ataba mwesigwa n’anoba ku bba, n’addayo mu nnyumba ya kitaawe e Besirekemu mu Yuda n’amalayo emyezi ena. 3Bba n’agolokoka n’agenda n’omuweereza we n’endogoyi bbiri okwogera ne mukazi we amukomyewo. Omukazi n’amutwala mu nnyumba ya kitaawe era kitaawe w’omuwala bwe yamulaba n’asanyuka era n’amwaniriza. 419:4 Kuv 32:6Awo mukoddomi we, kitaawe w’omuwala n’amuwaliriza asigaleyo ennaku ssatu. Ne balya ne banywa ne basula eyo.
519:5 nny 8; Lub 18:5Awo ku lunaku olwokuna ne bagolokoka mu makya, Omuleevi ne yeeteekateeka okugenda. Kyokka kitaawe w’omuwala n’agamba mukoddomi we nti, “Mwesanyuse mumale okulya ku mmere, mulyoke mugende.” 619:6 nny 9, 22; Bal 16:25Ne batuula ne balya era ne banywa bonna wamu. Kitaawe w’omuwala n’agamba omusajja nti, “Kaakano kkiriza osule, omutima gwo gusanyukeko.” 7Omusajja bwe yagolokoka okugenda, mukoddomi we n’amuwaliriza okusigala era n’asula ekiro ekyo. 8Ku lunaku olwokutaano, bwe yagolokoka mu makya okugenda, kitaawe w’omuwala n’amugamba nti, “Weesanyuse kaakano. Ojjira weesanyusa okutuusa obudde lwe bunaawungeera.” Ne balya bonna wamu.
9Omusajja bwe yagolokoka okugenda ne mukazi we n’omugole we, mukoddomi we kitaawe w’omuwala n’amugamba nti, “Laba, kaakano obudde buzibye. Sula obudde buyise. Sigala wano weesanyuse, onoogolokoka enkya n’oddayo ewuwo.” 1019:10 Lub 10:16; Yos 15:8; 1By 11:4-5Naye omusajja n’atakkiriza. N’asitula n’agenda ne mukazi we, n’endogoyi ze zombi nga zeetisse, ku luuyi olw’e Yebusi, ye Yerusaalemi.
1119:11 Yos 3:10Bwe baali bali kumpi ne Yebusi, n’obudde nga buyise, omuweereza n’agamba mukama we nti, “Jjangu tukyame tuyingire mu kibuga kino eky’Abayebusi tusule omwo.” 12Mukama we n’amuddamu nti, “Tetuukyame kuyingira mu kibuga ky’abatali baana ba Isirayiri, eky’abannaggwanga. Tujja kweyongerayo tulage e Gibea.” 1319:13 Yos 18:25N’agamba omuweereza we nti, “Tusemberere ekimu ku bifo ebyo, tusule e Gibea oba mu Laama.” 1419:14 1Sa 10:26; Is 10:29Ne beeyongerayo. Enjuba n’egwa nga basemberera Gibea ekya Benyamini. 1519:15 Lub 19:2Ne bakyama eyo mu Gibea, gye baba basula. Ne balaga mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga ne batuula eyo, kyokka ne wataba muntu n’omu eyajja okubatwala ewuwe.
1619:16 a Zab 104:23 b nny 1Era laba, ne wajja omusajja omukadde eyali ava ku mirimu gye egy’omu nnimiro akawungeezi, ng’asibuka mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu, ng’abeera mu Gibea. Abantu b’e Gibea baayitibwanga Babenyamini. 1719:17 Lub 29:4N’ayimusa amaaso ge n’alaba omusajja omutambuze, ng’ali mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga. Omusajja n’amubuuza nti, “Ova wa era olaga wa?” 1819:18 Bal 18:31N’amuddamu nti, “Nva mu Besirekemu mu Yuda, ndaga mu byalo eby’ensi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu gye mbeera. Nva mu Besirekemu mu Yuda, nzirayo mu nnyumba ya Mukama, naye tewali anyannirizza mu nnyumba ye.” 1919:19 a Lub 24:25 b Lub 14:18Wabula nnina essubi n’emmere ey’endogoyi zange, ate naffe abaweereza bo tulina emmere ne wayini ebitumala nze, n’omuweereza wo omukazi, n’omuvubuka.
20Omusajja omukadde n’abagamba nti, “Mbanirizza ewange mwenna. Temwetaaga kusula mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga.” 2119:21 Lub 24:32-33; Luk 7:44Awo n’abatwala mu nnyumba ye, n’aliisa endogoyi ze, ne banaaba ku bigere19:21 Okunaaza ebigere by’omugenyi kyali kikolwa kya kwaniriza, kubanga abantu mu bitundu ebyo baatambuliranga mu sapatu mu nguudo ezirimu enfuufu., ne balya, ne banywa.
2219:22 a Bal 16:25 b Ma 13:13 c Lub 19:4-5; Bal 20:5; Bar 1:26-27Awo bwe baali nga beesanyusaamu, laba, abasajja ab’omu kibuga ekyo, abaana ab’obutali butuukirivu ne bazingiza ennyumba nga bwe bakoona oluggi. Ne bagamba nannyini nnyumba, omusajja omukadde nga bwe bawowoggana nti, “Fulumya omusajja oyo ayingidde mu nnyumba yo, tumusiyage.”
2319:23 a Lub 19:6 b Lub 34:7; Lv 19:29; Ma 22:21; Bal 20:6; 2Sa 13:12; Bar 1:27Nannyini nnyumba n’afuluma, n’abagamba nti, “Nedda mikwano gyange, temubeera bagwenyufu. Olw’okuba ng’omusajja ono azze mu nnyumba yange, temukola kintu kya buswavu bwe kityo. 2419:24 Lub 19:8; Ma 21:14Mulaba muwala wange wuuno, mbeerera, ate n’omukazi w’omusajja naye nzija kubamuwa. Baabo mubakole kye mwagala. Naye omusajja ono temumukola kintu kya buswavu bwe kityo.”
2519:25 1Sa 31:4Naye abasajja ne bagaana okumuwuliriza. Omusajja kyeyava addira mukazi we, n’amufulumya, ne bamukwata ne bamusobyako ekiro kyonna, ne bamuta agende ng’emmambya esala. 26Omukazi n’addayo n’atuuka obudde nga bukya, n’agwa ku luggi lw’ennyumba, mukama we gye yali asuze, n’abeera awo okutuusa obudde bwe bwakya.
27Mukama we bwe yagolokoka mu makya, n’aggulawo enzigi z’ennyumba ye n’afuluma agende ku lugendo lwe, laba, mukazi we ng’agudde mu maaso g’ennyumba, ng’emikono gye gikunukkiriza omulyango. 28N’agamba mukazi we nti, “Golokoka tugende.” Kyokka ne wataba kanyego. Omusajja n’amuteeka ku ndogoyi, n’agenda ewuwe.
2919:29 a Lub 22:6 b Bal 20:6; 1Sa 11:7Bwe yatuuka ewuwe, n’addira akambe, n’akwata mukazi we, n’amusalaasalamu ebifi kkumi na bibiri, n’abiweereza mu buli kitundu ekya Isirayiri. 3019:30 a Kos 9:9 b Bal 20:7; Nge 13:10Awo buli muntu eyabirabangako n’agamba nti, “Ekikolwa ekiri nga kino tekikolebwanga so tekirabibwanga okuva ku lunaku abaana ba Isirayiri lwe baayambukirako okuva mu nsi y’e Misiri n’okutuusa leero. Mukirowoozeeko, mukifumiitirizeeko era tulabe eky’okukola.”
