The Levite and His Concubine
1 In those days before Israel had a king, there was a Levite living far back in the hill country of Ephraim. He took a young woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine. 2 But she became angry with him, went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, and stayed there four months. 3 Then the man decided to go after her and try to persuade her to return to him. He took his servant and two donkeys with him. The woman showed the Levite into the house, and when her father saw him, he gave him a hearty greeting. 4 The father insisted that he stay, and so he stayed for three days. The couple had their meals and spent the nights there. 5 On the morning of the fourth day they woke up early and got ready to go. But the woman's father said to the Levite, “Have something to eat first. You'll feel better. You can go later.”
6 So the two men sat down and ate and drank together. Then the woman's father told him, “Please spend the night and enjoy yourself.”
7 The Levite got up to go, but the father urged him to stay, so he spent another night there. 8 Early in the morning of the fifth day he started to leave, but the woman's father said, “Eat something, please. Wait until later in the day.” So the two men ate together.
9 When the man, his concubine, and the servant once more started to leave, the father said, “Look, it's almost evening now; you might as well stay all night. It will be dark soon; stay here and have a good time. Tomorrow you can get up early for the trip and go home.”
10-11 But the man did not want to spend another night there, so he and his concubine started on their way, with their servant and two donkeys with pack saddles. It was late in the day when they came near Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), so the servant said to his master, “Why don't we stop and spend the night here in this Jebusite city?”
12-13 But his master said, “We're not going to stop in a city where the people are not Israelites. We'll pass on by and go a little farther and spend the night at Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they passed by Jebus and continued on their way. It was sunset when they came to Gibeah in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. 15 They turned off the road to go and spend the night there. They went into town and sat down in the city square, but no one offered to take them home for the night.
16 While they were there, an old man came by at the end of a day's work on the farm. He was originally from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was now living in Gibeah. (The other people there were from the tribe of Benjamin.) 17 The old man noticed the traveler in the city square and asked him, “Where do you come from? Where are you going?”
18 The Levite answered, “We have been in Bethlehem in Judah, and now we are on our way home deep in the hill country of Ephraim. No one will put us up for the night, 19 even though we have fodder and straw for our donkeys, as well as bread and wine for my concubine and me and for my servant. We have everything we need.”
20 The old man said, “You are welcome in my home! I'll take care of you; you don't have to spend the night in the square.” 21 So he took them home with him and fed their donkeys. His guests washed their feet and had a meal.
22 They were enjoying themselves when all of a sudden some sexual perverts from the town surrounded the house and started beating on the door. They said to the old man, “Bring out that man that came home with you! We want to have sex with him!”
23 But the old man went outside and said to them, “No, my friends! Please! Don't do such an evil, immoral thing! This man is my guest. 24 Look! Here is his concubine and my own virgin daughter. I'll bring them out now, and you can have them. Do whatever you want to with them. But don't do such an awful thing to this man!” 25 But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and put her outside with them. They raped her and abused her all night long and didn't stop until morning.
26 At dawn the woman came and fell down at the door of the old man's house, where her husband was. She was still there when daylight came. 27 Her husband got up that morning, and when he opened the door to go on his way, he found his concubine lying in front of the house with her hands reaching for the door. 28 He said, “Get up. Let's go.” But there was no answer. So he put her body across the donkey and started on his way home. 29 When he arrived, he went in the house and got a knife. He took his concubine's body, cut it into twelve pieces, and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, “We have never heard of such a thing! Nothing like this has ever happened since the Israelites left Egypt! We have to do something about this! What will it be?”
Lewi lasiloo moo niŋ a la kaŋ foroyandi musoo
1 Ñiŋ waatoo la mansa maŋ soto Banisirayila kono foloo, Lewi lasiloo moo doo le sabatita tumarankeeyaa kono Efurayimu* konkotundoo* maraa karoo la. A ye kaŋ foroyandi musoo* futuu meŋ bota Betilehemu, Yahuuda tundoo kaŋ. 2 Luŋ kiliŋ, a la ñiŋ musoo naata kamfaa a bulu, a ye a tu jee, a taata a faamaa yaa Betilehemu saatewo to Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ. A tarata sabatiriŋ jee fo kari naani. 3 Bituŋ a keemaa naata wuli a nooma ka diyaamu a ye, fo a si muru naŋ suwo kono. A niŋ a la dookuulaa niŋ fali fula le taata ñoo la. Kabiriŋ a futata, a la musoo ye a dundi a faamaa yaa. Kabiriŋ a faamaa ye a je, a ye a benduŋ kontaanoo kono. 4 Bituŋ a la musoo faamaa naata a daani ka sabati jee. A naata tara jee fo tili saba. Ì ka domori ñoo kaŋ, ì ka miŋ feŋolu miŋ ñoo kaŋ, ì ka i laa jee.
5 Tili naaninjaŋo soomandaa juunoo, Lewi lasiloo moo pareeta ka jee bula. Bari a la musoo faamaa ko a ye le ko, “Feŋ domo foloo ka i la taamoo sooneeyandi i bulu, janniŋ i be taa.” 6 Bituŋ ì moo fuloo naata sii, ì domorita ñoo kaŋ, ì ye miŋ feŋolu miŋ. Musoo faamaa naata a fo ñiŋ kewo ye ko, “Dukaree, ñiŋ suutoo fanaa laa jaŋ, i ye i faŋ seewondi.” 7 Bari ñiŋ kewo pareeta le ka taa. Bituŋ a bitankee tententa ka a maaneenee fo labaŋo la, a naata wo suutoo fanaa laa jee kotenke. 8 Tili luulunjaŋo, a wulita soomandaa juunoo ka taa, bituŋ musundiŋo ñiŋ faamaa ko a ye ko, “Tiiñaŋ jaŋ, i ye domoroo ke.” Bituŋ ì tiiñanta ñoo kaŋ jee, ì moo fuloo tarata domoroo niŋ miŋ feŋ miŋo la.
9 Kabiriŋ wo bee bota a la, ñiŋ kewo niŋ a la kaŋ foroyandi musoo, aniŋ a la dookuulaa naata wuli ka taa. Bari a bitankee ko a ye le ko, “A juubee, tiloo be naa boyi kaŋ ne, suwo be naa kuu kaŋ. I laa jaŋ. Fo i maŋ a je, tiloo be naa boyi kaŋ. I laa jaŋ, i ye i faŋ seewondi. Saama ali si wuli soomandaa juunoo, ali ye taa ali la taamoo la ka seyi ali yaa.” 10 Bari ñiŋ kewo maŋ soŋ ka suuto koteŋ laa jee. A wulita ka taa, a taata fo a sutiyaata Yebusi la, meŋ mu Yerusalaamu ti, a niŋ a la kaŋ foroyandi musoo, aniŋ fali fula, kirikewo be mennu koo to.
11 Kabiriŋ ì sutiyaata Yebusi saatewo la, aduŋ tiloo be naa boyi la, dookuulaa ko a maarii ye ko, “Naa ŋà taa Yebusinkoolu la saatewo kono, ŋà suutoo laa jee.” 12 Bari a ko a ye ko, “Ǹ te taa la luntaŋ saatewo to, meŋ moolu maŋ ke Banisirayilankoolu ti. M̀ be taa Kibeya le.” 13 A tententa ka a fo a la dookuulaa ye ko, “Naa, ŋà a kata fo ǹ si futa Kibeya waraŋ Rama ma, ka suutoo laa ñiŋ dulaa fuloo kiliŋ to.”
14 Bituŋ ì tambita Yebusi la, ì tententa ì la siloo la. Ì be sutiyaa kaŋ Kibeya la waatoo meŋ na, a ye a tara tiloo boyita le. Kibeya saatewo be Benjamini lasiloo la maroo le to. 15 Bituŋ ì ye siloo bula teŋ ne, ì dunta Kibeya ka suutoo laa jee. Kabiriŋ ì dunta saatewo ñiŋ kono, moo maŋ soto, meŋ si ì jiyaa. Bituŋ ì taata saatewo bantabaa to ka tara wo to.
16 Bituŋ wo wulaara kiliŋo la, keebaa doo le be bo kaŋ naŋ dookuwo la a la kunkoo to. A bota Efurayimu konkotundoo le kaŋ, saayiŋ a be sabatiriŋ Kibeya. Ñiŋ saatee moolu mu Benjamini lasiloo moolu le ti. 17 Kabiriŋ keebaa ye a kuŋo wulindi, a ye luntaŋo je saatewo la bantabaa to, a ye a ñininkaa, “I bota mintoo le, aniŋ i ka taa mintoo le?” 18 A ye a jaabi ko, “Ntolu be tambi kaŋ ne ka bo Betilehemu saatewo to, Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ. Ǹ ka taa Efurayimu konkotundoo le kaŋ. M bota jee le to. N taata nuŋ Betilehemu le. Saayiŋ m be seyoo le la n yaa. Bari moo maŋ soto, meŋ si n jiyaa.” 19 A tententa ka a fo keebaa ñiŋ ye ko, “M maarii, ŋà domoroo soto ǹ na faloolu ye le, aduŋ mbuuroo niŋ wayinoo* be m bulu le, n niŋ n na moolu ye. M̀ maŋ suula feŋ na.” 20 Keebaa ñiŋ ko a ye ko, “Ali tambi naŋ. Ali suulata meŋ na, m be a ke la ali ye le. Danko doroŋ, ali kana suutoo laa ñiŋ bantabaa to.” 21 Bituŋ a ye ì samba a la buŋo kono, a ye domoroo dii faloolu la. Ì ye ì siŋolu kuu, bituŋ ì domorita, ì ye i miŋ.
Kuu jawu baa meŋ keta Kibeya
22 Kabiriŋ ì be ì faŋ seewondi kaŋ, saatewo moo kuruŋ doolu le naata, ì ye buŋo bee murubeŋ. Bituŋ ì ye a dati ka bundaa lipa. Ì ko keebaa ye, meŋ mu buntiyo ti ko, “Kewo fintindi naŋ, meŋ dunta i la buŋo kono. Ǹ lafita a laañooyaa la le.” 23 Buntiyo ñiŋ fintita naŋ banta, a ko ì ye ko, “M baadiŋolu, ali kana ñiŋ kuu jawoo ke. Baawo ñiŋ kewo mu n na luntaŋo le ti, wo to ali kana ñiŋ malu kuu siifaa tiliŋ a la. 24 N dimmusoo fele, a maŋ keekuwo loŋ foloo, aniŋ luntaŋo ñiŋ na kaŋ foroyandi musoo. M batu, ŋa wolu samba ali ye naŋ. Ali ñapi wolu kaŋ, ali ali sawoo bo ì to, ko ali lafita a la ñaameŋ. Bari ali kana ñiŋ malu kuu siifaa tiliŋ ñiŋ kewo la.”
25 Bari ñiŋ kewolu maŋ a danku. Wo to le, luntaŋo ye a la kaŋ foroyandi musoo taa, a ye a fintindi ì kaŋ banta. Ì ñapita a kaŋ, ì ye a tilimbaliyaa suuto muumewo bee la, fo ka naa bula soomandaa la. Bituŋ kabiriŋ fanoo keta, ì ye a bula, a taata. 26 Fanikewo sutiyaariŋo, musoo ñiŋ naata, a boyita keebaa ñiŋ na bundaa to, a keemaa be daameŋ. A tarata laariŋ jee, fo banta fanuta.
27 Soomandaa juunoo, a keemaa wulita. A ye bundaa yele, ka tenteŋ a la taamasiloo la, a ye a la musoo je laariŋ bundaa kuŋo to. 28 A ko a ye ko, “Wuli santo, ǹ ka taa le.” Bari musoo ñiŋ maŋ a jaabi. Bituŋ a ye a sika wo le ñaama, a ye a laa faloo koo to, a seyita a yaa.
29 Kabiriŋ a futata, a dunta a la buŋo kono. A ye muroo sika, a ye a la kaŋ foroyandi musoo kuntuŋ-kuntuŋ, a ye a kudee laa kudee taŋ niŋ fula ti. A ye ì kii Banisirayila bee kono, lasili-wo-lasili kudee kiliŋ. 30 Moo-wo-moo ye a je, wo ka a fo le ko, “Moo nene maŋ ñiŋ kuu siifaa je. A nene maŋ ke, kabiriŋ Banisirayilankoolu bota Misira ka naa bula fo bii tiloo la. Ali i miira ñiŋ kuwo la, ali ye beŋ ka kuma fo ñiŋ kuwo to.”
