Judges 19

¹ For those days, before Israel get king, e get a Levite wey dey live far back for the hill county of Ephraim. He con take a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be him concubine,

² but she con vex for him, go back to her papa house for Bethlehem, and she stay there for four months.

³ The man con decide to go find her and try talk to her make she return to him. He take him servant and two donkeys with him. The woman con allow the Levite enter the house, and when her papa con see him, he con welcome him well.

⁴ The papa insist say make he stay, and so he con stay for three days. The couple dey chop and dem spend the nights for there.

⁵ Dem wake up early for the morning of the fourth day and dem get ready to go. But the woman papa tell the Levite say, “Make una chop first. E dey good for una. Una fit go later.”

⁶ Naso the two men siddon and chop and drink together. The woman papa con tell him say, “Abeg spend the night here make you enjoy yourself.”

⁷ The Levite con stand up to go, but the papa wan make he stay, naso he spend another night for there.

⁸ He start to dey commot early in the morning of the fifth day, but the woman papa talk say, “Abeg chop something. Wait until later in the day.” Naso the two men chop together.

⁹ When the man, him concubine, and the servant wan start to dey go, the papa talk say, “Look, evening don close now,” una still fit stay all night. Night go soon come; make una stay here and have a good time. Una fit get up early for una journey tomorrow and go.”

¹⁰ But the man no wan spend another night for there, naso him and him concubine start to dey go, with their servant and two donkeys with pack saddles. Na late in the day when dem come near Jebus (wey be Jerusalem).

¹¹ So the servant tell him master say, “Why we no stop and spend the night here for this Jebusite city?”

¹² But the master talk say, “We no go stop for the city where the people no be Israelites.

¹³ We go pass and we go still go a little far and we go spend night for Gibeah or Ramah.”

¹⁴ Naso dem go pass Jebus and continue on their way. Sun don go when dem reach Gibeah for the territory of Benjamin tribe.

¹⁵ Dem commot for road to go spend the night for there. Dem enter the city and dem siddon for the square, but nobody offer to take them home for the night.

¹⁶ As dem dey for there, one old man come after the end of him day work for fields. Na from the hill country of Ephraim he been come from originally, but na Gibeah he dey live now. (na from the tribe of Benjamin other people for there come from.)

¹⁷ The old man notice the traveler for the city square and ask them say, “Where una come from? Where una dey go?”

¹⁸ The Levite answer say. “Na from Benjamin for Judah we dey come from, and now we dey go home deep in the hill country of Ephraim. Nobody take us in for the night,

¹⁹ Even though we get food and straw for our donkey, and we get bread and wine for my concubine and me and my servant get everything wey we need.”

²⁰ The old man talk say, “Una fit come my house! I go take care of una; una no need to spend the night for the square.”

²¹ Naso he take them go home with him and feed their donkeys. Him guests wash their legs and dem chop.

²² Dem dey merry and enjoy themselves when some men of the city, some sons of Belial surround the house and dem start to dey beat the door. Dem tell the old man say, “Bring out that man wey come home with you! We wan have sex with him!”

²³ But the old man go outside and tell them say, “No, my friends! Abeg! Make una no do that kind evil and sinful thing! This man na my guest.

²⁴ Look! Na him concubine and my own daughter, wey be virgin be this. I go bring them out now, and una fit have them. Make una do anything wey una want with them. But make una no do that kind evil with this man!”

²⁵ But the men no listen to him. Naso the Levite take him concubine and put her outside with them. Dem rape her and dem abuse her all night, dem no stop until morning.

²⁶ At dawn the woman come and fall down at the door of the old man house, where her husband dey. She still dey for there when morning come.

²⁷ Her husband stand up that morning, and when he con open the door make he dey go on his way, he see him concubine dey lie for front of the house dey try reach the door.

²⁸ He talk say, “Stand up. Make we dey go.” But she no answer. Naso he put her body on top the donkey and start to dey go home.

²⁹ When he don reach, he con go inside house and get a knife. He carry him concubine body, cut am into twelve pieces, and he send one piece go each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

³⁰ Everyone wey see am talk say, “We never hear that kind thing! This kind thing never happen since Israelite don leave Egypt! Make we do something about this! Wetin e go be?”