1 A i aua ra, i te mea kahore he kingi o Iharaira, na ko tetahi tangata, he Riwaiti, e noho noa iho ana i te taha ki tua o te whenua pukepuke o Eparaima; na ka tango ia i tetahi wahine iti mana i roto i Peterehema Hura.

There was no king in Israel in those days. And there was a certain Levite staying in a far away part of the hill country of Ephraim. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to act as his wife.

2 N a kua puremu tana wahine iti, a mawehe atu ana i a ia ki te whare o tona papa, ki Peterehema Hura, a e wha nga tino marama ona ki reira.

But his woman was not faithful to him. She left him and went to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there four months.

3 N a ka whakatika tana tahu, a haere ana ki te whai i a ia, ki te whakamarie i a ia, ki te whakahoki mai i a ia; ko tana tangata hoki tona hoa haere, me nga kaihe e rua: na ka kawea ia e te wahine ra ki te whare o tona papa, a, no te kitenga o te p apa o te kotiro i a ia, koa tonu, no te mea ka tutaki ki a ia.

Then her husband got up and went after her. He was gentle in speaking to her, asking her to return with him. He brought his servant and two donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father’s house. When her father saw him, he was glad to meet him.

4 N a ka pupuri tona hungawai, te papa o te kotiro, i a ia; a e toru nga ra i noho ai ia ki a ia; heoi kai ana, inu ana raua, a noho ana i reira.

His father-in-law, the girl’s father, made him stay. So he stayed with him three days. They ate and drank and stayed there.

5 A i te wha o nga ra ka maranga wawe ratou i te ata, a whakatika ana ia ki te haere: na ka mea te papa o te kotiro ki tana hunaonga, Kia ora tou ngakau i tetahi wahi taro, a muri iho ka haere.

They got up early in the morning on the fourth day to get ready to go. The girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Eat a piece of bread to get your strength. Then you may go.”

6 N a ka noho raua, ka kai, ka inu tahi to raua tokorua, na ka mea te papa o te kotiro ki taua tangata, Tena koa, noho iho i te po nei, kia koa hoki tou ngakau.

So both of them sat down and ate and drank together. The girl’s father said to the man, “I beg you, agree to stay the night. Let your heart be happy.”

7 A , i te whakatikanga o taua tangata ki te haere, ka tohea ia e tona hungawai, na ka moe ano ia ki reira.

The man stood up to go. But his father-in-law begged him so that he stayed another night there.

8 A i te rima o nga ra ka maranga wawe ia ki te haere, a ka mea te papa o te kotiro, Kia ora tou ngakau: e noho korua kia titaha ra te ra; a kai ana raua tokorua.

He got up to go early in the morning on the fifth day. But the girl’s father said, “I beg you, get your strength first. Wait until later in the day.” So both of them ate.

9 N a ka whakatika taua tangata ki te haere, a ia, tana wahine iti me tana tangata, a ka mea tona hungawai, te papa o te kotiro ki a ia, Nana, kua heke te ra, kua ahiahi, e noho ra, nana kua tawharara te ra, hei konei moe ai, kia koa ai tou ngakau; a hei te ata apopo ka maranga wawe ai koutou ki te ara, ka haere ki tou kainga.

Then the man stood up to leave with his woman and his servant. His father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Now see, the day is ending. I beg you, stay the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Stay here through the night so your heart may be happy. Get up early tomorrow to go on your way home.”

10 O tiia kihai taua tangata i pai kia noho i taua po, engari whakatika ana ia, haere ana, a ka tae ki te ritenga atu o Iepuhu, ara o Hiruharama: i a ia ano hoki nga kaihe e rua, whakanoho rawa, i a ia ano hoki tana wahine iti.

But the man would not stay the night. He stood up and left and came to a place beside Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had his woman with him and two donkeys to carry them both.

11 K a tata ratou ki Iepuhu, na kua aua noa atu te ra; a ka mea te tangata ki tona rangatira, Tena, kia peka tatou ki tenei pa o nga Iepuhi, ki reira moe ai.

The day was almost gone when they were near Jebus. The servant said to his owner, “Come, let us go in and stay the night in this city of the Jebusites.”

12 N a ka mea tona rangatria ki a ia, E kore tatou e peka ki te pa o te iwi ke, ehara nei i nga tamariki a Iharaira; engari me haere atu tatou ki Kipea.

But his owner said to him, “We will not go into the city of strangers who are not of the people of Israel. We will go as far as Gibeah.”

13 N a ka mea ia ki tana tangata, Haere mai, tatou ka whakatata ki tetahi o enei wahi; ka moe ai tatou ki Kipea, ki Rama ranei.

And he said to his servant, “Come, let us go to one of these places. We will stay the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”

14 N a ka whiti atu ratou, ka haere; a kua tonene te ra i a ratou ka tata ki Kipea, ki tetahi pa o Pineamine.

So they passed Jebus and went on their way. The sun went down when they were near Gibeah, a city of Benjamin.

15 N a ka peka ratou ki reira, ka haere ki Kipea moe ai: a, i tona taenga atu, ka noho ki te waharoa o te pa; kahore hoki he tangata hei mau i a ratou ki tona whare moe ai

They turned to go in and stay at Gibeah. They went in and sat down outside in the center of the city. For no one took them into his house to stay the night.

16 N a ko tetahi tangata, he koroheke, e haere mai ana i tana mahi i te mara i te ahiahi; a ko taua tangata no te whenua pukepuke o Eparaima, i Kipea hoki e noho ana; ko nga tangata ia o te pa, he Pineamini.

In the evening an old man came out of the field from his work. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and was staying in Gibeah. But the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 A ka maranga ake ona kanohi, ka kite i te tangata konene i te waharoa o te pa, na ka mea taua koroheke, Ko hea koe? i haere mai ano hoki koe i hea?

The old man looked up and saw the traveler in the center of the city, and said, “Where are you going? Where do you come from?”

18 N a ka mea ia ki a ia, I haere mai matou i Peterehema Hura, a e haere ana matou ki tera taha o te whenua pukepuke o Eparaima; no reira ahau; ai haere ahau ki Peterehema Hura; otiia e haere ana tenei ahau ki te whare o Ihowa; heoi kahore he tangat a hei mau i ahau ki roto ki tona whare.

The Levite said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to a far away part of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but am now returning home. But no one will take me into his house.

19 H e kakau witi ano ia tenei, he kai ma a matou kaihe; he taro ano tenei, he waina hoki maku, a ma tau pononga wahine, ma te tahake hoki a au pononga: kahore he mate ki te aha, ki te aha.

We have food for our donkeys. And we have bread and wine for me, my woman, and the young man who is with your servants. We have all we need.”

20 N a ka mea taua koroheke, Kia tau te rangimarie ki a koe, He ahakoa ra, waiho mai i ahau nga mea katoa e matea e koe; otiia kaua e moe ki te waharoa.

The old man said, “Peace to you. Let me take care of all your needs. But do not stay the night in the street.”

21 N a mauria ana e ia ki tona whare, a hoatu ana he kai ma nga kaihe: a horoia ana e ratou o ratou waewae, kai ana, inu ana.

So he took him into his house and gave food to the donkeys. The people washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 E mea ake ana o ratou ngakau ki to koa, na, ko te karapotinga o te whare e nga tangata o te pa, he tama na Periara; kei te patuki ki te tatau, ka korero ki te tangata nona te whare, ki taua koroheke ra, ka mea, Whakaputaina mai ki waho tena tang ata i haere na ki tou whare, kia mohio ai matou ki a ia.

While they were having a happy time, certain sinful men of the city gathered around the house. They beat on the door and said to the old man, the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house so we can have sex with him.”

23 N a ka haere atu ki a ratou te tangata nona te whare, ka mea ki a ratou, Kaua ra, e oku tuakana, kaua e mahia te mea kino; kua tae mai nei hoki tenei tangata ki toku whare, kaua tenei mea poauau e meatia.

The man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said, “No, my brothers. I beg you not to be so sinful. This man has come into my house. Do not do this sinful thing.

24 N a ko taku tamahine tenei, he wahine, me tana wahine iti hoki; maku raua e kawe atu inaianei, whakaititia raua e koutou, meatia hoki ki a raua te mea e pai ana ki ta koutou titiro: ko tenei tangata ia, kaua tenei mea poauau e meatia ki a ia.

Here is my daughter who has never had a man. And here is the woman who belongs to the man. Let me bring them out. Put them to shame. Do to them whatever you wish. But do not do such a sinful act against this man.”

25 A te pai nga tangata ki te whakarongo ki a ia, na ka mau taua tangata ki tana wahine iti, a kawea atu ana ki waho ki a ratou, a ka mohio ratou ki a ia, ka tukino hoki i a ia i taua po katoa a tae noa ki te ata: a ka hi te ata, ka tukua ia e rato u.

But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his woman and brought her out to them. The men had sex with her all night until morning. When the sun came up, they let her go.

26 N a ka haere mai te wahine ra i te puaotanga o te ata, takoto ana ki te kuwaha o te whare o te tangata kei reira nei tona ariki, a marama noa.

The woman came early in the morning and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her owner was. She lay there until it was light.

27 A ka whakatika ake tona ariki i te ata, na ka huakina e ia nga tatau o te whare, ka puta atu, he mea kia haere i tona ara: na ko te wahine ra, ko tana wahine iti, kua hinga ki te kuwaha o te whare, ko ona ringa i runga i te paepae o te tatau.

Her owner got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house. He went out to go on his way and saw his woman lying at the door of the house. Her hands were on the step.

28 N a ka mea ia ki a ia, Whakatika kia haere tatou. Kahore ia tetahi i whakao mai. Na ka hapainga ia e ia ki runga ki te kaihe. A ka maranga taua tangata, haere ana ki tona wahi.

He said to her, “Get up. Let us be going.” But there was no answer. He put her body across the donkey and started on his way home.

29 A , no tona taenga ki tona whare, ka tikina e ia tetahi maripi, a ka mau ki tana wahine iti, tapatapahia ana e ia ona wahi, kia tekau ma rua nga wahanga, a tukua ana ki nga rohe katoa o Iharaira, puta noa.

When he went into his house, he took a knife. He took hold of his woman and cut her into twelve pieces, arm by arm, leg by leg. Then he sent her out through all the land of Israel.

30 A i mea te hunga katoa i kitea ai, Kahore tenei i mua, kahore ano hoki i kitea he rite mo tenei o te ra i haere mai ai nga tamariki a Iharaira i te whenua o Ihipa a mohoa noa nei: maharatia iho, whakaaroa, korerotia.

All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has happened before. Nothing like this has been seen from the day when the people of Israel came from the land of Egypt until now. Think about it. Listen to what is said about it. And say what you think.”