¹ Omwagomango harhali mwami omu israeli, mulawi muguma walilamire okubuzinda bw'ebirhwa bya Efrahimu, arhola omuherula, mukazi muguma w'e Betlehemu. ² Omuherula wage amuhemukira, anamusiga acishubirira omunyumpa y'ishe e Betlehemu ya Yuda, anaberayo lugero lwa miezi ini. ³ Iba azuka agenda emundali, okuderha n'omurhima gwage n'okumugalula. Alidwirhe omukozi waste na bihesi bibirhi. Amudahya omunyumpa y'ishe; na erhi ishe wa namukazi amubona amuganirira oku bushagaluke. ⁴ Ishazala, ishe wa namukazi, amubeza ahamwage nsiku zisharhu. Bakalya n'okunywa n'oku gwesheraho. ⁵ Olusiku lwa kani azuka muceracera, n'omulawi acirheganya okugenda. Cikwone ishe wa namukazi abwir'omukwi: rhola ecihimbi c'omugati osezemwo omurhima buzinda mwagenda. ⁶ Banatamala balya n'okunywa bombi haguma; buzinda ishe wa namukazi abwira omulume: oyemere olale hano n'omurhima gwawe gushagaluke. ⁷ Omulume azuka oku acigendere; cikwone, omukulahira kw'ishazala, acirihalala. ⁸ Olusiku lwa karhanu, azuka muceracera okugenda; Lero ishe w'omusole mukazi aderha: zibuhya omurhima gwawe, nkuhnyire, onabere kuhika omushi gugere, na banalya haguma. ⁹ Omulume ayimuka oku agende n'okubera wage, ishe w'omusole mukazi amubwira: lolaga, olusiku lwamanyiha, ekola enyuma, olale hano n'omurhima gwawe gushagaluke; irhondo mwazuka muceracera okuj'omulugenzi, n'okushubira omu lyawe ihema. ¹⁰ Omulume arhalonzagya ahalale, ayimuka anagenda, ahika embere lya Yebusi, eri e Yerusalemu, n'ebihesi byage bishanyire n'omuherula wage. ¹¹ Erhi Bwayegera e Yebusi, olusiku lwali lwamahwa bwenene. Omukozi abwira nahamwabo: rhugende rhuje omugula murhundu gw'aba Yebusi, na rhulalemwo. ¹² Nahamwabo amushuza: rhurhakajo omumurhundu gw'abihanga murhali mw'israeli, rhwagendekera kuhika e Gibea. ¹³ Aciribwira omwambali: rhugende rhuyegere na haguma omwaho hantu, Gibea erhi Rama, emwa Benyamini. ¹⁴ Bagendekera olugenzi, izuba lyazika erhi bakolabayegire Gibea, yali ya Benyamini. ¹⁵ Baciyerekeza eyomunda okugweshera e Gibea. Omulawi adaha anayimanga ahamashango g'omurhundu. Ntaye wamuyegerezize omumwage okubalalemwo. ¹⁶ Na lolaga, mushosi muguma, wayisha bijingo kurhengikola omw'ishwa; oyomuntu ali w'omuntondo za Efrahimu, alilamire e Gibea, n'abantu baho bali ba Benyamini. ¹⁷ Ayinamul'amalanga abona omubalama ahamashango g'omurhundu. N'omushosi amubwira: ngahiwaja na ngahiwarhenga? ¹⁸ Amubwira: Rhuhubusire e Betlehemu ya Yuda kuhika okubuzinda bw'entondo ya Efrahimu, yo mwani. Nalijire e Betlehemu ya Yuda, namanajo omunyumpa ya Nnamubaho, cintaye wanyegerezize ahamwage. ¹⁹ Cirhugwerhege olubala lw'ebihrsi, rhugwerhe n'omugati n'ecinywebwa kulinie, kuli omujakazi wawe na kuli oyu murhabana abakozi bawe baliboshi. Ntabyo rhugoshire. ²⁰ Omushosi aderha: omurhula kuliwe! nashuza okunyifinjo zawe zoshi, orhalale ahamashango. ²¹ Amudahya omunyumpa yage, aha n'ebihesi olubala. ababalama bakalaba amagulu; banalya bananywa. ²² Erhi bakola bagwerhe bashagaluka, lolaga, abantu b'omumurhundu, Bantu bagalugalu, bazunguluk'enympa bashurha oku muhango, babwira n'omushosi, nanyumpa: ohuluse omuntu wadahaga ahamwawe lyo rhumumanya. ²³ Nanyumpa ayisha emunda bali, ababwira: nanga, benewani, murhajire amabi, muhunyire, bulya oyomuntu anajire omumwani, murhajire ecijiro c'enshonyi. ²⁴ Lolagi, ngwerhe omwanayere orhamanyiri mulume, n'oyomulume agwerhe omuherula; bamulerherabo embuga mubabwikule murhajire oku mulonzize. Ci murhajire oyu mulume ecijiro c'obuhwinja. ²⁵ Abobantu barhalonzagya okumuyunva. Lero omulume arhola omuherula wage abahekeraye embuga. Bamumanya banamurhabisa budufu bwoshi kuhika sezi, buzinda bamugalula erhi buca sezi. ²⁶ Erhi buca, oyomukazi ajihirima okumuhango gw'enyumpa y'omulume iba ali, anahabera kuhika mushi. ²⁷ Na sezi, iba azuka ayigula omuhango gw'enyumpa, anahuluka okugendekera olugenzi. Cilolaga, mukage, omuherula wage alilambukire oku muhango, amaboko oku mirirango. ²⁸ Amubwira: Yimuka rhucigendere. Arhasuzagya, Lero iba amuheba okucihesi, anagenda okuja emwage. ²⁹ Erhi ahika ahamwage, arhol'akere, agwarh'omuherula wage, amutwa cirumbu oku cirumbu bihimbi ikumi na bibirhi, arhuma omunciga za israeli zoshi. ³⁰ Ngasi babwine baderha: ecijiro cantya cirhasagiba birhanasagihika kurhenga abana b'israeli bayinamukaga kurhenga e Misiri kuhik'ene; muhebebyo okumurhima, mucidose munaganire!