¹ Munshiku shilya, uluntu takwali imfumu muli Israeli, kwli umwaume, umwina Lebi, uwali mu kwikele mu calo ca mpili ca kwa Efulemu ukutali. Walisendele umine umwanakashi uyo taupile ukufuma ku Betelemu mu calo cakwa Yuda. ² Nomba umwanakashi wakwe tamucetekele; wena washile umwaume elo wabwelele ku g'anda yaka wishi mu Betelemu mu calo cakwa Yuda. Wali kelekulya imyenshi ine. ³ Eluntu umulume wakwe aishile kwimaelo no kuya panuma yakwe pakweba ati amusembeleke ukubwel. Umubomfi wakwe ali naye, elo na bakabalwe. Aishile kumuleta mu ng'anda yakwa wishi. Uluntu wishi wa mukashana aishile ku mubona, alisangalele. ⁴ Wishi fyala wakwe, wishi wa mwanakashi, wali mupapatile ukwikala panshiku shitatu. bali mukulya elo no kunwa, elo baishile kulala kulya kwine. ⁵ Eico pa bushiku bwalenga shine baishile kwima lucelo celo elo ena aliipekenye ukuya.'' ⁶ Eico bonse babili balikele ku kulya elo no kunwina pamo. Eluntu wishi wa mwanakashi aishile kulanda ati, ''Napapata ba uwakuipelesha ukulala buno bushiku elo ukwate inshita iisuma. ⁷ Uluntu umwina Lebi aishile kwima ukuya, wishi wa mukashana amwebele ukwikala, eico na ye alipilibwile itontonkanyo lyakwe elo walikele kulya nakabili. ⁸ Pa bushiku bwa lengele shasano lucelo celo aishile kubuka pakuti aleya, nomba wishi wa mukashana watile ati, ''Ikoseleshe we mwine, elo upembele mpaka mukasuba.'' Eico bonse babili balilile icakulya. ⁹ Uluntu umwina Lebi no mukashi uyo taupile no mubomfi wakwe baimine ukuti ba lekuya, wishi fyala, wishi mukashana aishile kulanda kuli ye ati, ''Bona, nomba akasuba ka koya ku cungulo. Napapata ikala na bumbi ubushiku, elo kwata inshita iya bune. Webo ukema mailo ulucelo no ku bwekelamo uko wikala.'' ¹⁰ Nomba umwina Lebi tatemenwe ukulala. Ena alimine no kuya. Ena waile ku Yebusi (emukutila Yerusalemu). Ena alikwete ba punda ba fipe babili-elo no mukashi wakwe uyo taupile bali na ye. ¹¹ Uluntu bapalamine ku Yebusi, akasuba kali mukuwa, elo umubomfi atile kuli shikulu wakwe ati, ''Iseni, na tupenduke lubali ku musumba wa bena Yebusi elo no kulalako.'' ¹² Shkulu wakwe watile kuli ye ati, ''Fwebo ta twapindukile mu musumba wa bena fyalo abo aba shili bantu bakwa Israeli. Fwebo tukoya fye ku Gibea.'' ¹³ Umwina Lebi walandile ku mulumendo wakwe ati, ''Isa, na tulekuya kuli imo pali isho ncecde shimbi no kulala mu Gibea nangu mu Rama.'' ¹⁴ Eico baishile kuya, elo na kasuba kali wile ilyo bapalamine ku Gibea, mu calo cakwa Benjamini. ¹⁵ Ba bwelele lubali kulya no kulala mu Gibea. Balile no kwikala panshi mu musumba uwalunatenem nomba takwali nangu umo uwaba piitile mu kulala ku ng'anda ku mwakwe. ¹⁶ Nomba eluntu umwaume umukote waishile kwisa ukufuma ku ncito yakwe mwi bala cilya cungulo. Ali kufuma ku calo ca mpili ica kwa Efulemu, elo alikwikele mu Gibea. Nomba abantu bekala muli ilya ncende bali bena Benjamini. ¹⁷ Waishile kwinwina amenso yakwe elo abwene umulumendo mu musumba wa lungatana. Umukoe umwaume aishile kulanda ati, ''Bushe mwebo mukoya kwisa? Bushe mwebo mufumine kwisa?'' ¹⁸ Umwina Lebi aishile kulanda kuli ye ati, ''Fwebo tuli mu nshila ukufuma ku Betelemu wa mu calo ca Yuda ukutali mu calo ca mpili caka Efulemu, eko nebo na fuma. Naishile kuya ku Betelemu mu calo cakwa Yuda, elo nkoya ku ng'anda yakwa Yahweh, nomba takuli nangu umo uwaku nsenda ku ng'anda yake. ¹⁹ Natukwata impimbili elo nefilyo fya ba punda besu, elo kuli no mukate elo no mwangashi kuli nebo elo na kubabomfi bobe abanakashi pano, elo na kuli uu mulumendo na babomfi bobe. Tatubulilwe nangu kamo.'' ²⁰ Umuntu umukote waishile kuposha ati, ''Umutende ube na mwebo! Nkasakamana ukukabila kobe konse. Lelo takuli kulala mu lubansa. ²¹ Eico umwaume waletele umwina Lebi mung'anda yakwe elo walipele ifya kulya kuli ba punda. Baishile kusamba amakasa yabo elo no kulya elo no kunwa. ²² Ulo balkusansamusha imitima yabo, abaume bamo ba mu musumba, abaume abanangwa, baishile kushinguluka ing'anda, bali kumaula pa ciibi. Baishilekulanda ku mwaume umukote, umwine wa ng'anda ati, ''Fumya umwaume uyo wishile mu ng'anda yobe, pakweba ati tulale naye.'' ²³ Umwaume, umwine wa ng'anda, aishile kufuma no kuya kuli bo elo aishile kulanda kuli bo ati, ''Awe, ba munyina ici cintu cakubipa! Apo uyu mwaume mwen mu ng'anda yandi, mwicita ici cintu cibi! ²⁴ Boneni, umwana wandi umwanakashi na cisungu elo no mukashi wakwe uyo ashaupile bali pano. Lekeni mbafumye nomba. Mulale nabo elo mucite kuli bo fyonse ifyo mutemenwe. nomba mwicita icintu icabipa kuli uyu mwaume!'' ²⁵ Nomba abaume tabaumfwile kuli ye, eico umwaume aishile kubula umukashi wake uyo taupile elo aishile kumufumisha kuli bo. Baishile kulala nankwe ku maka elo no kumucusha ubushiku bonse, elo ku maca bali mulekele aya. ²⁶ Ku macaca umwnakashi awile panshi pa mwinshi wa ng'anda ya mwaume ukwali shikulu wakwe, elo alele palya mpaka aksuba katula. ²⁷ Ulucelo shikulu wakwe waishile kubua elo waiswileko ifiibi fya ng'anda elo wafumine no kuya pa nshila yakwe. Abwene umukashi wakwe uyo taupile alilele palya pa mwinshi, na maboko yakwe pa mwinshi. ²⁸ Umwina Lebi aishile kulanda kuli ye ati, ''Ima. Natulekuya.'' Lelo takwali ukwasuka. Wali mubikile pali punda,elo umwaume waile uko ekala. ²⁹ Uluntu umwina Lebi aishile kwisa ku ng'anda yakwe,wabulile umwele, elo wabulile umukashi wakwe uyo tupile, elo amuputwile, icilundwa ne cilundwa, mu fipimfya ikumi limo na fibili, elo watumine ifipimfya fipimfya monse mu Israeli. ³⁰ Bonse abo abafi bwene batile ati, ''Ici cintu ta catala acicitikapo nangu uku boneka ukufumafye ubushiku abant bakwa Israeli bafumine mu calo ca Egypto ukufika na pabushiku bwa lelo. Tontonkanya pali ici! Tupandeko amano! Twebe ifya kucita!