Kuzaat 19

ek laavee kee apnee daashta kay saath sulah

¹us zamaanay men jab israaeel ka koee baadshaah naheen tha ek laavee nay apnay ghar men daashta rakhee jo yahoodaah kay shaher bait-lahem kee rahenay vaalee thee. aadmee ifraaeem kay pahaadee ilaaqay kay kisee doordaraaz konay men aabaad tha. ²lekin ek din aurat mard say naaraaz huee aur maikay vaapas chalee gaee. chaar maah kay baad ³laavee do gadhay aur apnay naukar ko lay kar bait-lahem kay liyay ravaana hua taaki daashta ka ghussa thanda karkay usay vaapas aanay par aamaada karay.

jab us kee mulaaqaat daashta say huee to vah usay apnay baap kay ghar men lay gaee. usay dekh kar susar itna khush huaa ⁴ki us nay usay jaanay na diya. daamaad ko teen din vahaan thaherna pada jis dauraan susar nay us kee khoob mehamaan-navaazee kee. ⁵chauthay din laavee subah-saveray uth kar apnee daashta kay saath ravaana honay kee tayyaariyaan karnay laga. lekin susar usay rok kar bola, “pahelay thoda bahut kha kar taazaadam ho jaaen, phir chalay jaana.” ⁶donon dubaara khaanay-peenay kay liyay baith gaay.

susar nay kaha, “baraah-ay-karam ek aur raat yahaan thaher kar apna dil bahelaaen.” ⁷mehamaan jaanay kee tayyaariyaan karnay to laga, lekin susar nay usay ek aur raat thahernay par majboor kiya. chunaanchay vah haar maan kar ruk gaya.

⁸paanchven din aadmee subah-saveray utha aur jaanay kay liyay tayyaar hua. susar nay zor diya, “pahelay kuchh khaana kha kar taazaadam ho jaaen. aap dopaher kay vaqt bhee ja saktay hain.” chunaanchay donon khaanay kay liyay baith gaay.

⁹dopaher kay vaqt laavee apnee beevee aur naukar kay saath jaanay kay liyay utha. susar etiraaz karnay laga, “ab dekhen, din dhalnay vaala hai. raat thaher kar apna dil bahelaaen. behatar hai ki aap kal subah-saveray hee uth kar ghar kay liyay ravaana ho jaaen.” ^10-11 lekin ab laavee kisee bhee soorat men ek aur raat thaherna naheen chaahata tha. vah apnay gadhon par zeen kas kar apnee beevee aur naukar kay saath ravaana hua.

chaltay chaltay din dhalnay laga. vah yaboos yaanee yarooshalam kay qareeb pahunch gaay thay. shaher ko dekh kar naukar nay maalik say kaha, “aaen, ham yaboosiyon kay is shaher men ja kar vahaan raat guzaaren.” ¹²lekin laavee nay etiraaz kiya, “naheen, yah ajnabiyon ka shaher hai. hamen aisee jagah raat naheen guzaarna chaahiay jo israaeelee naheen hai. behatar hai ki ham aagay ja kar jibia kee taraf badhen. ¹³agar ham jaldee karen to ho sakta hai ki jibia ya us say aagay raama tak pahunch saken. vahaan aaraam say raat guzaar sakengay.”

¹⁴chunaanchay vah aagay niklay. jab sooraj ghuroob honay laga to vah binyameen kay qabeelay kay shaher jibia kay qareeb pahunch gae ¹⁵aur raastay say hat kar shaher men daakhil huay. lekin koee un kee mehamaan-navaazee naheen karna chaahata tha, is liyay vah shaher kay chauk men ruk gaay.

¹⁶phir andheray men ek boodha aadmee vahaan say guzra. asal men vah ifraaeem kay pahaadee ilaaqay ka rahenay vaala tha aur jibia men ajnabee tha, kyoonki baaqee baashinday binymeenee thay. ab vah khet men apnay kaam say faarigh ho kar shaher men vaapas aaya tha. ¹⁷musaafiron ko chauk men dekh kar us nay poochha, “aap kahaan say aaay aur kahaan ja rahay hain?” ¹⁸laavee nay javaab diya, “ham yahoodaah kay bait-lahem say aaay hain aur ifraaeem kay pahaadee ilaaqay kay ek doordaraaz konay tak safar kar rahay hain. vahaan mera ghar hai aur vaheen say main ravaana ho kar bait-lahem chala gaya tha. is vaqt main rabb kay ghar ja raha hoon. lekin yahaan jibia men koee naheen jo hamaaree mehamaan-navaazee karnay kay liyay tayyaar ho, ¹⁹haalaanki hamaaray paas khaanay kee tamaam cheezen maujood hain. gadhon kay liyay bhoosa aur chaara hai, aur hamaaray liyay bhee kaafee rotee aur mai hai. hamen kisee bhee cheez kee zaroorat naheen hai.”

²⁰boodhay nay kaha, “phir main aap ko apnay ghar men khush’aamadeed kaheta hoon. agar aap ko koee cheez darkaar ho to main usay muhayya karoonga. har soorat men chauk men raat mat guzaarna.” ²¹vah musaafiron ko apnay ghar lay gaya aur gadhon ko chaara khilaaya. mehamaanon nay apnay paaon dho kar khaana khaaya aur mai pee.

jibia kay logon ka jurm

²²vah yoon khaanay kee rifaaqat say lutf’andoz ho rahay thay ki jibia kay kuchh shareer mard ghar ko gher kar darvaazay ko zor say khatkhataanay lagay. vah chillaaay, “us aadmee ko baahar la jo teray ghar men thahera hua hai taaki ham us say ziyaadtee karen!” ²³boodha aadmee baahar gaya taaki unhen samjhaaay, “naheen, bhaaiyo, aisa shaitaanee amal mat karna. yah ajnabee mera mehamaan hai. aisee sharmanaak harkat mat karna! ²⁴is say pahelay main apnee kunvaaree betee aur mehamaan kee daashta ko baahar lay aata hoon. un hee say ziyaadtee karen. jo jee chaahay un kay saath karen, lekin aadmee kay saath aisee sharmanaak harkat na karen.”

²⁵lekin baahar kay mardon nay us kee na sunee. tab laavee apnee daashta ko pakad kar baahar lay gaya aur us kay peechhay darvaaza band kar diya. shaher kay aadmee pooree raat us kee behuramtee kartay rahay. jab pau phatnay lagee to unhon nay usay faarigh kar diya. ²⁶sooraj kay tuloo honay say pahelay aurat us ghar kay paas vaapas aaee jis men shauhar thahera hua tha. darvaazay tak to vah pahunch gaee lekin phir gir kar vaheen kee vaheen padee rahee.

jab din chadh gayaa ²⁷to laavee jaag utha aur safar karnay kee tayyaariyaan karnay laga. jab darvaaza khola to kya dekhta hai ki daashta saamnay zameen par padee hai aur haath daheleez par rakhay hain. ²⁸vah bola, “aatho, ham chaltay hain.” lekin daashta nay javaab na diya. yah dekh kar aadmee nay usay gadhay par laad liya aur apnay ghar chala gaya.

²⁹jab pahuncha to us nay chhuree lay kar aurat kee laash ko 12 tukdon men kaat liya, phir unhen israaeel kee har jagah bhej diya. ³⁰jis nay bhee yah dekha us nay ghabra kar kaha, “aisa jurm hamaaray darmiyaan kabhee naheen hua. jab say ham misr say nikal kar aaay hain aisee harkat dekhnay men naheen aaee. ab laazim hai ki ham ghaur say sochen aur ek doosray say mashvra karkay aglay qadam kay baaray men faisla karen.”