19:1 In those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
19:2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her father’s house in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months,
19:3 her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
19:4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, prevailed upon him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there.
19:5 On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go.”
19:6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the girl’s father said, “Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself.”
19:7 And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.
19:8 On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the girl’s father said, “Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!” So the two of them ate together.
19:9 Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said, “Now look, it’s almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home.”
19:10 But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
19:11 When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Come, let’s stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night.”
19:12 His master replied, “No. We won’t go into an alien city, whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.”
19:13 He added, “Come, let’s try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places.”
19:14 So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
19:15 There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them into his home for the night.
19:16 That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields.
19:17 When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”
19:18 He answered, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house.
19:19 We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants–me, your maidservant, and the young man with us. We don’t need anything.”
19:20 “You are welcome at my house,” the old man said. “Let me supply whatever you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.”
19:21 So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.
19:22 While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.”
19:23 The owner of the house went outside and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this disgraceful thing.
19:24 Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don’t do such a disgraceful thing.”
19:25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.
19:26 At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.
19:27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
19:28 He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
19:29 When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.
19:30 Everyone who saw it said, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!”
19:1 Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite dwelling in the far end of the hill country of Ephraim. And he took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
19:2 But his concubine went about as a harlot, and she departed from him to her father s house, to Bethlehem in Judah; and she was there for a period of four months.
19:3 Then her husband rose up and came after her to speak to her affectionately and to bring her back, bringing with him his young man and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into her father s house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he rejoiced to see him.
19:4 And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, detained him; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank, and they spent the night there.
19:5 And on the fourth day, they rose up early in the morning and got up to go. But the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, Sustain yourself with a morsel of bread, and afterward you can go.
19:6 So they sat down, and the two of them ate and drank together. And the father of the young woman said to the man, Will you not, I beg you, stay overnight and let your heart be merry?
19:7 And the man got up to go; but his father-in-law urged him, and he spent the night there again.
19:8 Then on the fifth day he rose up early in the morning to go; but the father of the young woman said, Sustain yourself, I beg you, and linger until the day has declined. So the two of them ate.
19:9 And when the man got up to go, with his concubine and his young man, his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, Look now, the day is waning toward evening; spend the night, I beg you. Look, the day is drawing to a close. Spend the night here, and let your heart be merry; then rise up early tomorrow for your journey and go home.
19:10 But the man did not want to spend the night, so he rose up and left. And he arrived at Jebus (that is, Jerusalem); and with him were a couple of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him.
19:11 And when they were at Jebus, the day was far spent; and the young man said to his master, Come now, and let us turn aside toward this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.
19:12 And his master said to him, We will not turn aside toward a city of foreigners, who are not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
19:13 And he said to his young man, Come and let us approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.
19:14 And they passed on and went further; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
19:15 And they turned aside there to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. And he went into the city and sat in the square of the city, but no one took them into his house to lodge them.
19:16 Then in the evening there came an old man out of the field from his work. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was a sojourner in Gibeah. And the men of that place were Benjaminites.
19:17 And he lifted up his eyes and saw the wayfarer in the square of the city. And the old man said, Where are you traveling to, and where have you come from?
19:18 And he said to him, We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the far end of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah; and I am going to my house, and no one takes me into his house.
19:19 There are both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and bread and wine also for myself and your female servant and the young man who is with your servants; there is no need of anything.
19:20 And the old man said, Peace be with you. Just let all your needs come upon me; just do not spend the night in the square.
19:21 And he brought him to his house and gave his donkeys fodder; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
19:22 And while they were making their hearts merry, the men of the city, worthless men, surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring out the man who went into your house that we may know him.
19:23 And the master of the house came out to them and said to them, No, my brothers; do not do this evil thing, I beg you. Since this man has come into my house, do not commit this folly.
19:24 Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out, I beg you; and humble them and do to them what seems good in your sight. But to this man do not do such folly.
19:25 But the men did not want to listen to him; so the man took hold of his concubine and brought her out to them; and they knew her. And they abused her all night long until morning; and they let her go when the dawn broke.
19:26 And in the early morning the woman came and fell at the entrance of the man s house, where her lord had been until it was light.
19:27 And her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house, and he went out to go on his way. And there was his concubine, fallen at the entrance of the house with her hands upon the threshold.
19:28 And he said to her, Get up, and let us go. But there was no answer. And he put her upon the donkey; and the man rose up and went to his place.
19:29 And when he came to his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and cut her up limb by limb into twelve pieces; and he sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.
19:30 And when everyone saw this, they said, No such thing has ever happened or been seen since the day the children of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, and take counsel and speak.