Judges 19
1 There was a certain man, a Levite, living beside mount Ephraim, who took a wife from Bethlehem of Judah.
And it was in the days those and [was] a king there not in Israel and he was - a man a Levite sojourning in [the] remotest parts of [the] hill country of Ephraim and he took for himself a woman a concubine from Beth-lehem Judah.
2 She left him, and she returned to the house of her father in Bethlehem. And she stayed with him for four months.
And she was angry towards him concubine his and she went from with him to [the] house of father her to Beth-lehem Judah and she was there days four months.
3 And her husband followed her, wishing to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to lead her back with him. And he had with him a servant and two donkeys. And she received him, and brought him into the house of her father. And when his father-in-law had heard about this, and had seen him, he met him with joy.
And he arose husband her and he went after her to speak to heart her (to bring back her *Q(K)*) and servant his [was] with him and a pair of donkeys and she brought him [the] house of father her and he saw him [the] father of the young woman and he was glad to meet him.
4 And he embraced the man. And the son-in-law stayed in the house of his father-in-law for three days, eating and drinking with him in a friendly manner.
And he took hold on him father-in-law his [the] father of the young woman and he remained with him three days and they ate and they drank and they spent [the] night there.
5 But on the fourth day, arising in the night, he intended to set out. But his father-in-law took hold of him, and he said to him, “First taste a little bread, and strengthen your stomach, and then you shall set out.”
And it was on the day fourth and they rose early in the morning and he arose to go and he said [the] father of the young woman to son-in-law his sustain heart your a morsel of bread and after you will go.
6 And they sat down together, and they ate and drank. And the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “I ask you to remain here today, so that we may rejoice together.”
And they sat down and they ate [the] two of them together and they drank and he said [the] father of the young woman to the man be willing please and spend [the] night so it may be good heart your.
7 But getting up, he intended to begin to set out. But nevertheless, his father-in-law pressed him resolutely, and made him remain with him.
And he arose the man to go and he urged him father-in-law his and he turned back and he spent [the] night there.
8 But when morning came, the Levite was preparing for his journey. And his father-in-law said to him again, “I beg you to take a little food, and to be strengthened, until the daylight increases, and after that, you shall set out.” Therefore, they ate together.
And he rose early in the morning on the day fifth to go and he said - [the] father of the young woman sustain please heart your and delay until declines the day and they ate [the] two of them.
9 And the young man got up, so that he might travel with his wife and servant. And his father-in-law spoke to him again: “Consider that the daylight is declining, and it approaches toward evening. Remain with me also today, and spend the day in gladness. And tomorrow you shall set out, so that you may go to your own house.”
And he arose the man to go he and concubine his and servant his and he said to him father-in-law his [the] father of the young woman here! please it is sinking the day to become evening spend [the] night please here! to decline the day spend [the] night here so it may be good heart your and you will rise early tomorrow for journey your and you will go to tent your.
10 His son-in-law was not willing to agree to his words. Instead, he immediately continued on, and he arrived opposite Jebus, which by another name is called Jerusalem, leading with him two donkeys carrying burdens, and his mate.
And not he was willing the man to spend [the] night and he arose and he went and he came to opposite Jebus that [is] Jerusalem and [were] with him a pair of donkeys saddled and concubine his [was] with him.
11 And now they were near Jebus, but day was turning into night. And the servant said to his lord, “Come, I beg you, let us turn aside to the city of the Jebusites, so that we may find lodging in it.”
They [were] near Jebus and the day it had gone down exceedingly and he said the servant to master his come! please so let us turn aside to [the] city of the Jebusite[s] this so we may spend [the] night in it.
12 His lord responded to him: “I will not enter into the town of a foreign people, who are not of the sons of Israel. Instead, I will cross over as far as Gibeah.
And he said to him master his not we will turn aside to a city foreign who not [are] of [the] people of Israel they and we will pass on to Gibeah.
13 And when I will have arrived there, we will lodge in that place, or at least in the city of Ramah.”
And he said to servant his (come! *Q(K)*) so let us drew near at one of the places and we will spend [the] night in Gibeah or in Ramah.
14 Therefore, they passed by Jebus, and continuing on, they undertook the journey. But the sun went down on them when they were near Gibeah, which is of the tribe of Benjamin.
And they passed on and they went and it went for them the sun beside Gibeah which [belongs] to Benjamin.
15 And so they diverted to it, so that they might lodge there. And when they had entered, they were sitting in the street of the city. For no one was willing to give them hospitality.
And they turned aside there to go to spend [the] night in Gibeah and he went and he sat in [the] open square of the city and not anyone [was] receiving them the house towards to spend [the] night.
16 And behold, they saw an old man, returning from the field and from his work in the evening, and he was also from mount Ephraim, and he was living as a stranger in Gibeah. For the men of that region were of the sons of Benjamin.
And there! - a man old [was] coming from work his from the field in the evening and the man [was] from [the] hill country of Ephraim and he [was] sojourning in Gibeah and [the] men of the place [were] Ben-jaminites.
17 And the old man, lifting up his eyes, saw the man sitting with his bundles in the street of the city. And he said to him: “Where have you come from? And where are you going?”
And he lifted up eyes his and he saw the man who was traveling in [the] open square of the city and he said the man old where? are you going and from where? are you coming.
18 He answered him: “We set out from Bethlehem of Judah, and we are traveling to our own place, which is beside mount Ephraim. From there we went to Bethlehem, and now we go to the house of God. But no one is willing to receive us under his roof.
And he said to him [are] passing we from Beth-lehem Judah to [the] remotest parts of [the] hill country of Ephraim [am] from there I and I went to Beth-lehem Judah and [the] house of Yahweh I [am] going and not anyone [was] receiving me the house towards.
19 We have straw and hay as fodder for the donkeys, and we have bread and wine for the use of myself, and for your handmaid and the servant who is with me. We lack nothing except lodging.”
And [are] both straw as well as fodder there for donkeys our and [are] also food and wine there for me and for maidservant your and for the servant with servants your there not [is] lack of any thing.
20 And the old man responded to him: “Peace be with you. I will provide all that is necessary. Only, I beg you, do not stay in the street.”
And he said the man old peace [be] to you certainly all lack your [is] on me only in the open square may not you spend [the] night.
21 And he led him into his house, and he gave fodder to his donkeys. And after they had washed their feet, he received them with a banquet.
And he brought him to house his (and he fed *Q(k)*) the donkeys and they washed feet their and they ate and they drank.
22 And while they were feasting, and were refreshing their bodies with food and drink after the labor of the journey, the men of that city, sons of Belial (that is, without yoke), came and surrounded the old man’s house. And they began to knock at the door, calling out to the lord of the house, and saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house, so that we may abuse him.”
They [were] making good heart their and there! [the] men of the city men of sons of worthlessness they surrounded the house beating violently on the door and they said to the man [the] master of the house old saying bring out the man who he came to house your so we may know him.
23 And the old man went out to them, and he said: “Do not choose, brothers, do not choose to do this evil. For this man has entered to my hospitality. And you must cease from this senselessness.
And he went out to them the man [the] master of the house and he said to them may [you] not O brothers my may not you do evil please after that he has come the man this may [you] not house my may not you do the disgraceful folly this.
24 I have a virgin daughter, and this man has a mate. I will lead them out to you, so that you may debase them and may satisfy your lust. Only, I beg you, do not commit this crime against nature on the man.”
Here! daughter my the virgin and concubine his let me bring out please them and afflict them and do to them the good in view your and to the man this not you must do [the] thing of disgraceful folly this.
25 But they were not willing to agree to his words. So the man, discerning this, led out his mate to them, and he delivered her to their sexual abuse. And when they had abused her for the entire night, they released her in the morning.
And not they were willing the men to listen to him and he took hold the man on concubine his and he brought [her] out to them outside and they knew her and they abused her all the night until the morning and they let go her (just as came up *Q(K)*) the dawn.
26 But the woman, as darkness was receding, came to the door of the house, where her lord was staying, and there she fell down.
And she came the woman to [the] turning of the morning and she fell [the] entrance of [the] house of the man where master her [was] there until the light.
27 When morning came, the man arose, and he opened the door, so that he might complete the journey that he had begun. And behold, his mate was lying before the door, with her hands reaching out to the threshold.
And he arose master her in the morning and he opened [the] doors of the house and he went out to go to way his and there! the woman concubine his [was] falling [the] entrance of the house and hands her [were] on the threshold.
28 And he, thinking that she was resting, said to her, “Get up, and let us walk.” But since she gave no response, realizing that she had died, he took her up, and he laid her on his donkey, and he returned to his house.
And he said to her get up so let us go and there not [was one who] answered and he took her on the donkey and he arose the man and he went to place his.
29 And when he had arrived, he took up a sword, and he cut into pieces the dead body of his wife, with her bones, into twelve parts. And he sent the pieces into all the parts of Israel.
And he came to house his and he took the knife and he took hold on concubine his and he cut in pieces her to bones her into two [plus] ten pieces and he sent out her in all [the] territory of Israel.
30 And when each one had seen this, they were crying out together, “Never has such a thing been done in Israel, from the day that our fathers ascended from Egypt, even to the present time. Let a sentence be brought and let us decide in common what ought to be done.”
And it was every [one who] saw and he said not it has occurred and not it has been seen like this from [the] day came up [the] people of Israel from [the] land of Egypt until the day this set for yourselves on it take counsel and speak.
