Judges 19
1 At that time Israel didn't have a king. A Levite who was living in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim married a concubine-wife from Bethlehem in Judah.
And it came to pass in those days, when [there was] no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite dwelling on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.
2 But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father's house in Bethlehem. She was there for four months.
And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months.
3 Then her husband went after her, to talk kindly with her and bring her back home. With him went his servant and two donkeys. She took him to her father's house and when her father met him, he gladly welcomed him.
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, [and] to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
4 Her father pressed him to stay with them, so he remained for three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.
And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they ate and drank, and lodged there.
5 On the fourth day he and his concubine got up early in the morning and prepared to leave, but her father said to his son-in-law, “You'll feel better if you have something to eat before you go.”
And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he arose to depart: and the damsel's father said to his son-in-law, Comfort thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward depart.
6 So the two men sat down to eat and drink together. The father said to his son-in law, “Please agree to spend another night here, and you can enjoy yourself!”
And they sat down, and ate and drank both of them together: for the damsel's father had said to the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry.
7 The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law pressed him to stay, so in the end he spent the night there.
And when the man rose to depart, his father-in-law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
8 On the fifth day he got up early in the morning to leave. But his father-in-law said, “Eat before you go, then leave later this afternoon.” So they had a meal together.
And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thy heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they ate both of them.
9 When he got up to leave with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law told him, “Look it's late—it's already evening. Spend the night here. The day's almost over. Stay here the night and enjoy yourself, then tomorrow you can get up early and be on your way home.”
And when the man arose to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said to him, Behold now the day draweth towards evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day is coming to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.
10 But the man didn't want to spend another night, so he got up and left. He headed towards the town of Jebus (now called Jerusalem) with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
But the man would not tarry that night, but he arose and departed, and came over against Jebus, which [is] Jerusalem; and [there were] with him two asses saddled, his concubine also [was] with him.
11 As they approached Jebus the day was over, the servant said to his master, “Sir, why don't we stop here at this Jebusite town for the night?”
[And] when they [were] by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in to this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12 But his master replied, “No, we're not going to stop in this town where only foreigners live and no Israelites. We'll continue on to Gibeah.”
And his master said to him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that [is] not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
13 Then he told his servant, “Come on, let's try and get to Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night somewhere there.”
And he said to his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14 So they carried on and reached Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin just as the sun was setting.
And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them [when they were] by Gibeah, which [belongeth] to Benjamin.
15 They stopped in Gibeah to spend the night, and sat down in the town's main square, but no one invited them to come and stay.
And they turned aside thither, to go in [and] to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city: for [there was] no man that took them into his house to lodge.
16 But later that evening an old man came by, returning from working in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but was now living in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.
And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening, who [was] also of mount Ephraim; and he dwelt in Gibeah: but the men of the place [were] Benjaminites.
17 He looked over and noticed the traveler in the square and asked, “Where are you going and where have you come from?”
And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a way-faring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
18 “We've come from Bethlehem in Judah and we're going to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim,” the man replied. “I'm from there and I went to Bethlehem, and now I'm going to the Lord's Temple. No one here has invited me to stay.
And he said to him, We [are] passing from Beth-lehem-Judah towards the side of mount Ephraim; from thence [am] I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I [am now] going to the house of the LORD; and there [is] no man that receiveth me into [his] house.
19 There's straw and food for our donkeys, and we your servants have bread and wine—enough for me, the woman, and my servant. We have all we need.”
Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man [which is] with thy servants: [there is] no want of any thing:
20 “You are welcome to stay with me,” the man replied. “I can let you have everything you need. Just don't spend the night here in the square.”
And the old man said, Peace [be] with thee; however, [let] all thy wants [lie] upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21 He took him home and fed the donkeys. The travelers washed their feet and then started to eat and drink.
So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses: and they washed their feet and ate and drank.
22 While they were enjoying themselves, some depraved men from the town came and surrounded the house, and banged on the door, shouting to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to stay in your house so we can have sex with him.”
[Now] as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house on all sides, [and] beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him.
23 The man who owned the house went outside and told them, “My brothers, don't act in such an evil way! This man is a guest in my house. Don't do something so disgusting!
And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, Nay, my brethren, [nay], I pray you, do not [so] wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this folly.
24 Look, here's my virgin daughter and the man's concubine. Let me bring them out and you can rape them and do whatever you want to them. But don't do something so disgusting to this man.”
Behold, [here] is my daughter, a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good to you: but to this man do not so vile a thing.
25 But the men refused to listen, so the man grabbed his concubine and threw her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until the morning, and only discarded her at dawn.
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth to them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
26 As night turned into day she returned to the house where her master was staying and collapsed in front of the door as it got light.
Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord [was], till it was light.
27 Her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house. He went out to continue his journey and there was his concubine, stretched out in the doorway of the house, with her hands holding onto the doorstep.
And her lord rose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and behold, the woman his concubine had fallen down [at] the door of the house, and her hands [were] upon the threshhold.
28 “Get up, let's go,” he told her, but there was no answer. Then the man lifted her onto his donkey and went home.
And he said to her, Rise, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her upon an ass, and the man rose, and went to his place.
29 When he got home he took a knife, and holding onto his concubine, cut her up, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent these pieces of her to every part of Israel.
And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the borders of Israel.
30 Everyone who saw her said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen before, from the time the Israelites left Egypt up until now. You should think about what happened to her! Decide what to do! Speak up!”
And it was so, that all that saw it, said, There hath been no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came from the land of Egypt to this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak [your minds].
