Judges 19
1 And there was a Levite sojourning in the sides of mount Ephraim, and he took to himself a concubine from Bethleem Juda.
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.
2 And his concubine departed from him, and went away from him to the house of her father to Bethleem Juda, and she was there four months.
But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father's house in Bethlehem. She was there for four months.
3 And her husband rose up, and went after her to speak kindly to her, to recover her to himself; and he had his young man with him, and a pair of asses; and she brought him into the house of her father; and the father of the damsel saw him, and was well pleased to meet him.
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.
4 And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, constrained him, and he stayed with him for three days; and they ate and drank, and lodged there.
Her father pressed him to stay with them, so he remained for three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.
5 And it came to pass on the fourth day that they rose early, and he stood up to depart; and the father of the damsel said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards you shall go.
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.”
6 So they two sat down together and ate and drank: and the father of the damsel said to her husband, Tarry now the night, and let your heart be merry.
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!”
7 And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law constrained him, and he stayed and lodged there.
The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law pressed him to stay, so in the end he spent the night there.
8 And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the father of the damsel said, Strengthen now your heart, and quit yourself as a soldier till the day decline; and the two ate.
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.
9 And the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine, and his young man; but his father-in-law the father of the damsel said to him, Behold now, the day has declined toward evening; lodge here, an let your heart rejoice; and you shall rise early to-morrow for your journey, and you shall go to your habitation.
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.”
10 But the man would not lodge there, but he arose and departed, and came to the part opposite Jebus, (this is Jerusalem, ) and [there was] with him a pair of asses saddled, and his concubine [was] with him.
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.
11 And they came as far as Jebus: and the day had far advanced, and the young man said to his master, Come, I pray you, and let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites, and let us lodge in it.
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?”
12 And his master said to him, We will not turn aside to a strange city, where there is not one of the children of Israel, but we will pass on as far as Gabaa.
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.”
13 And he said to his young man, Come, and let us draw near to one of the places, and we will lodge in Gabaa or in Rama.
Then he told his servant, “Come on, let's try and get to Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night somewhere there.”
14 And they passed by and went on, and the sun went down upon them near to Gabaa, which is in Benjamin.
So they carried on and reached Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin just as the sun was setting.
15 And they turned aside thence to go in to lodge in Gabaa; and they went in, and sat down in the street of the city, and there was no one who conducted them into a house to lodge.
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.
16 And behold, an old man came out of the field from his work in the evening; and the man was of mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gabaa, and the men of the place [were] sons of Benjamin.
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.
17 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw a traveller in the street of the city; and the old man said to him, Whither go you, and whence come you?
He looked over and noticed the traveler in the square and asked, “Where are you going and where have you come from?”
18 And he said to him, We are passing by from Bethleem Juda to the sides of mount Ephraim: I am from thence, and I went as far as Bethleem Juda, and I am going home, and there is no man to take me into his house.
“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.
19 Yet is there straw and food for our asses, and bread and wine for me and my handmaid and the young man with your servants; there is no lack of anything.
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.”
20 And the old man said, Peace [be] to you; only be every lack of your upon me, only do you by no means lodge in the street.
“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.”
21 And he brought him into his house, and made room for his asses; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
He took him home and fed the donkeys. The travelers washed their feet and then started to eat and drink.
22 And they [were] comforting their heart, when, behold, the men of the city, sons of transgressors, compassed the house, knocking at the door: and they spoke to the old man the owner of the house, saying, Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.
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.”
23 And the master of the house came out to them, and said, Nay, brethren, do not you wrong, I pray you, after this man has come into my house; do not you this folly.
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!
24 Behold my daughter a virgin, and the man's concubine: I will bring them out, and humble you them, and do to them that which is good in your eyes; but to this man do not this folly.
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.”
25 But the men would not consent to listen to him; so the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night till the morning, and let her go when the morning dawned.
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.
26 And the woman came toward morning, and fell down at the door of the house where her husband was, until it was light.
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.
27 And her husband rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went forth to go on his journey; and, behold, the woman his concubine had fallen down by the doors of the house, and her hands were on the threshold.
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.
28 And he said to her, Rise, and let us go; and she answered not, for she was dead: and he took her upon his ass, and went to his place.
“Get up, let's go,” he told her, but there was no answer. Then the man lifted her onto his donkey and went home.
29 And he took his sword, and laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve parts, and sent them to every coast of Israel.
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.
30 And it was so, that every one who saw it said, [Such a day] as this has not happened nor has been seen from the day of the going up of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt until this day: take you counsel concerning it, and speak.
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!”
