Judges 19
1 It happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a secondary wife from Bethlehem Judah.
And it came to pass in those days, when, king, there was none in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-judah.
2 His secondary wife was angry with him and went away from him to her father's house in Bethlehem of Judah, and was there about four months.
And his concubine went astray against him, and departed from him, unto the house of her father, in Bethlehem-judah, —and remained there, the space of four months.
3 Her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
Then arose her husband, and went after her, to speak unto her heart, that he might bring her back again, having his young man with him, and a couple of asses, —and she brought him into the house of her father, and, when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
4 His father-in-law, the young woman's father, welcomed him; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank and stayed there.
And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, constrained him, and he abode with him three days, —and they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
5 It happened on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart: and the young woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with a piece of bread, and after that you may go."
And it came to pass, on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, and gat up to go, that the father of the damsel said unto his son-in-law, —Stay thy heart with a morsel of bread, and, afterwards, ye shall go your way.
6 So they sat down, ate, and drank, both of them together. Then the young woman's father said to the man, "Please agree to stay the night, and enjoy yourself."
So they both of them sat down and did eat together, and drink. Then said the father of the damsel unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry the night, and let thy heart be glad.
7 The man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.
And, when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, so he turned back and tarried the night there.
8 He arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the young woman's father said, "Please refresh yourself and stay until the day declines." And the two of them ate and drank.
And, when he arose early on the morning of the fifth day, to go, the father of the damsel said—Come now, stay thy heart, and tarry ye until the decline of the day. And they did eat, both of them.
9 When the man rose up with his secondary wife and his servant to leave, his father-in-law, the young woman's father, said to him, "Look, now the day draws toward evening, please stay the night. Look, the day grows to an end, stay here, and enjoy yourself; and tomorrow you can get up early for your journey so that you may go home."
And, when the man rose up to go—he and his concubine and his young man, —his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, said to him, Come now, see! the day hath sunk down towards evening, come now! tarry the night; lo! the day goeth down, tarry the night here, and let thy heart be glad, so shall ye rise early to-morrow for your journey, and thou shalt go thy way to thine own home.
10 But the man wouldn't stay that night, but he rose up and departed, and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). And there were with him a couple of saddled donkeys, and his secondary wife and his servant were with him.
But the man would not tarry the night, but rose up and went his way, and came as far as over against Jebus, the same, is Jerusalem, —and, with him, were a couple of asses, saddled, his concubine also, was with him.
11 When they were by Jebus, the day was almost gone, and the servant said to his master, "Please come and let us stop at this city of the Jebusites, and spend the night in it."
They being by Jebus, and, the day, having gone far down, the young man said unto his lord—Do come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and tarry the night therein.
12 His master said to him, "We won't go into the city of a foreigner that is not of the children of Israel, but we will pass over to Gibeah."
And his lord said unto him, We will not turn aside into a city of aliens, who are, not of the sons of Israel, —but will pass on as far as Gibeah.
13 He said to his servant, "Come and let us try to reach one of those places and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah."
And he said to his young man, Come and let us draw near unto one of the places, —and tarry the night in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14 So they passed on and went their way; and the sun set on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
So they passed on, and went their way, —and the sun went in upon them beside Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
15 They turned that way to go in to spend the night in Gibeah. And he went in and they sat down in the street of the city; for there was no one who would take them into their house to spend the night.
Then turned they aside there, to go in and tarry the night in Gibeah, —so he went in and abode in the broadway of the city; and there was no one minded to take them into a house, to tarry the night.
16 Look, there came an old man from his work out in the field at evening. Now the man was of the hill country of Ephraim, and he was residing in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.
But lo! an old man, coming in from his work, out of the field, in the evening, and, the man, was from the hill country of Ephraim, he himself, being a sojourner in Gibeah, —but, the men of the place, were Benjamites.
17 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the traveler in the street of the city. And the old man said, "Where are you going, and where did you come from?"
So he lifted up his eyes, and saw a wayfaring man in the broadway of the city, —and the old man said—Whither goest thou? and from whence hast thou come?
18 He said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. And I am going to my home, and there is no one who will take me into his home.
And he said unto him—We, are passing along, from Bethlehem-judah, unto the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, whence I am, but I have been as far as Bethlehem-judah, and now, unto the house of Yahweh, am I going, and there is no one minded to take me into a house.
19 Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your female servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything."
Nevertheless, straw and fodder too, is there for our asses, yea moreover, bread and wine, there are for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants, —there is lack, of nothing.
20 And the old man said, "Peace be to you. I will take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the square."
And the old man said—Thou art welcome! only, all thy wants, be on me, —by no means, in the broadway, mayest thou lodge.
21 So he brought him into his house, and fed the donkeys. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses, —and they bathed their feet, and did eat and drink.
22 As they were enjoying themselves, look, the men of the city, some wicked men of the city surrounded the house, beating at the door. And they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may have sex with him."
They, were gladdening their heart, when lo! men of the city, men of the sons of the Abandoned One, beset the house round about, beating violently against the door, —and they spake unto the old man the owner of the house, saying, Bring forth the man that hath entered into thy house, that we may know him.
23 The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, "No, my brothers, please do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house. Do not do this disgraceful thing.
And the man, the owner of the house, went forth unto them, and said unto them, Do not, my brethren, do not act vilely, I pray you, —after this man hath entered into my house, do not commit this impiety.
24 Look, here is my virgin daughter and his secondary wife. I will bring them out now. Ravish them and do with them what seems good to you; but do not do any such a disgraceful thing to this man."
Lo, my virgin daughter, and his concubine, I must needs now bring, them, forth, and ye must humble, them, and do, unto them, what seemeth good in your own eyes, —but, unto this man, must ye not do this impious thing!
25 But the men wouldn't listen to him: so the man laid hold of his secondary wife, and brought her out to them. And they raped her and abused her all night until the morning, and when the day began to dawn they let her go.
But the men would not hearken unto him, so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them, outside, —and they knew, her, and abused her all the night, until the morning, and let her go at the uprisings of the dawn.
26 Then at daybreak the woman arrived and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, until daylight.
So the woman came in at the turnings of the morning, —and fell down at the entrance of the man’s house where her lord was, and [lay there] till it was light.
27 Her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and look, the woman his secondary wife was fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
So then her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went forth, to go on his journey, —when lo! the woman, his concubine, fallen at the entrance of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.
28 And he said to her, "Get up, and let us go." But there was no answer, for she was dead. So he placed her on the donkey, and the man rose up and went to his home.
And he said unto her—Up! and let us be going. But there was no answer. So he took her up on the ass, and the man rose up, and went his way to his own place.
29 When he had come into his house, he took a knife, and took hold of his secondary wife and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.
And, when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, —and sent her throughout all the bounds of Israel.
30 And it was so, that all who saw it said, "Nothing like this has been done or seen since the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day." And he commanded the men whom he sent, saying, "This is what you will say to all the men of Israel, 'Has anything like this happened since the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day? Consider it, take counsel, and speak.'"
And so it was, that every one who beheld said—There hath not happened, nor been seen the like of this, from the day when the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt, until this day: Put it to yourselves contemning it, take counsel and speak!
