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.
Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in 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.
But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there 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.
her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed 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.
His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging 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."
On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to depart, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and then you can go.”
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 sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and let your heart be merry.”
7 The man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.
The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.
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.
On the fifth day, he got up early in the morning to depart, but the girl’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate.
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."
When the man got up to depart with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing to a close. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, that your heart may be merry. Then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey 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 was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
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."
When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Please, let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here.”
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."
But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to 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."
He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
14 So they passed on and went their way; and the sun set on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in 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.
They stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for 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.
That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was residing in Gibeah (the men of that place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the field.
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?"
When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where have you come from?”
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.
The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home,
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."
even though there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and the maidservant and young man with me. There is nothing that we, your servants, lack.”
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."
“Peace to you,” said the old man. “Let me supply everything you need. Only do not spend the night in the square.”
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 to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.
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."
While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with 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.
The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage.
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."
Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”
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 listen to him. So the Levite 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.
26 Then at daybreak the woman arrived and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, until daylight.
Early that morning, the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, collapsed at the doorway, and lay there until 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.
In the morning, when her master got up and opened the doors of the house to go out on his journey, there was his concubine, collapsed in the doorway of the house, with her hands on 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.
“Get up,” he told her. “Let us go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
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.
When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory 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 everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”
