Judges 19
1 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 And, when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, so he turned back and tarried the night there.
The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.
8 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 went in upon them beside Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
15 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.
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 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.
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 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?
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 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.
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 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.
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—Thou art welcome! only, all thy wants, be on me, —by no means, in the broadway, mayest thou lodge.
“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 gave provender to the asses, —and they bathed their feet, and did eat and drink.
So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.
22 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.
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 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.
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 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!
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
“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 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.
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 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!
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!”
