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, 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 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 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 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.
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 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 father of the damsel, constrained him, and he abode with him three days, —and they did eat and drink, 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, 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 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!”
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 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 up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, so he turned back and tarried the night there.
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, 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 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 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 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 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 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?”
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 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 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 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 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 carried on and reached Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin just as the sun was setting.
So they passed on, and went their way, —and the sun went in upon them beside 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.
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 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.
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 looked over and noticed the traveler in the square and asked, “Where are you going and where have 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 “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 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 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.”
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 “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—Thou art welcome! only, all thy wants, be on me, —by no means, in the broadway, mayest thou lodge.
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 bathed their feet, and did eat and drink.
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.”
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 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 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'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.”
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 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 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 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.
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 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.
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 “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 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 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, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, —and sent her throughout all the bounds 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 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!
