Judges
Chapter Ninteen
1 ¶ And it came to
pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain
Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine
from Bethlehem in Judah.
2 But his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to
her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there four whole months.
3 Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring
her back, having his servant and a couple of donkeys with him. So she brought
him into her father's house; and when the father of the young woman saw him,
he was glad to meet him.
4 Now his father-in-law, the young woman's father, detained him; and he stayed
with him three days. So they ate and drank and lodged there.
5 Then it came to pass on the fourth day that they arose early in the morning,
and he stood to depart; but the young woman's father said to his son-in-law,
"Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way."
6 So they sat down, and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the young
woman's father said to the man, "Please be content to stay all night, and
let your heart be merry."
7 And when the man stood to depart, his father-in-law urged him; so he lodged
there again.
8 Then he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, but the young
woman's father said, "Please refresh your heart." So they delayed
until afternoon; and both of them ate.
9 And when the man stood to depart-he and his concubine and his servant-his
father-in-law, the young woman's father, said to him, "Look, the day is
now drawing toward evening; please spend the night. See, the day is coming to
an end; lodge here, that your heart may be merry. Tomorrow go your way early,
so that you may get home."
10 However, the man was not willing to spend that night; so he rose and departed,
and came to opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). With him were the two saddled
donkeys; his concubine was also with him.
11 They were near Jebus, and the day was far spent; and the servant said to
his master, "Come, please, and let us turn aside into this city of the
Jebusites and lodge in it."
12 But his master said to him, "We will not turn aside here into a city
of foreigners, who are not of the children of Israel; we will go on to Gibeah."
13 So he said to his servant, "Come, let us draw near to one of these places,
and spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah."
14 And they passed by and went their way; and the sun went down on them near
Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15 They turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And when he went in,
he sat down in the open square of the city, for no one would take them into
his house to spend the night.
16 ¶ Just then an old man came in from his work in the field at evening,
who also was from the mountains of Ephraim; he was staying in Gibeah, whereas
the men of the place were Benjamites.
17 And when he raised his eyes, he saw the traveler in the open square of the
city; and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where do you come
from?"
18 So he said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah toward the
remote mountains of Ephraim; I am from there. I went to Bethlehem in Judah;
now I am going to the house of the LORD. But there is no one who will take me
into his house,
19 "although we have both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and bread and
wine for myself, for your female servant, and for the young man who is with
your servant; there is no lack of anything."
20 And the old man said, "Peace be with you! However, let all your needs
be my responsibility; only do not spend the night in the open square."
21 So he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys. And they
washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22 ¶ As they were enjoying themselves, suddenly certain men of the city,
perverted men, surrounded the house and beat on the door. They spoke to the
master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came to
your house, that we may know him carnally!"
23 But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them,
"No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has
come into my house, do not commit this outrage.
24 "Look, here is my virgin daughter and the man's concubine; let me bring
them out now. Humble them, and do with them as you please; but to this man do
not do such a vile thing!"
25 But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought
her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and
when the day began to break, they let her go.
26 Then the woman came as the day was dawning, and fell down at the door of
the man's house where her master was, till it was light.
27 When her master arose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house and
went out to go his way, there was his concubine, fallen at the door of the house
with her hands on the threshold.
28 And he said to her, "Get up and let us be going." But there was
no answer. So the man lifted her onto the donkey; and the man got up and went
to his place.
29 When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold of his concubine, and
divided her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the
territory of Israel.
30 And so it was that all who saw it said, "No such deed has been done
or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt
until this day. Consider it, confer, and speak up!"
Go to Chapter Twenty
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