Judges
Chapter 19
1 During that time, when Israel had no king, a Levite staying near Mount Ephraim took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.
2 His partner was unfaithful to him, left him, and went to her father’s house in Bethlehem of Judah, staying there four months.
3 Her husband got up, followed her to talk kindly and to take her back, with his helper and two donkeys. She took him to her father’s house, and the girl’s father was happy to see him.
4 The girl’s father, who was also his father-in-law, kept him with him, and he stayed there for three days. They ate, drank, and slept there.
5 On the fourth day, when they got up early, he got ready to leave. The girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have some bread to feel better, and then you can go.”
6 They sat and ate and drank together because the girl’s father told the man, “Please be happy, stay overnight, and enjoy yourself.”
7 When the man got up to leave, his father-in-law convinced him, so he stayed there another night.
8 He got up early on the fifth day to leave, but the girl’s father said, “Please, relax and eat.” So they stayed until the afternoon and both had something to eat.
9 When the man got ready to leave with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, told him, “Look, it is almost evening. Please stay the night. The day is almost over. Stay here and be happy. Tomorrow you can leave early to go home.”
10 The man didn’t stay the night; instead, he got up, left, and went near Jebus, now called Jerusalem. He had two saddled donkeys with him, and his partner was also with him.
11 When they were near Jebus, it was getting late; the servant told his master, “Please, let’s go into this Jebusite city and spend the night there.”
12 His boss told him, “We won’t go into a foreign city not belonging to the Israelites; we’ll keep going to Gibeah.”
13 He said to his servant, “Come, let’s go stay the night in one of these towns, either Gibeah or Ramah.”
14 They moved on and continued their journey. The sun set on them near Gibeah, a town in Benjamin’s territory.
15 They went there to stay in Gibeah. When he entered, he sat down in the city street because no one took them into his home for the night.
16 Look, an old man coming from his work in the field at evening was from Mount Ephraim; he was staying in Gibeah, although the local men were from Benjamin’s tribe.
17 When he looked up, he saw a traveler in the city street; and the old man asked, “Where are you going? And where did you come from?”
18 He said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the area of Mount Ephraim. That is where I am from. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am on my way to God’s house, but no one has offered to take me in.”
19 We have both straw and food for our donkeys; there is also bread and wine for me, for your servant woman, and for the young man with your workers: we lack nothing.
20 The old man said, “May you have peace. I will take care of all your needs. Just don’t sleep outside.”
21 He took him into his house, fed the donkeys, they washed their feet, and they ate and drank.
22 While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the city men, some wicked fellows, surrounded the house. They pounded on the door and said to the homeowner, the old man, “Send out the man who came to your house, so we can meet him.”
23 The man who owned the house went outside to them and said, “No, my friends, please don’t do such an evil thing. Since this man is a guest in my home, please don’t act so foolishly.”
24 Look, here is my daughter who is a virgin, and his partner; I will send them out to you, and you can use them as you please, but do not do such a disgraceful thing to this man.
25 The men did not listen to him, so the man took his woman and gave her to them. They mistreated her all night until morning, and when dawn came, they released her.
26 The woman arrived at daybreak and collapsed at the door of the house where her man stayed, until morning came.
27 In the morning, her husband got up, opened the doors of the house, and left to go on his way. He saw that his concubine woman was lying at the house door with her hands on the doorstep.
28 He said to her, “Get up, let’s go.” But she did not answer. So he lifted her onto a donkey, got up, and went home.
29 When he entered his home, he took a knife, grabbed his concubine, cut her and her bones into twelve parts, and sent them throughout Israel.
30 Everyone who saw it agreed that nothing like this has happened or been seen since the Israelites left Egypt. Think about it, talk it over, and decide what to do.