1
And it came to pass in those days[H3117], when there was no king[H4428] in Israel[H3478], that there was a certain[H376]Levite[H3881]sojourning[H1481] on the side[H3411] of mount[H2022]Ephraim[H669], who took[H3947] to him a concubine[H802] out of Bethlehemjudah[H1035].
2
And his concubine[H6370] played the whore[H2181] against him, and went away[H3212] from him unto her father's house[H1004] to Bethlehemjudah[H1035], and was there four[H702] whole months[H2320].
3
And her husband[H376]arose[H6965], and went[H3212]after[H310] her, to speak[H1696]friendly[H3820] unto her, and to bring her again[H7725], having his servant[H5288] with him, and a couple[H6776] of asses[H2543]: and she brought[H935] him into her father[H1]'s house[H1004]: and when the father[H1] of the damsel[H5291]saw[H7200] him, he rejoiced[H8055] to meet[H7125] him.
4
And his father[H1] in law[H2859], the damsel's father[H1], retained[H2388] him; and he abode[H3427] with him three[H7969]days[H3117]: so they did eat[H398] and drink[H8354], and lodged[H3885] there.
5
And it came to pass on the fourth[H7243]day[H3117], when they arose early[H7925] in the morning[H1242], that he rose up[H6965] to depart[H3212]: and the damsel's father[H1]said[H559] unto his son in law[H2860], Comfort[H5582] thine heart[H3820] with a morsel[H6595] of bread[H3899], and afterward[H310] go your way[H3212].
6
And they sat down[H3427], and did eat[H398] and drink[H8354]both[H8147] of them together[H3162]: for the damsel's father[H1] had said[H559] unto the man[H376], Be content[H2974], I pray thee, and tarry all night[H3885], and let thine heart[H3820] be merry[H3190].
7
And when the man[H376] rose up[H6965] to depart[H3212], his father in law[H2859]urged[H6484] him: therefore he lodged[H3885] there again[H7725].
8
And he arose early[H7925] in the morning[H1242] on the fifth[H2549]day[H3117] to depart[H3212]: and the damsel's father[H1]said[H559], Comfort[H5582] thine heart[H3824], I pray thee. And they tarried[H4102] until afternoon[H3117], and they did eat[H398]both[H8147] of them.
9
And when the man[H376] rose up[H6965] to depart[H3212], he, and his concubine[H6370], and his servant[H5288], his father[H1] in law[H2859], the damsel's father[H1], said[H559] unto him, Behold, now the day[H3117]draweth[H7503] toward evening[H6150], I pray you tarry all night[H3885]: behold, the day[H3117] groweth to an end[H2583], lodge[H3885] here, that thine heart[H3824] may be merry[H3190]; and to morrow[H4279] get you early[H7925] on your way[H1870], that thou mayest go[H1980]home[H168].
10
But the man[H376]would[H14] not tarry that night[H3885], but he rose up[H6965] and departed[H3212], and came[H935] over against[H5227]Jebus[H2982], which is Jerusalem[H3389]; and there were with him two[H6776]asses[H2543]saddled[H2280], his concubine[H6370] also was with him.
11
And when they were by Jebus[H2982], the day[H3117] was far[H3966]spent[H7286]; and the servant[H5288]said[H559] unto his master[H113], Come[H3212], I pray thee, and let us turn in[H5493] into this city[H5892] of the Jebusites[H2983], and lodge[H3885]in[H5493] it.
12
And his master[H113]said[H559] unto him, We will not turn aside[H5493] hither into the city[H5892] of a stranger[H5237], that is not of the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]; we will pass over[H5674] to Gibeah[H1390].
13
And he said[H559] unto his servant[H5288], Come[H3212], and let us draw near[H7126] to one[H259] of these places[H4725] to lodge all night[H3885], in Gibeah[H1390], or in Ramah[H7414].
14
And they passed on[H5674] and went their way[H3212]; and the sun[H8121] went down[H935] upon them when they were by[H681]Gibeah[H1390], which belongeth to Benjamin[H1144].
15
And they turned aside[H5493] thither, to go in[H935] and to lodge[H3885]in[H935]Gibeah[H1390]: and when he went in[H935], he sat him down[H3427]in[H935] a street[H7339] of the city[H5892]: for there was no man[H376] that took[H622] them into his house[H1004] to lodging[H3885].
16
And, behold, there came[H935] an old[H2205]man[H376] from his work[H4639] out of the field[H7704] at even[H6153], which was also[H376] of mount[H2022]Ephraim[H669]; and he sojourned[H1481] in Gibeah[H1390]: but the men[H582] of the place[H4725] were Benjamites[H1145].
17
And when he had lifted up[H5375] his eyes[H5869], he saw[H7200] a wayfaring[H732]man[H376] in the street[H7339] of the city[H5892]: and the old[H2205]man[H376]said[H559], Whither goest[H3212] thou? and whence[H370]comest[H935] thou?
18
And he said[H559] unto him, We are passing[H5674] from Bethlehemjudah[H1035] toward the side[H3411] of mount[H2022]Ephraim[H669]; from thence am I: and I went[H3212] to Bethlehemjudah[H3063], but I am now going[H1980] to the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068]; and there is no man[H376] that receiveth[H622] me to house[H1004].
19
Yet there is[H3426] both straw[H8401] and provender[H4554] for our asses[H2543]; and there is[H3426]bread[H3899] and wine[H3196] also for me, and for thy handmaid[H519], and for the young man[H5288] which is[H3426] with thy servants[H5650]: there is[H3426] no want[H4270] of any thing[H1697].
20
And the old[H2205]man[H376]said[H559], Peace[H7965] be with thee; howsoever[H7535] let all thy wants[H4270] lie upon me; only lodge[H3885] not in the street[H7339].
21
So he brought[H935] him into his house[H1004], and gave provender[H1101] unto the asses[H2543]: and they washed[H7364] their feet[H7272], and did eat[H398] and drink[H8354].
22
Now as they were making their hearts[H3820]merry[H3190], behold, the men[H582] of the city[H5892], certain[H582]sons[H1121] of Belial[H1100], beset[H5437] the house[H1004] round about[H5437], and beat[H1849] at the door[H1817], and spake[H559] to the master[H1167] of the house[H1004], the old[H2205]man[H376], saying[H559], Bring forth[H3318] the man[H376] that came[H935] into thine house[H1004], that we may know[H3045] him.
23
And the man[H376], the master[H1167] of the house[H1004], went out[H3318] unto them, and said[H559] unto them, Nay[H408], my brethren[H251], nay, I pray you, do[H6213] not so wickedly[H7489]; seeing[H310] that this man[H376] is come[H935] into mine house[H1004], do[H6213] not this folly[H5039].
24
Behold, here is my daughter[H1323] a maiden[H1330], and his concubine[H6370]; them I will bring out[H3318] now, and humble[H6031] ye them, and do[H6213] with them what seemeth[H5869]good[H2896] unto you: but unto this man[H376]do[H6213] not so[H2063]vile[H5039] a thing[H1697].
25
But the men[H582]would[H14] not hearken[H8085] to him: so the man[H376]took[H2388] his concubine[H6370], and brought[H3318] her forth[H2351] unto them; and they knew[H3045] her, and abused[H5953] her all the night[H3915] until the morning[H1242]: and when the day[H7837] began to spring[H5927], they let her go[H7971].
26
Then came[H935] the woman[H802] in the dawning[H6437] of the day[H1242], and fell down[H5307] at the door[H6607] of the man's house[H1004] where her lord[H113] was, till it was light[H216].
27
And her lord[H113] rose up[H6965] in the morning[H1242], and opened[H6605] the doors[H1817] of the house[H1004], and went out[H3318] to go[H3212] his way[H1870]: and, behold, the woman[H802] his concubine[H6370] was fallen down[H5307] at the door[H6607] of the house[H1004], and her hands[H3027] were upon the threshold[H5592].
28
And he said[H559] unto her, Up[H6965], and let us be going[H3212]. But none answered[H6030]. Then the man[H376]took[H3947] her up[H6965] upon an ass[H2543], and the man[H376] rose up[H6965], and gat[H3212] him unto his place[H4725].
29
And when he was come[H935] into his house[H1004], he took[H3947] a knife[H3979], and laid hold[H2388] on his concubine[H6370], and divided[H5408] her, together with her bones[H6106], into twelve[H8147]pieces[H5409], and sent[H7971] her into all the coasts[H1366] of Israel[H3478].
30
And it was so[H1961], that all that saw[H7200] it said[H559], There was no such deed[H2063] done nor seen[H7200] from the day[H3117] that the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478] came up[H5927] out of the land[H776] of Egypt[H4714] unto this day[H3117]: consider[H7760] of it, take advice[H5779], and speak[H1696] your minds.