THE BOOK OF JUDGES

 

Judges Chapter 19

1 ¶ In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living in the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine from Bethlehem-Judah.

2 And his concubine was untrue to him, and ran away from him to her father’s house in Bethlehem-Judah, and was there four whole months.

3 Then her husband got up, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, and bring her back, taking his servant and a couple of donkeys with him: and she took him into her father’s house: and when her father saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

4 And his father in law, the girl’s father, detained him; and he remained with him for three days: so they ate and drank, and stayed there.

5 And on the fourth day, when they got up early in the morning, he prepared to leave: but the girl’s father said to his son in law, Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.

6 And they both sat down together, and ate and drank: and the girl’s father said to the man, Consent, I pray you, to stay all night, and let your heart be merry.

7 And when the man got up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he stayed there again.

8 And he got up early in the morning on the fifth day to leave: but the girl’s father said, Strengthen your heart, I pray you. And they delayed until afternoon, and they both ate.

9 And when the man, and his concubine, and his servant, rose up to leave, his father in law, the girl’s father, said to him, Behold, evening is approaching, I pray you stay all night: the day is coming to an end, lodge here, so that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow get on your way early, and go home.

10 But the man would not stay that night, instead he got up and left, and arrived opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem; with his two saddled donkeys, and his concubine.

11 And when they were near Jebus, it was late; and the servant said to his master, Come, I pray you, and let us go into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

12 And 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 And he said to his servant, Come, and let us go on to one of these places and spend the night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belonged to Benjamin.

15 And they turned aside there, to go in and lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city: for no man took them into his house to spend the night.

16 ¶ And, behold, at evening an old man, who was from the hill country of Ephraim, but was living in Gibeah, returned from his work out in the field: but the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 And when he looked up, and saw a traveler in the city street: the old man said, Where are you going? and where did you come from?

18 And he said to him, We are passing from Bethlehem-Judah to the highlands of Ephraim; I am from there: and I went to Bethlehem-Judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man who receives me into his house.

19 Yet we have both straw and provender for our donkeys; and there is also bread and wine for me, for your handmaid, and for the young man who is with your servants: there is no lack of any thing.

20 And the old man said, Peace be with you; however let all your needs rest upon me; only do not stay in the street.

21 So he took him into his house, and gave food to the donkeys: and the guests washed their feet, and ate and drank.

22 ¶ Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, surrounded the house, and beat on the door, and 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 sexually.

23 And the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, No, my brothers, no, I pray you, do not do such wickedness; seeing that this man has come into my house, do not do this foolishness.

24 Behold, my virgin daughter and his concubine are here; I will bring them out now, you can humble them, and do to them what seems good to you: but do not do such a vile thing to this man.

25 But the men would not listen to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they raped her, and abused her all night long until the morning: and when the day began to dawn, they let her go.

26 And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light.

27 And her master got up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were on the threshold.

28 And he said to her, Get up, let us be on our way. But there was no response. So the man put her body on a donkey, and set out for home.

29 And when he got back to his house, he took a knife, and took hold of his dead concubine, and divided her body, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her body throughout all the territory of Israel.

30 And all who saw it said, There was no such deed done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day: think it over it, discuss it, and speak your minds.