Judges 19

A Levite’s Concubine Degraded

1Now it cameH1961 about in thoseH1992 daysH3117, when 1thereH369 was noH369 kingH4428 in IsraelH3478, that there was a certainH376 LeviteH3881 2stayingH1481 in the remoteH3411 partH3411 of the hillH2022 countryH2022 of EphraimH669, who tookH3947 a concubineH6370 for himself from BethlehemH1035 in JudahH3063. 2But his concubineH6370 playedH2181 the harlotH2181 againstH5921 him, and she wentH1980 away from him to her father’sH1 houseH1004 in BethlehemH1035 in JudahH3063, and was thereH8033 for a periodH3117 of fourH702 monthsH2320. 3Then her husbandH376 aroseH6965 and wentH1980 afterH310 her to 3speakH1696 4tenderlyH3820 to her in order to bringH7725 her backH7725, 5taking with him his servantH5288 and a pairH6776 of donkeysH2543. So she broughtH935 him into her father’sH1 houseH1004, and when the girl’sH5291 fatherH1 sawH7200 him, he was gladH8055 to meetH7122 him. 4His father-in-lawH2860, the girl’sH5291 fatherH1, detainedH2388 him; and he remainedH3427 with him threeH7969 daysH3117. So they ateH398 and drankH8354 and lodgedH3885 thereH8033. 5Now on the fourthH7243 dayH3117 they gotH7925 up earlyH7925 in the morningH1242, and he 6preparedH6965 to goH1980; and the girl’sH5291 fatherH1 saidH559 to his son-in-lawH2860, “7SustainH5582 8yourselfH3820 with a pieceH6595 of breadH3899, and afterwardH310 you may goH1980.” 6So bothH8147 of them satH3427 downH3427 and ateH398 and drankH8354 togetherH3164; and the girl’sH5291 fatherH1 saidH559 to the manH376, “PleaseH4994 be willingH2974 to spendH3885 the nightH3885, and 9let your heartH3820 be merryH3190.” 7Then the manH376 aroseH6965 to goH1980, but his father-in-lawH2860 urgedH6484 him so that he spentH3885 the nightH3885 thereH8033 againH7725. 8On the fifthH2549 dayH3117 he aroseH7925 to goH1980 earlyH7925 in the morningH1242, and the girl’sH5291 fatherH1 saidH559, “PleaseH4994 sustainH5582 10yourselfH3824, and waitH4102 untilH5704 11afternoonH5186H3117”; so bothH8147 of them ateH398. 9When the manH376 aroseH6965 to goH1980 along with his concubineH6370 and servantH5288, his father-in-lawH2860, the girl’sH5291 fatherH1, saidH559 to him, “BeholdH2009 nowH4994, the dayH3117 has drawnH7503 12to a closeH6150; pleaseH4994 spendH3885 the nightH3885. LoH2009, the dayH3117 is 13comingH2583 to an endH2583; spendH3885 the nightH3885 hereH6311 that your heartH3824 may be merryH3190. Then tomorrowH4279 you may ariseH7925 earlyH7925 for your journeyH1870 so that you may goH1980 14homeH168.”

10But the manH376 was not willingH14 to spendH3885 the nightH3885, so he aroseH6965 and departedH1980 and cameH935 to a place oppositeH5227 15JebusH2982 (that is, JerusalemH3389). And there were with him a pairH6776 of saddledH2280 donkeysH2543; his concubineH6370 also was with him. 11When they were nearH5973 JebusH2982, the dayH3117 was almostH3966 goneH7286; and 16the servantH5288 saidH559 to his masterH113, “PleaseH4994 comeH1980, and let us turnH5493 asideH5493 into thisH2088 cityH5892 of the JebusitesH2983 and spendH3885 the nightH3885 in it.” 12However, his masterH113 saidH559 to him, “We will not turnH5493 asideH5493 into the cityH5892 of foreignersH5237 whoH834 are not of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; but we will goH5674 on as farH5704 as GibeahH1390.” 13He saidH559 to his servantH5288, “ComeH1980 and let us approachH7126 oneH259 of these placesH4725; and we will spendH3885 the nightH3885 in GibeahH1390 orH176 RamahH7414.” 14So they passedH5674 alongH5674 and wentH1980 their way, and the sunH8121 setH935 on them nearH681 GibeahH1390 whichH834 belongs to BenjaminH1144. 15They turnedH5493 asideH5493 thereH8033 in order to enterH935 and lodgeH3885 in GibeahH1390. When 17they enteredH935, 18they satH3427 downH3427 in the openH7339 squareH7339 of the cityH5892, for noH369 oneH376 tookH622 them into his houseH1004 to spendH3885 the nightH3885.

16Then beholdH2009, an oldH2205 manH376 was comingH935 out of the fieldH7704 from his workH4639 at eveningH6153. Now the manH376 was from 19the hillH2022 countryH2022 of EphraimH669, and he was 20stayingH1481 in GibeahH1390, but the menH376 of the placeH4725 21were BenjamitesH1145. 17And he liftedH5375 up his eyesH5869 and sawH7200 the travelerH376H732 in the openH7339 squareH7339 of the cityH5892; and the oldH2205 manH376 saidH559, “WhereH575 are you goingH1980, and whereH370 do you comeH935 from?” 18He saidH559 to him, “We are passingH5674 from BethlehemH1035 in JudahH3063 to the remoteH3411 partH3411 of the hillH2022 countryH2022 of EphraimH669, for I am from thereH8033, and I wentH1980 to BethlehemH1035 in JudahH3063. But I am now goingH1980 to 22my houseH1004, and noH369 manH376 will takeH622 me into his houseH1004. 19Yet thereH3426 is bothH1571 strawH8401 and fodderH4554 for our donkeysH2543, and alsoH1571 breadH3899 and wineH3196 for me, 23your maidservantH519, and 24the youngH5288 manH5288 who is with your servantsH5650; thereH369 is noH369 lackH4270 of anythingH3605H1697.” 20The oldH2205 manH376 saidH559, “25PeaceH7965 to you. OnlyH7534 let me take care of allH3605 your needsH4270; howeverH7534, do not spendH3885 the nightH3885 in the openH7339 squareH7339.” 2126So he tookH935 him into his houseH1004 and gaveH1101 the donkeysH2543 fodderH1101, and they washedH7364 their feetH7272 and ateH398 and drankH8354.

22While they were 27celebratingH3190H3820, beholdH2009, 28the menH376 of the cityH5892, certainH376 2930worthlessH1100 fellowsH1121, surroundedH5437 the houseH1004, poundingH1849 the doorH1817; and they spokeH559 to the ownerH1167 of the houseH1004, the oldH2205 manH376, sayingH559, “BringH3318 out the manH376 whoH834 cameH935 into your houseH1004 that we may haveH3045 31relationsH3045 with him.” 23Then the manH376, the ownerH1167 of the houseH1004, wentH3318 out to them and saidH559 to them, “NoH408, my fellowsH251, pleaseH4994 do not actH7489 so wickedlyH7489; sinceH310H834 thisH2088 manH376 has comeH935 into my houseH1004, 32do not commitH6213 thisH2088 actH5039 of follyH5039. 2433HereH2009 is my virginH1330 daughterH1323 and his concubineH6370. PleaseH4994 let me bringH3318 them out that you may ravishH6031 them and doH6213 to them 34whatever you wishH2896H5869. But do not commitH6213 suchH2088 an actH1697 of follyH5039 against thisH2088 manH376.” 25But the menH376 wouldH14 not listenH8085 to him. So the manH376 seizedH2388 his concubineH6370 and broughtH3318 her out to them; and they rapedH3045 her and abusedH5953 her allH3605 nightH3915 untilH5704 morningH1242, then letH7971 her goH7971 at the approachH5927 of dawnH7837. 2635As the dayH1242 began to dawnH6437H1242, the womanH802 cameH935 and fellH5307 downH5307 at the doorwayH6607 of the man’sH376 houseH1004 whereH834H8033 her masterH113 was, untilH5704 full daylightH216.

27When her masterH113 aroseH6965 in the morningH1242 and openedH6605 the doorsH1817 of the houseH1004 and wentH3318 out to goH1980 on his wayH1870, then beholdH2009, his concubineH6370 was lyingH5307 at the doorwayH6607 of the houseH1004 with her handsH3027 on the thresholdH5592. 28He saidH559 to her, “GetH6965 up and let us goH1980,” 36but thereH369 was noH369 answerH6030. Then he placedH3947 her on the donkeyH2543; and the manH376 aroseH6965 and wentH1980 to his 37homeH4725. 29When he enteredH935 his houseH1004, he tookH3947 a knifeH3979 and laidH2388 holdH2388 of his concubineH6370 and 38cutH5408 her in twelveH8147H6240 piecesH5409, limb by limbH6106, and sentH7971 her throughoutH3605 the territoryH1366 of IsraelH3478. 30AllH3605 who sawH7200 it saidH559, “NothingH3808 like thisH2088 has ever happenedH1961 or been seenH7200 from the dayH3117 when the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 cameH5927 up from the landH776 of EgyptH4714 to thisH2088 dayH3117. ConsiderH7760 it, 39takeH5779 counselH5779 and speakH1696 up!”