Judges 19:1-14

1Now it came about in those days, when 1there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite 2staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. 2But his concubine 3found him repugnant, and she left him and went to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and remained there for a period of four months. 3Then her husband set out and went after her to 4speak 5gently to her in order to bring her back, 6taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he was glad to meet him. 4His father-in-law, the girl’s father, prevailed upon him, and he remained with him for three days. So they ate and drank and stayed there. 5Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and he 7prepared to go; but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “8Strengthen 9yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go.” 6So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Please 10be so kind as to spend the night, and 11let your heart be cheerful.” 7However, the man got up to go; but his father-in-law urged him, and he spent the night there again. 8Now on the fifth day he got up to go early in the morning, but the girl’s father said, “Please strengthen 12yourself, and wait until 13late afternoon”; so both of them ate. 9When the man got up to go, along with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold now, the day has drawn 14to a close; please spend the night. Behold, the day is 15coming to an end; spend the night here so that your heart may be cheerful. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey and go 16home.”

10But the man was unwilling to spend the night, so he got up and left, and came to a place opposite 17Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). And with him was a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine also was with him. 11When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone; and 18the servant said to his master, “Please come, and let’s turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.” 12However, his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; instead, we will go on as far as Gibeah.” 13And he said to his servant, “Come, and let’s approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.