Judges 19

A Levite’s Concubine Raped and Killed

1Now it cameH1961 aboutH1961 in thoseH1992 daysH3117, when 1thereH369 wasH369 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 3foundH2181 him repugnantH2181, and she leftH1980H4480 him and went to her father’sH1 houseH1004 in BethlehemH1035 in JudahH3063, and remainedH1961 thereH8033 for a periodH3117 of fourH702 monthsH2320. 3Then her husbandH376 setH6965 outH6965 and wentH1980 afterH310 her to 4speakH1696 5gentlyH3820 to her in order to bringH7725 her backH7725, 6taking with him his servantH5288 and a pairH6776 of donkeysH2543. And she broughtH935 him into her father’sH1 houseH1004, and when the girl’sH5291 fatherH1 sawH7200 him, he wasH8055 gladH8055 to meetH7122 him. 4His father-in-lawH2860, the girl’sH5291 fatherH1, prevailedH2388 upon him, and he remainedH3427 with him for threeH7969 daysH3117. So they ateH398 and drankH8354 and stayedH3885 thereH8033. 5Now on the fourthH7243 dayH3117 they gotH7925 upH7925 earlyH7925 in the morningH1242, and he 7preparedH6965 to goH1980; but the girl’sH5291 fatherH1 saidH559 to his son-in-lawH2860, “8StrengthenH5582 9yourselfH3820 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 10beH2974 so kindH2974 as to spendH3885 theH3885 nightH3885, and 11let your heartH3820 beH3190 cheerfulH3190.” 7However, the manH376 gotH6965 upH6965 to goH1980; but his father-in-lawH2860 urgedH6484 him, and he spentH3885 theH3885 nightH3885 thereH8033 againH7725. 8Now on the fifthH2549 dayH3117 he gotH7925 upH7925 to goH1980 earlyH7925 in the morningH1242, but the girl’sH5291 fatherH1 saidH559, “PleaseH4994 strengthenH5582 12yourselfH3824, and waitH4102 untilH5704 13lateH5186 afternoonH5186H3117”; so bothH8147 of them ateH398. 9When the manH376 gotH6965 upH6965 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 14to a closeH6150; pleaseH4994 spendH3885 theH3885 nightH3885. BeholdH2009, the dayH3117 is 15comingH2583 toH2583 anH2583 endH2583; spendH3885 theH3885 nightH3885 hereH6311 so that your heartH3824 may beH3190 cheerfulH3190. Then tomorrowH4279 you may ariseH7925 earlyH7925 for your journeyH1870 and goH1980 16homeH168.”

10But the manH376 was unwillingH3808H14 to spendH3885 theH3885 nightH3885, so he gotH6965 upH6965 and leftH1980, and cameH935 to a place oppositeH5227 17JebusH2982 (that is, JerusalemH3389). And with him was a pairH6776 of saddledH2280 donkeysH2543; his concubineH6370 also was with him. 11When they were nearH5973 JebusH2982, the dayH3117 was almostH3966 goneH3381; and 18the servantH5288 saidH559 to his masterH113, “PleaseH4994 comeH1980, and let’s turnH5493 asideH5493 into thisH2088 cityH5892 of the JebusitesH2983 and spendH3885 theH3885 nightH3885 in it.” 12However, his masterH113 saidH559 to him, “We will not turnH5493 asideH5493 into a cityH5892 of foreignersH5237 whoH834 are not of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; instead, we will goH5674 onH5674 as farH5704 as GibeahH1390.” 13And he saidH559 to his servantH5288, “ComeH1980, and let’s approachH7126 oneH259 of these placesH4725; and we will spendH3885 theH3885 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 to enterH935 and spendH3885 theH3885 nightH3885 in GibeahH1390. When 19they enteredH935, 20they satH3427 downH3427 in the publicH7339 squareH7339 of the cityH5892, for noH369 oneH376 tookH622 them into his houseH1004 to spendH3885 theH3885 nightH3885.

16Then beholdH2009, an oldH2205 manH376 was comingH935 out of the fieldH7704 from his workH4639 at eveningH6153. Now the manH376 was from 21the hillH2022 countryH2022 of EphraimH669, and he was 22stayingH1481 in GibeahH1390, but the menH376 of the placeH4725 23were BenjaminitesH1145. 17And he raisedH5375 his eyesH5869 and sawH7200 the travelerH376H732 in the publicH7339 squareH7339 of the cityH5892; and the oldH2205 manH376 saidH559, “WhereH575 are you goingH1980, and whereH370 do you comeH935 from?” 18And he 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 24my houseH1004, and noH369 oneH376 will takeH622 me into his houseH1004. 19Yet thereH3426 isH3426 bothH1571 strawH8401 and feedH4554 for our donkeysH2543, and alsoH1571 breadH3899 and wineH3196 for me, and 25your femaleH519 slaveH519, and 26the youngH5288 manH5288 who is with your servantsH5650; thereH369 isH369 noH369 lackH4270 of anythingH3605H1697.” 20Then the oldH2205 manH376 saidH559, “27PeaceH7965 to you. OnlyH7534 let me take care of allH3605 your needsH4270; howeverH7534, do not spendH3885 theH3885 nightH3885 in the publicH7339 squareH7339.” 2128So he tookH935 him into his houseH1004 and fedH1101 the donkeysH2543, and they washedH7364 their feetH7272 and ateH398 and drankH8354.

22While they were 29celebratingH3190H3820, beholdH2009, 30the menH376 of the cityH5892, certainH376 3132worthlessH1100 menH1121, surroundedH5437 the houseH1004, pushingH1849 one another at the doorH1817; and they spokeH559 to the ownerH1167 of the houseH1004, the oldH2205 manH376, sayingH559, “BringH3318 outH3318 the manH376 whoH834 enteredH935 your houseH1004 that we may 33haveH3045 relationsH3045 with him.” 23Then the manH376, the ownerH1167 of the houseH1004, wentH3318 outH3318 to them and saidH559 to them, “NoH408, my brothersH251, pleaseH4994 do not actH7489 so wickedlyH7489. SinceH310H834 thisH2088 manH376 has comeH935 into my houseH1004, 34do not commitH6213 thisH2088 vileH5039 sinH5039. 2435HereH2009 is my virginH1330 daughterH1323 and 36the man’s concubineH6370. PleaseH4994 let me bringH3318 them outH3318, then rapeH6031 them and doH6213 to them 37whatever you wishH2896H5869. But do not commitH6213 thisH2088 actH1697 of vileH5039 sinH5039 against thisH2088 manH376.” 25But the menH376 wouldH14 not listenH8085 to him. So the manH376 seizedH2388 his concubineH6370 and broughtH3318 her outsideH2351 to them; and they 38rapedH3045 her and abusedH5953 her allH3605 nightH3915 untilH5704 morningH1242, then letH7971 her goH7971 at the approachH5927 of dawnH7837. 2639As 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 gotH6965 upH6965 in the morningH1242 and openedH6605 the doorsH1817 of the houseH1004 and wentH3318 outH3318 to goH1980 on his wayH1870, then beholdH2009, his concubineH6370 was lyingH5307 at the doorwayH6607 of the houseH1004 with her handsH3027 on the thresholdH5592. 28And he saidH559 to her, “GetH6965 upH6965 and let’s goH1980,” 40but thereH369 wasH369 noH369 answerH6030. Then he putH3947 her on the donkeyH2543; and the manH376 setH6965 outH6965 and wentH1980 to his 41homeH4725. 29When he enteredH935 his houseH1004, he tookH3947 a knifeH3979 and seizedH2388 his concubineH6370, and 42cutH5408 her in twelveH8147H6240 piecesH5409, limbH6106 by limbH6106. Then he 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 upH5927 from the landH776 of EgyptH4714 to thisH2088 dayH3117. ConsiderH7760 it, 4344makeH5779 aH5779 planH5779, and speakH1696 up!”