1
And it was, in those◦ days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a man◦, a Levite, sojourning on the flanks of Mount Ephraim, who took to him a woman, a concubine, out of Bethlehem of Judah.
2
And his concubine committed··harlotry against him, and went from◦ him to▵ the house of her father, to▵ Bethlehem of Judah, and she was there the days of four months.
3
And her husband◦ arose, and went after her, to speak unto her heart, to turn· her ·back, and his lad was with him, and a pair of donkeys; and she brought him into the house of her father: and the father of the damsel saw him and was··glad to meet him.
4
And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, held· him ·firmly, and he dwelt with◦ him three days; and they did eat and drink, and passed··the··night there.
5
And it was, on the fourth day, that they got··up··early in the morning, and he arose to go, and the father of the damsel said to▵ his son-in-law, Sustain◦ thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards go.
6
And they sat and did eat, the two of them, and they drank, and the father of the damsel said unto▵ the man◦, Be··content, I pray◦ thee, and pass··the··night, and let thy heart be··well.
7
And the man◦ arose to go, and his father-in-law urged him, and he returned and lodged there.
8
And he got··up··early on◦ the morning of the fifth day to go; and the father of the damsel said, Sustain◦ thy heart, I pray◦ thee, and they lingered until the day stretched··out; and the two of them did eat.
9
And the man◦ arose to go, he◦ and his concubine and his lad. And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, said to him, Behold, now◦, the day slackens to evening. Pass··the··night, I pray◦ thee. Behold, the day encamps. Pass··the··night here, and let thy heart be··good; and tomorrow get· on your way ·early, and go◦ to thy tent.
10
But the man◦ was· not ·willing to pass··the··night, and rose··up and went and came opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and with him were the pair of donkeys saddled; and his concubine was with him.
11
When they◦ were by Jebus, the day had gone··down exceedingly, and the lad said unto▵ his lord, Come, I pray◦ thee, and let us turn··aside to▵ this city of the Jebusite, and pass··the··night in her.
12
And his lord said to▵ him, We will not turn··aside to▵ a foreign city, that is not of the sons of Israel; but will pass··on until Gibeah.
13
And he said unto his lad, Come, and let us come··near to one of the places, and let us pass··the··night in Gibeah or in Ramah.
14
And they passed··by and went; and the sun went··in* for them beside Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15
And they turned··aside there to come··in to lodge in Gibeah; and he came··in and sat in the avenue of the city; and no man◦ gathered them in to◦ his house to lodge.
16
And, behold, an old man◦ came from his work◦, from the field, in the evening; and the man◦ was from Mount Ephraim; and he◦ sojourned in Gibeah; but the men◦ of the place were Benjaminites.
17
And he lifted··up his eyes and saw the traveling man◦ in the avenue of the city; and the old man◦ said, Whither▵ goest thou? And whence◦ comest thou?
18
And he said unto▵ him, We◦ are passing from Bethlehem of Judah toward the flanks of Mount Ephraim; from thence am I▵; and I went to Bethlehem of Judah; and I◦ am going◦ to the house of Jehovah, and no man◦ gathers me to his house.
19
And there··is both◦ straw and◦ fodder for our donkeys; and there··is also bread and wine for me and for thy maidservant, and for the lad with thy servants; there is no want of anything.
20
And the old man◦ said, Peace be to thee; only let all thy wants be upon me; only pass· not ·the··night on the avenue.
21
And he brought them into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys; and they bathed their feet, and did eat and drink.
22
They◦ were making their hearts good, and behold the men◦ of the city, men◦ of the sons of Belial, surrounded the house, pushed··on the door, and said to▵ the man◦, the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring··out the man◦ that came to▵ thy house, and we will know him.
23
And the man◦, the master of the house, went··out unto▵ them, and said unto▵ them, No, my brothers, I pray◦ you, do· not ·evil; after this man◦ is come into▵ my house, do not do this folly.
24
Behold my daughter, the virgin, and his concubine; them will I bring··out now◦, and afflict ye them, and do to them what is good in your eyes; but unto this man◦ do not do this thing of folly.
25
But the men◦ were· not ·willing to hearken to him; and the man◦ took hold· of his concubine ·firmly, and brought· her ·forth unto▵ them on the street; and they knew her and abused her all the night, until the morning; and in the coming··up of the dawn they sent· her ·away.
26
And the woman came at the turning◦ of the morning, and fell down at the entrance of the house of the man◦, where▵ her lord was, until it was light.
27
And her lord rose··up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went··out to go his way; and behold, the woman, his concubine had fallen at the entrance of the house, and her hands were over the doorway.
28
And he said to▵ her, Arise, and let us go; but none answered. And he took her on the donkey, and the man◦ arose and went to his place.
29
And he came to▵ his house, and he took a knife, and firmly··held his concubine, and sectioned her according to her bones in twelve sections, and sent her into every border of Israel.
30
And it was, that all who saw it said, There has not been such, nor has such been seen as this from the day that the sons of Israel came··up from the land of Egypt until this day. Set yourselves upon it, take··counsel and speak.
