Judges 19

The Levite and His Concubine

19Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.H3117H4428H3478H376H3881H1481H3411H2022H669H3947H802H6370H1035H30632But she became angry with him

and returned to her father's home in Bethlehem. After about four months,H6370H2181H3212H1H1004H1035H3063H702H2320H31173her husband set out for Bethlehem to speak personally to her and persuade her to come back. He took with him a servant and a pair of donkeys. When he arrived at

her father's house, her father saw him and welcomed him.H376H6965H3212H310H1696H3820H7725H5288H6776H2543H935H1H1004H1H5291H7200H8055H71254Her father urged him to stay awhile, so he stayed three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.H2859H5291H1H2388H3427H7969H3117H398H8354H38855On the fourth day the man was up early, ready to leave, but the woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Have something to eat before you go."H7243H3117H7925H1242H6965H3212H5291H1H559H2860H5582H3820H6595H3899H310H32126So the two men sat down together and had something to eat and drink. Then the woman's father said, "Please stay another night and enjoy yourself."H3427H398H8354H8147H3162H5291H1H559H376H2974H3885H3820H31907The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law kept urging him to stay, so he finally gave in and stayed the night.H376H6965H3212H2859H6484H3885H77258On the morning of the fifth day he was up early again, ready to leave, and again the woman's father said, "Have something to eat; then you can leave later this afternoon." So they had another day of feasting.H7925H1242H2549H3117H3212H5291H1H559H5582H3824H4102H3117H5186H398H81479Later, as the man and his concubine and servant were preparing to leave, his father-in-law said, "Look, it's almost evening. Stay the night and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can get up early and be on your way."H376H6965H3212H6370H5288H2859H5291H1H559H3117H7503H6150H3885H3117H2583H3885H3824H3190H4279H7925H1870H1980H16810But this time the man was determined to leave. So he took his two saddled donkeys and his concubine and headed in the direction of Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).H376H14H3885H6965H3212H935H5227H2982H3389H6776H2543H2280H637011It was late in the day when they neared Jebus, and the man's servant said to him, "Let's stop at this Jebusite town and spend the night there."H2982H3117H3966H7286H5288H559H113H3212H5493H5892H2983H388512"No," his master said, "we can't stay in this foreign town where there are no Israelites. Instead, we will go on to Gibeah.H113H559H5493H5892H5237H1121H3478H5674H139013Come on, let's try to get as far as Gibeah or Ramah, and we'll spend the night in one of those towns."H559H5288H3212H7126H259H4725H3885H1390H741414So they went on. The sun was setting as they came to Gibeah, a town in the land of Benjamin,H5674H3212H8121H935H681H1390H114415so they stopped there to spend the night. They rested in the town square, but no one took them in for the night.H5493H935H3885H1390H935H3427H7339H5892H376H622H1004H388516That evening an old man came home from his work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was living in Gibeah, where the people were from the tribe of Benjamin.H935H2205H376H4639H7704H6153H376H2022H669H1481H1390H582H4725H114517When he saw the travelers sitting in the town square, he asked them where they were from and where they were going.H5375H5869H7200H732H376H7339H5892H2205H376H559H3212H370H93518"We have been in Bethlehem in Judah," the man replied. "We are on our way to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim, which is my home. I traveled to Bethlehem, and now I'm returning home

. But no one has taken us in for the night,H559H5674H1035H3063H3411H2022H669H3212H1035H3063H1980H1004H3068H376H622H100419even though we have everything we need. We have straw and feed for our donkeys and plenty of bread and wine for ourselves."H3426H8401H4554H2543H3899H3196H519H5288H5650H4270H169720"You are welcome to stay with me," the old man said. "I will give you anything you might need. But whatever you do, don't spend the night in the square."H2205H376H559H7965H7535H4270H3885H733921So he took them home with him and fed the donkeys. After they washed their feet, they ate and drank together.H935H1004H1101H2543H7364H7272H398H835422While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, "Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him."H3820H3190H582H5892H582H1121H1100H5437H1004H5437H1849H1817H559H1167H1004H2205H376H559H3318H376H935H1004H304523The old man stepped outside to talk to them. "No, my brothers, don't do such an evil thing. For this man is a guest in my house, and such a thing would be shameful.H376H1167H1004H3318H559H408H251H7489H310H376H935H1004H6213H503924Here, take my virgin daughter and this man's concubine. I will bring them out to you, and you can abuse them and do whatever you like. But don't do such a shameful thing to this man."H1323H1330H6370H3318H6031H6213H5869H2896H376H6213H2063H5039H169725But they wouldn't listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and pushed her out the door. The men of the town abused her all night, taking turns raping her until morning. Finally, at dawn they let her go.H582H14H8085H376H2388H6370H3318H2351H3045H5953H3915H1242H7837H5927H797126At daybreak the woman returned to the house where her husband was staying. She collapsed at the door of the house and lay there until it was light.H935H802H6437H1242H5307H6607H376H1004H113H21627When her husband opened the door to leave, there lay his concubine with her hands on the threshold.H113H6965H1242H6605H1817H1004H3318H3212H1870H802H6370H5307H6607H1004H3027H559228He said, "Get up! Let's go!" But there was no answer

. So he put her body on his donkey and took her home.H559H6965H3212H6030H376H3947H2543H376H6965H3212H472529When he got home, he took a knife and cut his concubine's body into twelve pieces. Then he sent one piece to each tribe throughout all the territory of Israel.H935H1004H3947H3979H2388H6370H5408H6106H8147H6240H5409H7971H1366H347830Everyone who saw it said, "Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who's going to speak up?"H1961H7200H559H2063H7200H3117H1121H3478H5927H776H4714H3117H7760H5779H1696