19IN THOSE days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living temporarily in the most remote part of the hill district of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine [of inferior status than a wife] from Bethlehem in Judah.H3117H4428H3478H376H3881H1481H3411H2022H669H3947H802H6370H1035H30632And his concubine was untrue to him and went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem of Judah and stayed there the space of four months.H6370H2181H3212H1H1004H1035H3063H702H2320H31173Then her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her [to her heart] and to bring her back, having with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house, and when her father saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.H376H6965H3212H310H1696H3820H7725H5288H6776H2543H935H1H1004H1H5291H7200H8055H71254And his father-in-law, the girl's father, [insistently] detained him, and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank, and he lodged there.H2859H5291H1H2388H3427H7969H3117H398H8354H38855On the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and the [Levite] prepared to leave, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread and afterward go your way.H7243H3117H7925H1242H6965H3212H5291H1H559H2860H5582H3820H6595H3899H310H32126So both men sat down and ate and drank together, and the girl's father said to the man, Consent to stay all night and let your heart be merry.H3427H398H8354H8147H3162H5291H1H559H376H2974H3885H3820H31907And when the man rose up to depart, his father-in-law urged him; so he lodged there again.H376H6965H3212H2859H6484H3885H77258And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, but the girl's father said, Strengthen your heart and tarry until toward evening. So they ate, both of them.H7925H1242H2549H3117H3212H5291H1H559H5582H3824H4102H3117H5186H398H81479And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, Behold, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you stay all night. Behold, now the day grows to an end, lodge here and let your heart be merry, and tomorrow get early on your way and go home.H376H6965H3212H6370H5288H2859H5291H1H559H3117H7503H6150H3885H3117H2583H3885H3824H3190H4279H7925H1870H1980H16810But the man would not stay that night; so he rose up and departed and came opposite to Jebus, which is Jerusalem. With him were two saddled donkeys [and his servant] and his concubine.H376H14H3885H6965H3212H935H5227H2982H3389H6776H2543H2280H637011When they were near Jebus, it was late, and the servant said to his master, Come I pray, and let us turn into this Jebusite city and lodge in it.H2982H3117H3966H7286H5288H559H113H3212H5493H5892H2983H388512His master said to him, We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.H113H559H5493H5892H5237H1121H3478H5674H139013And he said to his servant, Come and let us go to one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.H559H5288H3212H7126H259H4725H3885H1390H741414So they passed on and went their way, and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin,H5674H3212H8121H935H681H1390H114415And they turned aside there to go in and lodge at Gibeah. And the Levite went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for no man took them into his house to spend the night.H5493H935H3885H1390H935H3427H7339H5892H376H622H1004H388516And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening. He was from the hill country of Ephraim but was living temporarily in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites.H935H2205H376H4639H7704H6153H376H2022H669H1481H1390H582H4725H114517And when he looked up, he saw the wayfarer in the city square, and the old man said, Where are you going? And from where did you come?H5375H5869H7200H732H376H7339H5892H2205H376H559H3212H370H93518The Levite replied, We are passing from Bethlehem of Judah to the rear side of the hill country of Ephraim; I am from there. I went to Bethlehem of Judah, but I am [now] going [home] to the house of the Lord [where I serve], and there is no man who receives me into his house.H559H5674H1035H3063H3411H2022H669H3212H1035H3063H1980H1004H3068H376H622H100419Yet we have both straw and provender for our donkeys and bread and wine also for me, your handmaid, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.H3426H8401H4554H2543H3899H3196H519H5288H5650H4270H169720And the old man said, Peace be to you, but leave all your wants to me; only do not lodge in the street.H2205H376H559H7965H7535H4270H3885H733921So he brought him into his house and gave provender to the donkeys. And the guests washed their feet and ate and drank.H935H1004H1101H2543H7364H7272H398H835422Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, beset the house round about, beat on the door, and said to the master of the house, the old man, Bring forth the man who came to your house, that we may have intercourse with him.H3820H3190H582H5892H582H1121H1100H5437H1004H5437H1849H1817H559H1167H1004H2205H376H559H3318H376H935H1004H304523And the man, the master of the house, went out and said to them, No, my kinsmen, I pray you, do not act so wickedly; seeing that this man is my guest, do not do this [wicked] folly.H376H1167H1004H3318H559H408H251H7489H310H376H935H1004H6213H503924Behold, here are my virgin daughter and this man's concubine; them I will bring out now; debase them and do with them what seems good to you, but to this man do not so vile a thing.H1323H1330H6370H3318H6031H6213H5869H2896H376H6213H2063H5039H169725But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and forced her forth to them, and they had intercourse with her and abused her all the night until morning. And when the dawn began to break, they let her go.H582H14H8085H376H2388H6370H3318H2351H3045H5953H3915H1242H7837H5927H797126At daybreak the woman came and fell down and lay at the door of the man's house where her master was, till it was light.H935H802H6437H1242H5307H6607H376H1004H113H21627And her master rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way; and behold, his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.H113H6965H1242H6605H1817H1004H3318H3212H1870H802H6370H5307H6607H1004H3027H559228And he said to her, Up, and let us be going. But there was no answer [for she was dead]. Then he put her [body] upon the donkey, and the man rose up and went home.H559H6965H3212H6030H376H3947H2543H376H6965H3212H472529And when he came into his house, he took a knife, and took hold of his dead concubine and divided her [body] limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent her [body] throughout all the territory of Israel.H935H1004H3947H3979H2388H6370H5408H6106H8147H6240H5409H7971H1366H347830And all who saw it said, There was no such deed done or seen from the day that the Israelites came up out of the land of Egypt to this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak [your minds].H1961H7200H559H2063H7200H3117H1121H3478H5927H776H4714H3117H7760H5779H1696
Dublin, OH
