Judges 19
19Now it happened in those days, before there was a king in Israel, that a certain Levite man, who lived in a remote part of the mountainous region of Ephraim, took a mistress for himself from Bethlehem in the territory of Judah.H3117H4428H3478H376H3881H1481H3411H2022H669H3947H802H6370H1035H30632But his mistress was sexually unfaithful to him, and then she left him to live in her father's home in Bethlehem in the territory of Judah. She had been living there for a period of about four monthsH6370H2181H3212H1H1004H1035H3063H702H2320H31173when her husband got up and went after her, intending to speak lovingly to her in order to win her back. He took with him his young man servant and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father's house to see him, her father was happy to have met him.H376H6965H3212H310H1696H3820H7725H5288H6776H2543H935H1H1004H1H5291H7200H8055H71254The young woman's father (that is, his father-in-law) made him stay there for three days while they ate and drank during his visit there.H2859H5291H1H2388H3427H7969H3117H398H8354H38855On the fourth day, they got up early that morning, and the Levite got ready to leave. Then the young woman's father-in-law said to him, "Fortify yourself by eating some food before you go."H7243H3117H7925H1242H6965H3212H5291H1H559H2860H5582H3820H6595H3899H310H32126So both of them sat down for a bit, ate and drank together, and the young woman's father invited the man, "Please, enjoy yourself and spend another night."H3427H398H8354H8147H3162H5291H1H559H376H2974H3885H3820H31907The man got up, intending to leave, but his father-in-law urged him to spend the night there again.H376H6965H3212H2859H6484H3885H77258On the fifth day, he got up early in the morning, but the young woman's father-in-law said to him, "Please, fortify yourself," so they delayed until later that afternoon while both of them ate together.H7925H1242H2549H3117H3212H5291H1H559H5582H3824H4102H3117H5186H398H81479When the man got up to leave with his mistress and servant, his father-in-law, the young woman's father, said to him, "Look now, evening is coming, so please spend another night. See how the daylight is fading, so spend the night here and enjoy yourself. Then tomorrow get up early and leave on your journey home."H376H6965H3212H6370H5288H2859H5291H1H559H3117H7503H6150H3885H3117H2583H3885H3824H3190H4279H7925H1870H1980H16810Because the man was unwilling to spend the night, he got up, left, and arrived opposite Jebus (now known as Jerusalem). He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys, along with his mistress.H376H14H3885H6965H3212H935H5227H2982H3389H6776H2543H2280H637011As they approached Jebus, the daylight was almost gone, so the servant suggested to his master, "Come on, let's spend the night in this Jebusite city."H2982H3117H3966H7286H5288H559H113H3212H5493H5892H2983H388512But his master replied, "We're not going to turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not part of the Israelites. Instead, we'll go on to Gibeah."H113H559H5493H5892H5237H1121H3478H5674H139013He also told his servant, "Come on, let's go to one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah."H559H5288H3212H7126H259H4725H3885H1390H741414So they continued on their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah, which is part of Benjamin's territorial allotment.H5674H3212H8121H935H681H1390H114415They turned aside there, intending to enter Gibeah and spend the night. After they entered the city, they had to sit down in the public square because no one would take them into their home for the night.H5493H935H3885H1390H935H3427H7339H5892H376H622H1004H388516Just then, an old man was coming out of the fields that evening from work. The man was from the mountainous region of Ephraim and had been staying in Gibeah, even though the men of that place were Benjaminites.H935H2205H376H4639H7704H6153H376H2022H669H1481H1390H582H4725H114517As the old man looked up and saw the traveling man in the public square of the city, he asked, "Now then, where are you headed?And where are you from?"H5375H5869H7200H732H376H7339H5892H2205H376H559H3212H370H93518He replied, "We're traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the mountainous region of Ephraim, because I'm from there, and I've been visiting Bethlehem in Judah. I'm going home now, but no one will take me into his home.H559H5674H1035H3063H3411H2022H669H3212H1035H3063H1980H1004H3068H376H622H100419Meanwhile, we also have straw and fodder for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me, for this young woman servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. We don't need anything else."18H3426H8401H4554H2543H3899H3196H519H5288H5650H4270H169720The old man replied, "Don't be alarmed. I'll take care of all your needs. Just don't spend the night in the public square."H2205H376H559H7965H7535H4270H3885H733921So he took him into his home and fed the donkeys while they refreshed themselves and had dinner."H935H1004H1101H2543H7364H7272H398H835422While they were enjoying themselves, all of a sudden certain ungodly men who lived in the city surrounded the house, pounded on the door, and ordered the old man who owned the home, "Bring out the man who came to visit your home so we can have sex with him."19H3820H3190H582H5892H582H1121H1100H5437H1004H5437H1849H1817H559H1167H1004H2205H376H559H3318H376H935H1004H304523The man who owned the house went out to talk to them and pleaded with them, "No, my brothers, please don't act so wickedly. This man is my guest! Don't try to do this stupid thing.H376H1167H1004H3318H559H408H251H7489H310H376H935H1004H6213H503924Instead, here's my virgin daughter and my visitor's mistress. Please let me bring them out to you. Occupy yourselves with them, and do to them whatever you would like. But don't commit such a stupid thing against this man."1923H1323H1330H6370H3318H6031H6213H5869H2896H376H6213H2063H5039H169725But the men were unwilling to listen to him. So the Levite grabbed his mistress, took her out to them, and they raped and tortured her all night until morning. Then they released her as the first daylight was beginning to appear.H582H14H8085H376H2388H6370H3318H2351H3045H5953H3915H1242H7837H5927H797126As dawn was breaking, the woman approached the door of the man's home where her master was and collapsed. Eventually, full daylight came.H935H802H6437H1242H5307H6607H376H1004H113H21627When her master got up that morning and opened the doors of the house to leave on his way, there was his mistress, fallen dead at the door of the house with her hands grasping the threshold.H113H6965H1242H6605H1817H1004H3318H3212H1870H802H6370H5307H6607H1004H3027H559228He spoke to her, "Get up, and let's go." But there was no response. So he placed her on the donkey, mounted his own animal, and went home.H559H6965H3212H6030H376H3947H2543H376H6965H3212H472529When he arrived home, he grabbed a knife, took hold of his mistress, cut her apart limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her remains throughout the land of Israel.H935H1004H3947H3979H2388H6370H5408H6106H8147H6240H5409H7971H1366H347830All the witnesses said, "Nothing has happened or has been seen like this from the day the Israelites came here from the land of Egypt to this day! Think about it, get some advice about it, and then speak up about it!"H1961H7200H559H2063H7200H3117H1121H3478H5927H776H4714H3117H7760H5779H1696
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