Judges 19

1And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

1In those days, when Israel had no king, a man from the tribe of Levi was living in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.

2And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.

2But his concubine was unfaithful to him and left him. She went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, and stayed there for four months.

3And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly unto her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

3Then her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He took his servant and two donkeys with him. She brought him into her father's house, and when the girl's father saw him, he was very happy to meet him.

4And his father-in-law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.

4His father-in-law, the girl's father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained there for three days. They ate, drank, and slept there.

5And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart: and the damsel’s father said unto his son-in-law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward ye shall go your way.

5On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning to leave, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, 'Have a bite of bread to strengthen yourself, and after that you can go.'

6So they sat down, and did eat and drink, both of them together: and the damsel’s father said unto the man, Be pleased, I pray thee, to tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry.

6So the two men sat down and ate and drank together. Then the girl's father said to the man, 'Please stay one more night and enjoy yourself.'

7And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.

7The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law pressured him until he agreed to stay another night.

8And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel’s father said, Strengthen thy heart, I pray thee, and tarry ye until the day declineth; and they did eat, both of them.

8On the fifth day, he got up early in the morning to leave, and the girl's father said, 'Please, eat something first to keep up your strength, and wait until later in the afternoon.' So the two of them ate together.

9And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.

9When the man got up to leave with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law said, 'Look, it’s almost evening. Please stay the night. The day is nearly over; stay here and enjoy yourself. Then you can get up early tomorrow morning and go home.'

10But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus (the same is Jerusalem): and there were with him a couple of asses saddled; his concubine also was with him.

10But the man refused to stay another night. He left and traveled toward Jebus (which is Jerusalem), taking his two saddled donkeys and his concubine with him.

11When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

11By the time they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone. The servant said to his master, 'Come, let’s stop in this city of the Jebusites and spend the night here.'

12And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside into the city of a foreigner, that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah.

12But his master said, 'No, we won’t go into a city belonging to foreigners who are not Israelites. We will continue on to Gibeah.'

13And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

13He told his servant, 'Come, let’s try to reach one of these other places so we can spend the night in either Gibeah or Ramah.'

14So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

14So they kept going, and the sun set just as they were near Gibeah, which belongs to the tribe of Benjamin.

15And they turned aside thither, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.

15They turned off the road to go in and stay in Gibeah. The Levite went and sat in the city square, but no one invited them into their home for the night.

16And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even: now the man was of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.

16Finally, an old man came in from his work in the fields at sunset. He was originally from the hill country of Ephraim but was living in Gibeah, where the local people were from the tribe of Benjamin.

17And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

17When the old man looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, he asked, 'Where are you going, and where do you come from?'

18And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah unto the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim; from thence am I, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am now going to the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that taketh me into his house.

18The Levite answered, 'We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem, and now I am going to the house of the Lord, but no one has taken me into their home.

19Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants: there is no want of anything.

19We have plenty of straw and feed for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, the woman, and the young man with me. We don’t need anything except a place to stay.'

20And the old man said, Peace be unto thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.

20'You are welcome at my place,' the old man said. 'Let me take care of all your needs. Just don’t spend the night in the city square.'

21So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses fodder; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

21So he took them to his house and fed their donkeys. After they washed their feet, they sat down to eat and drink.

22As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house round about, beating at the door; and they spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him.

22While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men from the city surrounded the house. They hammered on the door and shouted to the old man who owned the house, 'Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him!'

23And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this folly.

23The owner of the house went outside and said to them, 'No, my brothers, don’t be so wicked. Since this man is a guest in my house, don’t do such a shameful thing.

24Behold, here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not any such folly.

24Look, here is my virgin daughter and the man's concubine. I will bring them out to you now. Use them and do whatever you want to them, but don’t do such a disgusting thing to this man.'

25But the men would not hearken to him: so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

25But the men wouldn't listen to him. So the Levite grabbed his concubine and pushed her out to them. They raped her and abused her all night long until morning. At dawn, they finally let her go.

26Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light.

26At daybreak, the woman came and collapsed at the door of the house where her husband was staying, and she lay there until it was light.

27And 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 was fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.

27When her husband got up in the morning and opened the door to leave and continue his journey, there was his concubine, fallen at the door of the house with her hands on the doorstep.

28And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going; but none answered: then he took her up upon the ass; and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.

28He said to her, 'Get up; let’s go.' But there was no answer. So he put her body on his donkey and set out for home.

29And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.

29When he got home, he took a knife and cut his concubine's body, limb by limb, into twelve pieces. Then he sent a piece to every region of Israel.

30And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider it, take counsel, and speak.

30Everyone who saw it said, 'Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen since the day the Israelites came out of Egypt. Think about this! Talk it over and tell us what to do!']}