Judges 19

Sexual Immorality

1 In those days when Israel didn’t have a king, there was a Levite who lived in a remote area in the mountains of Ephraim. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.t2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went to her father’s home, to Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months,

3 her husband went to persuade her to come back home. He took along his servant and two donkeys.
She took her husband into her father’s house. Her father was thrilled to see him.

4 He made the Levite stay there with him, celebrating for three days.
5 On the fourth day they got up early in the morning to leave, but the woman’s father told his son-in-law, “Eat something to keep up your strength and then you can go.”6 So they both sat down and ate and drank together. The woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Why don’t you spend the night and enjoy yourself?”

7 When the Levite started to leave, his father-in-law urged him to stay another night, so he did.
8 On the morning of the fifth day, the Levite got up early to leave. The woman’s father said, “Eat something to keep up your strength!” So they spent the time eating until late afternoon.9 The Levite started to leave with his concubine and his servant. But his father-in-law said to him, “It’s already evening. Please stay another night. It’s too late to leave now. Stay here, and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can start out early to go home.”

10 But the Levite refused to spend another night.
He left and traveled as far as Jebus (now called Jerusalem). He had with him two saddled donkeys and his concubine.

11 By the time they were near Jebus, it was very late in the day. The Levite’s servant said to him, “Let’s go spend the night in Jebus.”
12 The Levite told him, “We’ll never go into a city of foreigners. They’re not Israelites. We’ll go on to Gibeah.”

13 He told his servant, “Let’s go someplace else. We’ll spend the night either at Gibeah or Ramah.”
14 So they went on. It was sunset by the time they arrived at Gibeah. (Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.)

15 They went to spend the night there. The Levite entered Gibeah and sat down in the city square, because no one offered to take them home for the night.
16 That evening an old man came into the city from his work in the fields. He was from the mountain region of Ephraim but lived in Gibeah. The other people who lived there were from the tribe of Benjamin.

17 He saw the traveler in the city square. So the old man asked, “Where do you come from? And where are you going?”
18 The Levite replied, “We’re on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the mountains of Ephraim. That’s where I’m from. I had gone to Bethlehem in Judah. Now I’m going to the Lord’s house, but no one has offered to take me into his home.

19 We have straw and fodder for our donkeys. I even have bread and wine for myself, the woman, and my servant. We have everything we need.”
20 Then the old man said, “Welcome! Let me take care of your needs. Just don’t spend the night in the city square.”

21 So he took the Levite to his house and fed the donkeys. After they washed, they ate and drank.
22 While they were enjoying themselves, some worthless men from the city surrounded the house and pounded on the door. They told the old man, the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so that we can have sex with him.”23 The owner went out to them. He told them, “No, my friends! Please don’t do anything so evil! This man is a guest in my home. Don’t do such a godless thing!

24 Here, let me bring out my virgin daughter and this man’s concubine. Rape them, and do with them whatever you want. Just don’t do such a godless thing to this man.”
25 But the men refused to listen to him. So the Levite grabbed his concubine and forced her outside. They had sex with her and abused her all night until morning. They let her go when the sun was coming up.

26 At daybreak, the woman came to the door of the house where her husband was and collapsed. She was still there when it became light.
27 Her husband got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and was about to leave. His wife (that is, his concubine) was lying at the door of the house with her hands on the doorstep.

28 The Levite said to her, “Get up! Let’s go!” But she did not answer. So he put her on the donkey and left for home.
29 When he arrived home, he got a knife. He took his concubine and cut her limb from limb into 12 pieces. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territories of Israel.30 Everyone who saw it said, “Never has such a thing happened or been seen from the time the people of Israel came out of Egypt until today. Think about it! Form a plan, and speak out!”

Judges 19

Sodom and Gomorrah Revisited

1 In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levitet living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubines from Bethlehems in Judah.2 However, shet got angry at himt and went homet to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months,3 her husband camet after her, hoping he could convince her to return.t He brought with him his servantt and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly.t4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there.5 On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave.t But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy,t then you can go.”6 So the two of them sat down and had a meal together.t Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Why not stay another night and have a good time!”t7 When the man got ready to leave,t his father-in-law convinced him to stay another night.t8 He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl’s father said, “Get some energy.t Wait until later in the day to leave!”t So they ate a meal together.9 When the man got ready to leavet with his concubine and his servant,t his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! The day is almost over!t Stay another night! Since the day is over,t stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.”t

10 But the man did not want to stay another night. He leftt and traveled as far ast Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).s He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.s
11 When they got near Jebus, it was getting quite latet and the servantt said to his master, “Come on, let’s stop att this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.”12 But his master said to him, “We should not stop at a foreign city where non-Israelites live.t We will travel on to Gibeah.”13 He said to his servant,t “Come on, we will go into one of the other townst and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”14 So they traveled on,t and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.t

15 They stopped there and decided to spend the nightt in Gibeah. They came into the city and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them to spend the night.t
16 But then an old man passed by, returning at the end of the day from his work in the field.t The man was from the Ephraimite hill country; he was living temporarily in Gibeah. (The residents of the town were Benjaminites.)t17 When he looked up and saw the travelert in the town square, the old man said, “Where are you heading? Where do you come from?”18 The Levitet said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehems in Judah to the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. That’s where I’m from. I had business in Bethlehem in Judah, but now I’m heading home.t But no one has invited me into their home.19 We have enough straw and grain for our donkeys, and there is enough food and wine for me, your female servant,t and the young man who is with your servants.s We lack nothing.”20 The old man said, “Everything is just fine!t I will take care of all your needs. But don’t spend the night in the town square.”

21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet and had a meal.t
22 They were having a good time,t when suddenlyt some men of the city, some good-for-nothings,t surrounded the house and kept beatingt on the door. They said to the old man who owned the house, “Send out the man who came to visit you so we can have sex with him.”t23 The man who owned the house went outside and said to them, “No, my brothers! Don’t do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Don’t do such a disgraceful thing!24 Here are my virgin daughter and my guest’st concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do to them whatever you like.t But don’t do such a disgraceful thing to this man!”25 The men refused to listen to him, so the Levitet grabbed his concubine and made her go outside.t They rapedt her and abused her all night long until morning. They let her go at dawn.26 The woman arrived back at daybreak and was sprawled out on the doorstep of the house where her mastert was staying until it became light.t27 When her mastert got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went outside to start on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, sprawled out on the doorstep of the house with her hands on the threshold.28 He said to her, “Get up, let’s leave!” But there was no response. He put her on the donkey and went home.t29 When he got home, he took a knife, grabbed his concubine, and carved her up into twelve pieces.t Then he sent the pieces throughout Israel.t

30 Everyone who saw the sightt said, “Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time sincet the Israelites left the land of Egypt!s Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!”