Judges 19

1 In those days Israel had no king.
Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months,3 her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her parents’ home, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.

4 His father-in-law, the woman’s father, prevailed on him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there.
5 On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go.”6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the woman’s father said, “Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself.”7 And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.

8 On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the woman’s father said, “Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!” So the two of them ate together.
9 Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the woman’s father, said, “Now look, it’s almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home.”

10 But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.

11 When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Come, let’s stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night.”
12 His master replied, “No. We won’t go into any city whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.”13 He added, “Come, let’s try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places.”14 So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.

15 There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them in for the night.
16 That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the inhabitants of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields.

17 When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”
18 He answered, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the Lord. No one has taken me in for the night.

19 We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants—me, the woman and the young man with us. We don’t need anything.”
20 “You are welcome at my house,” the old man said. “Let me supply whatever you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.”

21 So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.

22 While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they 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.”
23 The owner of the house went outside and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing.

24 Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.”
25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.

26 At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.
27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.

28 He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then he put her on his donkey and set out for home.
29 When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.

30 Everyone who saw it said, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!”

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!”