Now it came about in those days, when ^athere was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite ¹staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine ¹found him repugnant, and she left him and went to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and remained there for a period of four months. 3 Then her husband set out and went after her to ^aspeak ¹gently to her in order to bring her back, ²taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he was glad to meet him. 4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, prevailed upon him, and he remained with him for three days. So they ate and drank and stayed there. 5 Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and he ¹prepared to go; but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “^aStrengthen ²yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go.” 6 So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Please ¹be so kind as to spend the night, and ^alet your heart be cheerful.” 7 However, the man got up to go; but his father-in-law urged him, and he spent the night there again. 8 Now on the fifth day he got up to go early in the morning, but the girl’s father said, “Please strengthen ¹yourself, and wait until ²late afternoon”; so both of them ate. 9 When the man got up to go, along with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold now, the day has drawn ¹to a close; please spend the night. Behold, the day is ²coming to an end; spend the night here so that your heart may be cheerful. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey and go ³home.”

10 But the man was unwilling to spend the night, so he got up and left, and came to a place opposite ^aJebus (that is, Jerusalem). And with him was a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine also was with him. 11 When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone; and ^athe servant said to his master, “Please come, and let’s turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.” 12 However, his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; instead, we will go on as far as Gibeah.” 13 And he said to his servant, “Come, and let’s approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin. 15 They turned aside there to enter and spend the night in Gibeah. When ¹they entered, ²they sat down in the public square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night.

16 Then behold, an old man was coming out of the field from his work at evening. Now the man was from ^athe hill country of Ephraim, and he was ¹staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place ^bwere Benjaminites. 17 And he raised his eyes and saw the traveler in the public square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?” 18 And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, for I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. But I am now going to ¹my house, and no one will take me into his house. 19 Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, and ¹your female slave, and ^athe young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.” 20 Then the old man said, “^aPeace to you. Only let me take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the public square.” 21 ^aSo he took him into his house and fed the donkeys, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 While they were ¹celebrating, behold, ^athe men of the city, certain ^2bworthless men, surrounded the house, pushing one another at the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house that we may ³have relations with him.” 23 Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not act so wickedly. Since this man has come into my house, ^ado not commit this vile sin. 24 ^aHere is my virgin daughter and ¹the man’s concubine. Please let me bring them out, then rape them and do to them ²whatever you wish. But do not commit this act of vile sin against this man.” 25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her outside to them; and they ¹raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn. 26 ¹As the day began to dawn, the woman came and fell down at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was, until full daylight.

27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, then behold, his concubine was lying at the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 And he said to her, “Get up and let’s go,” ^abut there was no answer. Then he put her on the donkey; and the man set out and went to his ¹home. 29 When he entered his house, he took a knife and seized his concubine, and ^acut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb. Then he sent her throughout the territory of Israel. 30 All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, ^1amake a plan, and speak up!”

Now it happened in those days, when ^athere was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine played the harlot against him, and she went away from him to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah and was there for a period of four months. 3 Then her husband arose and went after her to ^aspeak to her heart in order to bring her back, and his young man was with him as well as a pair of donkeys. So she brought him into her father’s house, and the girl’s father saw him and was glad to meet him. 4 And his father-in-law, the girl’s father, prevailed upon him; and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and spent the night there. 5 Now it happened on the fourth day that they got up early in the morning, and he arose to go; and the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “^aSustain ¹yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go.” 6 So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Please be willing to spend the night, and ^alet your heart be merry.” 7 Then the man arose to go, but his father-in-law pressed him so that he turned back and spent the night there. 8 And on the fifth day he arose to go early in the morning, and the girl’s father said, “Please sustain ¹yourself and wait until ²afternoon”; so both of them ate. 9 Then the man arose to go along with his concubine and young man, and his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold now, the day has drawn ¹to a close; please spend the night. Behold, the day is ²coming to an end; spend the night here that your heart may be merry. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey so that you may go to your tent.”

10 But the man was not willing to spend the night, so he arose and went and came to a place before ^aJebus (that is, Jerusalem). And there were with him a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine also was with him. 11 They were alongside of Jebus, and the day was almost gone. And ^athe young man said to his master, “Come, please, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.” 12 However, his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; but we will pass on by until Gibeah.” 13 Then he said to his young man, “Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin. 15 Then they turned aside there in order to enter and to spend the night in Gibeah. So ¹they entered and sat down in the open square of the city. Now no one was taking them into his house to spend the night.

16 But behold, an old man was coming from his work, from the field, at evening. Now the man was from ^athe hill country of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibeah, but the men of the place ^bwere Benjamites. 17 And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?” 18 And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. But I am now going to ¹the house of Yahweh, and no man is taking me into his house. 19 Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, ¹your maidservant, and ^athe young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.” 20 Then the old man said, “^aPeace be to you. Only let me take care of all that you lack; however, do not spend the night in the open square.” 21 ^aSo he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 They were making their hearts merry, and behold, ^athe men of the city, certain ^1bvile fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house that we may ²know him.” 23 Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not do evil. Since this man has come into my house, ^ado not commit this disgraceful act. 24 ^aBehold, my daughter who is a virgin, and his concubine—please let me bring them out that you may violate them and do to them whatever is good in your eyes. But do not commit such a disgraceful act against this man.” 25 But the men were not willing to listen to him. So the man took hold of his concubine and brought her out to them; and they knew her and abused her all night until morning, and they let her go at the ¹breaking of dawn. 26 ¹As the day began to dawn, the woman came and fell down at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was, until full daylight.

27 Then her master arose in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, and behold, the woman, his concubine, was lying at the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 And he said to her, “Get up and let us go,” ^abut there was no answer. Then he took her on the donkey; and the man arose and went to his ¹home. 29 Then he entered his house and took a knife and took hold of his concubine and ^acut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel. 30 And all who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it; ^atake counsel and speak up!”

Now it happened in those days, when ^athere was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite living as an alien in the most remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a ¹concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine was unfaithful to him, and left him and went to her father’s house in Bethlehem of Judah, and stayed there for a period of four months. 3 Then her husband arose and went after her to ^aspeak kindly and tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him into her father’s house, and when the father of the girl saw him, he was happy to meet him. 4 So his father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him; and he stayed there with him for three days. So they ate and drank, and he lodged there. 5 On the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and the Levite prepared to leave; but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “^aStrengthen yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward go your way.” 6 So both men sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Please be willing to spend the night and ^aenjoy yourself.” 7 Then the man got up to leave, but his father-in-law urged him strongly to remain; so he spent the night there again. 8 On the fifth day he got up early in the morning to leave, but the girl’s father said, “Please strengthen yourself, and wait until the end of the day.” So both of them ate. 9 When the man and his concubine and his servant got up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold, now the day has drawn to a close; please spend the night. Look, now the day comes to an end; spend the night here and celebrate, enjoy yourself. Then tomorrow you may get up early for your journey and go ¹home.”

10 But the man was not willing to stay the night; so he got up and left and came to a place opposite ^aJebus (that is Jerusalem). With him were two saddled donkeys and his servant and his concubine. 11 When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone, and ^athe servant said to his master, “Please come and let us turn aside into this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.” 12 But his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not of the sons (descendants) of Israel. We will go on as far as Gibeah.” 13 And he said to his servant, “Come and let us approach one of these places: and we will spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.” 14 So they passed by and went on their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah, which belongs to the tribe of Benjamin, 15 and they turned aside there to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. And the Levite went in and sat down in the open square of the city, because no man invited them into his house to spend the night.

16 Then behold, there was an old man who was coming out of the field from his work at evening. He was from ^athe hill country of Ephraim but was staying in Gibeah, and the men of the place ^bwere sons (descendants) of Benjamin. 17 When he looked up, he saw the traveler and his companions in the city square; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?” 18 The Levite replied, “We are passing through from Bethlehem in the territory of Judah to the most remote part of the hill country of Ephraim; I am from there. I went to Bethlehem of Judah, but I am now going home to my house, and there is no man in the city who will take me into his house for the night. 19 Yet we have both straw and feed for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, and for ¹your handmaid, and for ^athe young man who is with your servant; there is no lack of anything.” 20 Then the old man said, “^aPeace be to you. Only leave all your needs to me; and do not spend the night in the open square.” 21 ^aSo he brought him into his house and fed the donkeys; and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 While they were ¹celebrating, behold, ^amen of the city, certain ^bworthless and evil men, surrounded the house, pounding on the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house so that we may have relations with him.” 23 Then the man, the master of the house, went out and said to them, “No, my fellow citizens, please do not act so wickedly. Since this man has come to my house as my guest, ^ado not commit this sacrilege. 24 ^aHere is my virgin daughter and this man’s concubine. I will bring them out now; abuse and humiliate them and do to them ¹whatever you want, but do not commit this act of ²sacrilege against this man.” 25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took the Levite’s concubine and brought her outside to them; and they had relations with her and abused her all night until morning; and when daybreak came, they let her go. 26 ¹At daybreak the woman came and collapsed at the door of the man’s house where her master was, until it was fully light.

27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, he saw his concubine lying at the door of the house, and her hands were on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, and let us go.” ^aBut there was no answer for she had died. Then he put her body on the donkey; and the man left and went home. 29 When he arrived at his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his dead concubine, he ^acut her corpse limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her body parts throughout all the territory of Israel. 30 All who saw the dismembered parts said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day that the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, ^atake counsel, and speak your minds!”