Judges 19
The Levite and His
Concubine |
1 |
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite
sojourning on the side of mount E'phra-im, who took to him a
concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.
|
2 |
And his concubine played the whore
against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to
Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months.
|
3 |
And her husband arose, and went after
her, to speak friendly unto her, and 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.
|
4 |
And 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.
|
5 |
And it came to pass on the fourth day,
when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and
the damsel's father said unto his son-in-law, Comfort thine heart
with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.
|
6 |
And they sat down, and did eat and drink
both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the
man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine
heart be merry.
|
7 |
And when the man rose up to depart, his
father-in-law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
|
8 |
And he arose early in the morning on the
fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine
heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did
eat both of them.
|
9 |
And 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 thine heart may be merry; and tomorrow get you early on
your way, that thou mayest go home.
|
10 |
But the man would not tarry that night,
but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses
saddled, his concubine also was with him.
|
11 |
And when they were by
Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master,
Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the
Jeb'usites, and lodge in it.
|
12 |
And his master said unto him, We will not
turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of
the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gib'e-ah.
|
13 |
And he said unto his servant, Come, and
let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in
Gib'e-ah, or in Ramah.
|
14 |
And they passed on and went their way;
and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gib'e-ah,
which belongeth to Benjamin.
|
15 |
And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gib'e-ah: and when he went in, he sat him
down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took
them into his house to lodging.
|
16 |
And, behold, there came an old man from
his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount
E'phra-im; and he sojourned in Gib'e-ah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
|
17 |
And when he had lifted up his eyes, he
saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said,
Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
|
18 |
And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount E'phra-im;
from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am
now going to the house of the LORD; and
there is no man that receiveth me to house.
|
19 |
Yet 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 which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
|
20 |
And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever, let all thy wants lie upon me;
only lodge not in the street.
|
21 |
So he brought him into his house, and
gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did
eat and drink.
|
22 |
Now as they were making their
hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Be'li-al,
beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake
to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man
that came into thine house, that we may know him.
|
23 |
And the man, the master of the house,
went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this
man is come into mine house, do not this folly.
|
24 |
Behold, here is my daughter a
maiden, 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 so vile a thing.
|
25 |
But the men would not hearken to him: so
the man took 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.
|
26 |
Then 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.
|
27 |
And 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, and her hands were upon the
threshold.
|
28 |
And he said unto her, Up, and let us be
going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an
ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.
|
29 |
And when he was come into his house, he
took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her
into all the coasts of Israel.
|
30 |
And 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
of it, take advice, and speak your
minds.
|
|