Judges 19
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 Ephraim, who
took to him a
concubine out of
Bethlehemjudah.
2 And his
concubine played the
whore against him, and went
away from him unto her
father's house to
Bethlehemjudah, 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 to
morrow 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
Jebusites, 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
Gibeah. 13 And he
said unto his
servant, Come, and let us draw
near to
one of these
places to lodge all
night, in
Gibeah, or in
Ramah. 14 And they passed
on and went their
way; and the
sun went
down upon them when they were
by Gibeah, which belongeth to
Benjamin. 15 And they turned
aside thither, to go
in and to
lodge in
Gibeah: 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 Ephraim; and he
sojourned in
Gibeah: 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
Bethlehemjudah toward the
side of
mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I
went to
Bethlehemjudah, 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
Belial, 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.