In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite
was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim,
who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. And his
concubine was unfaithful to him, and she went away from him to her
father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four
months. Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly
to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple
of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house. And when
the girl's father saw him, he came with joy to meet him. And his
father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay, and he remained
with him three days. So they ate and drank and spent the night
there. And on the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and
he prepared to go, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law,
“Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you
may go.” So the two of them sat and ate and drank together. And the
girl's father said to the man, “Be pleased to spend the night, and
let your heart be merry.” And when the man rose up to go, his
father-in-law pressed him, till he spent the night there again. And
on the fifth day he arose early in the morning to depart. And the
girl's father said, “Strengthen your heart and wait until the day
declines.” So they ate, both of them. And when the man and his
concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his father-in-law, the
girl's father, said to him, “Behold, now the day has waned toward
evening. Please, spend the night. Behold, the day draws to its
close. Lodge here and let your heart be merry, and tomorrow you
shall arise early in the morning for your journey, and go home.”
But the man would not spend the night. He rose up and departed
and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a
couple of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him. When
they were near Jebus, the day was nearly over, and the servant said
to his master, “Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the
Jebusites and spend the night in it.” And his master said to him,
“We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not
belong to the people of Israel, but we will pass on to Gibeah.” And
he said to his young man, “Come and let us draw near to one of
these places and spend the night at Gibeah or at Ramah.” So they
passed on and went their way. And the sun went down on them near
Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, and they turned aside there, to
go in and spend the night at Gibeah. And he went in and sat down in
the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to
spend the night.
And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at
evening. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was
sojourning in Gibeah. The men of the place were Benjaminites. 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?” And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem
in Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, from
which I come. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to the
house of the LORD, but no one has taken me into his house. We have
straw and feed for our donkeys, with bread and wine for me and your
female servant and the young man with your servants. There is no
lack of anything.” And the old man said, “Peace be to you; I will
care for all your wants. Only, do not spend the night in the
square.” So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys
feed. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the
city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door.
And they said to the old man, the master of the house, “Bring out
the man who came into your house, that we may know him.” And the
man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them,
“No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly; since this man has come
into my house, do not do this vile thing. Behold, here are my
virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now.
Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against
this man do not do this outrageous thing.” But the men would not
listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out
to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until the
morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. And as
morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the
man's house where her master was, until it was light.
And her master rose up in the morning, and when he opened the
doors of the house and went out to go on his way, behold, there was
his concubine lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the
threshold. He said to her, “Get up, let us be going.” But there was
no answer. Then he put her on the donkey, and the man rose up and
went away to his home. And when he entered his house, he took a
knife, and taking hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by
limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory
of Israel. And all who saw it said, “Such a thing has never
happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came
up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take
counsel, and speak.”
