Judg 19 | ABEn | STEP | And there was a man, a Levite, sojourning on the sides of mount Ephraim. And he took to himself a woman concubine from Beth-lehem Judah.

Judges 19

CHAPTER 19 A Levite and His Concubine

1 And there was a man, a Levite, sojourning on the sides of mount Ephraim. And he took to himself a woman concubine from Beth-lehem Judah. 2 And [²provoked him to anger ¹his concubine], and she went forth from him unto the house of her father in Beth-lehem Judah, and she was there the days of four months. 3 And [²rose up ¹her husband] and went after her, to speak unto her heart, to reconcile her; and his servant was with him, and a pair of beasts of burden. And he went unto the house of her father. And [⁵beheld ⁶him ¹the ²father ³of the ⁴young woman], and was at hand for meeting him. 4 And [²brought him in ¹his father-in-law], the father of the young woman, and he stayed with him three days. And they ate and drank and slept there. 5 And it came to pass on the [²day ¹fourth], that they rose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart. And [⁵said ¹the ²father ³of the ⁴young woman] to his son-in-law, Support your heart with a piece of bread, and after this go! 6 And he sat down, and [²ate ¹both] together, and drank. And [⁵said ¹the ²father ³of the ⁴young woman] to the man, For a beginning, lodge and do good to your heart! 7 And [³rose up ¹the ²man] to depart. And [²forced ³him ¹his father-in-law], and he stayed and lodged there. 8 And he rose early in the morning on the [²day ¹fifth] to depart. And [⁵said ¹the ²father ³of the ⁴young woman], Support indeed your heart with bread, and soldier until [³should decline ¹the ²day]! And [²ate ³and ⁴drank ¹both]. 9 And [³rose up ¹the ²man] to go, he and his concubine, and his servant. And [²said ³to him ¹his father-in-law], the father of the young woman, Behold, indeed [²is declined ¹the day] into evening, lodge here and do good to your heart, and rise early tomorrow unto your way, and you shall depart unto your tent! 10 And [³did not want ¹the ²man] to lodge. And he rose up and went forth and came unto before Jebus, this is Jerusalem, and with him were a pair of beasts of burden being saddled, and his concubine with him. 11 And they were near Jebus, and the day declined exceedingly. And [³said ¹the ²servant] to his master, Come please, even we should turn aside into [²city ³of the ⁴Jebusites ¹this], and lodge in it. 12 And [²said ³to ⁴him ¹his master], In no way shall we turn aside into [²city ¹an alien], in which there is no one from the sons of Israel; even we shall go by unto Gibeah. 13 And he said to his servant, Come, for we should approach one of the places, and we should lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah. 14 And they went by, and [³went down ⁴on them ¹the ²sun] being next to Gibeah, which is of Benjamin.

The Evil in Gibeah

15 And they turned aside there to enter to rest up in Gibeah. And he entered and sat in the square of the city, and there is no man bringing them into the house to rest up. 16 And behold, [²man ¹an old] entered from his works from out of the field at evening, and the man was from mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; and the men of the place were sons of Benjamin. 17 And he looked up with his eyes, and he saw the man, the one journeying in the square of the city. And [⁴said ³man ¹the ²old], Where are you going, and from what place come you? 18 And he said to him, We are passing over from Beth-lehem of Judah unto the side of mount Ephraim. [⁴from there ¹And ²I ³am], and I went unto Beth-lehem of Judah, and [³to ⁴my house ¹I ²run]; but there is no man bringing me into a house. 19 And indeed straw and fodder exists for our donkeys, and indeed bread and wine exists to me, and to the maidservant, and to the servant; and to your servants there is no deficiency of any thing. 20 And [⁴said ¹the ³man ²old], Peace to you; only let any deficiency of yours be upon me, only [³in ⁴the ⁵square ¹you should not ²rest up]. 21 And he brought him into his house, and camped his beasts of burden. And they washed their feet, and they ate and drank. 22 And they were doing [²good ¹their heart]; and behold, the men of the city, sons of lawbreakers, encircled the house, and knocked upon the door; and they said to the man, the master of the house, the old man, saying, Lead out the man entering into your house, that we should know him. 23 And [³came forth ⁴to ⁵them ¹the ²man], the master of the house, and he said to them, By no means, my brethren, you should not do evil indeed with [²entering ¹this man] into my house; you should not do this folly. 24 Behold, my daughter the virgin, and his concubine; and I will bring them, and you humble them, and do to them the good thing in your eyes, but to this man you should not do the thing of this folly. 25 And [³did not ⁴want ¹the ²men] to hear him. And [³took hold ¹the ²man] of his concubine, and led her to them outside. And they knew her, and sported with her the entire night until the morning. And they sent her at the same time the [²ascended ¹dawn].

The Levite's Concubine Perishes

26 And [³came ¹the ²woman] in the morning, and fell by the door of the vestibule of the house of the man of whom [²was ¹her master] there, until of which time light shown through. 27 And [²rose up ¹her master] in the morning, and he opened the doors of the house, and he came forth to depart into his way. And behold, the woman, his concubine, was fallen by the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. 28 And he said to her, Rise up, for we should go forth! And she did not answer to him for she had died. And he lifted her upon the beast of burden, and [³rose up ¹the ²man] and went forth to his place. 29 And he entered into his house, and he took the knife, and took hold of his concubine, and dismembered her according to her bones into twelve portions, and he sent them unto all the tribes of Israel. 30 And it came to pass all the ones seeing said, Neither happened, nor was thus seen from the days of the ascending of the sons of Israel from out of the land of Egypt until this day. Appoint indeed to yourselves [²concerning ³her ¹counsel] and speak!