THE BOOK OF
JUDGES
Judges 19 ©
A Levite travels from mount Ephraim to Bethlehem, to fetch back his concubine that was gone from him, v. 1, etc. Is kindly entertained by her father, and detained until the fifth day, 3. Then he departed, and came to Gibeah of Benjamin, 10. Where he at length was lodged by an old man that was of mount Ephraim, 16. But the men of the city compass the house round about, and will offer horrible violence to the Levite, who through necessity delivers unto them his concubine, whom they abuse till they killed her, 22. Her husband carries her home dead, divides her into twelve parts, and sends them round the borders of Israel, 28.
AND it came to pass in those days, whenathere was 1no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning 2on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a 3concubine out of 4Beth-lehem-judah.
And his concubine played the whore 5against him, and 6went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was 7there four whole months.
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak 8friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and 9she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
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.
¶And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that 10he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, 11Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.
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 12merry.
And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there 13again.
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 14afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
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: 15behold, 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 16home.
But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is 17Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses 18saddled, his concubine also was with him.
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 19Jebusites, and lodge in it.
And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the 20city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in 21Gibeah, or in Ramah.
And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to 22Benjamin.
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 23took them into his house to lodging.
¶And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of 24mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men 25of the place were 26Benjamites.
And when 27he had lifted up his eyes, he saw 28a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the 29house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there 30is bread and wine also for me, and for thy 31handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy 32servants: there is 33no want of any thing.
And the old man said, Peace be with thee; 34howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their 35feet, and did eat and drink.
¶Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certainb36sons 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 37know him.
And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my 38brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine 39house, do not this 40folly.
Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and 41his concubine; them I will bring out now, 42and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth 43good unto you: but unto this man do not so 44vile a thing.
But the men would not hearken to him: so the 45man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they 46knew her, and 47abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring,c they let her go.
Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and 48fell down at the door of the man's house where her 49lord was, 50till it was light.
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.
And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none 51answered. Then the man 52took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.
¶And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and 53divided her, together with 54her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the 55coasts of Israel.
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 56it, 57take advice, and 58speak your minds.