1A Levite of mount Ephraim goeth to Bethlehem to fetch home his concubine, and on his return cometh to Gibeah in the evening. 16An old man entertaineth him. 22The men of the city beset the house with a vile intent; to prevent which the man yieldeth up his concubine, who is abused by them to death. 29He divideth her into twelve parts, which he sendeth to the twelve tribes of Israel.
1AND it came to pass in those days, awhen there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of bmount Ephraim, who ctook to him 1a concubine out of dBeth-lehem-judah.
1Heb. a woman a concubine, or, a wife a concubine.
a ch. 17.6; 18.1; 21.25. Ps. 12.4. b ch. 17.1,8. Jos. 17.15,18; 24.30,33. c Ge. 22.24; 25.1,6. Mal. 2.15. d Ge. 35.19. Mat. 2.6. Mi. 5.2. ch. 17.7. v.2,18.
2And his concubine eplayed the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there 2four whole months.
2Or, a year and four months. Heb. days, four months.
e Pr. 30.21. Ge. 16.6.
3And her husband arose, and fwent after her, gto speak 3friendly 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.
3Heb. to her heart. Ho. 2.14.
*damsel-young woman, girl.
f ch. 15.1. g Ge. 34.3; 50.21. Ho. 2.14. Le. 19.17. Ga. 6.1.
4And 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.
*damsel-young woman, girl.
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, 4Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.
*damsel-young woman, girl.
4Heb. strengthen. Ge. 18.5. Ps. 104.15. 1Ki. 13.7.
6And 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 hmerry.
*damsel-young woman, girl.
h ch. 16.25; 9.27. 1Sa. 25.36. Es. 1.10. Lu. 12.19. 1Th. 5.3. Re. 11.10,13. v.9,22.
7And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law iurged him: therefore he lodged there again.
i Ge. 19.3.
8And 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 5until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
*damsel-young woman, girl.
5Heb. till the day declined.
9And 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 6draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, 7the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and jto morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go 8home.
*damsel-young woman, girl.
6Heb. is weak.
7Heb. It is the pitching time of the day.
8Heb. to thy tent. 1Sa. 13.2.
j Pr. 27.1. Ja. 4.13,14.
10But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came 9over against kJebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.
9Heb. to over against.
k Jos. 15.63; 18.16,28. ch. 1.8. 2Sa. 5.6.
11And 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.
12And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside *hither into lthe city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
*hither-here.
l Ge. 10.16. Jos. 15.63; 18.28. ch. 1.8. 2Sa. 5.6.
13And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in mGibeah, or in Ramah.
m Jos. 18.25,28. v.14,16. ch. 20. 1Sa. 13.2,16. Is. 10.29. Ho. 5.8; 9.9; 10.9.
14And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
15And 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 10took them into his house to lodging.
10Heb. gathered. He. 13.2. Mat. 25.35,43. v.18.
16¶And, behold, there came an old nman from his work out of the field at even, which was also of omount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were pBenjamites.
n Ge. 3.19. Ec. 1.13. 2Th. 3.10. Ep. 4.28. Ps. 104.23; 128.2. o v.1. p v.14. ch. 20.4. Ge. 35.18.
17And 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?
18And 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 qhouse of the LORD; and there is no man that 11receiveth me to house.
11Heb. gathereth. v.15.
q ch. 18.31; 20.18,26; 21.12. Jos. 18.1. 1Sa. 1.3,7.
19Yet there ris 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 sno want of any thing.
*provender-food, fodder.
r Ja. 2.15,16. 1Jn. 3.17. Mat. 10.10. 1Co. 3.14; 9.14. Ge. 24.25,32. s ch. 18.10.
20And the old man said, tPeace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; uonly lodge not in the street.
t ch. 6.23. Ge 43.23. 1Sa. 25.6. 1Ch. 12.18. Ga. 6.16. u Ge. 19.2,3; 18.3; 24.31.
21So he brought him into his house, and gave *provender unto the asses: and they vwashed their feet, and did eat and drink.
*provender-food, fodder.
v Ge. 18.4; 19.2; 24.32; 43.24. 2Sa. 11.8. 1Ti. 5.10.
22¶Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain wsons of Belial, beset xthe 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 yknow him.
w De. 13.13. 1Sa. 1.16; 2.12; 10.27; 25.25. ch. 20.5. x Ge. 19.4,5. Ho. 9.9; 10.9. y Ge. 4.1; 19.5. Ro. 1.27. 1Co. 6.9. Jude 7.
23And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, zNay, my brethren, nay , I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this afolly.
z 2Sa. 13.12. Ge. 19.6-8. a Ge. 34.7. De. 21.21. Jos. 7.15. 2Sa. 13.12,13. ch. 20.6.
24bBehold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and chumble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not 12so *vile a thing.
12Heb. the matter of this folly.
*vile-wicked.
b Ge. 19.8. Ro. 3.8. c De. 21.14.
25But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and dthey knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to *spring, they let her go.
*spring-dawn.
d Ge. 4.1. Je. 5.7,8. Ho. 7.4-7; 9.9; 10.9.
26Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her elord was , till it was light.
e Ge. 18.12. 1Pe. 3.6.
27And 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.
28And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But fnone answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and *gat him unto his place.
*gat-got.
f ch. 20.5.
29¶And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and gdivided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the *coasts of Israel.
*coasts-borders.
g 1Sa. 11.7. Ga. 4.18. Ro. 10.2. ch. 20.6.
30And 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: hconsider of it, itake advice, and speak your minds.
h Jos. 9.14. 1Sa. 25.13. ch. 20.13. Ps. 112.5. Pr. 13.10; 20.18; 11.14; 15.22; 24.6. i ch. 20.7. Is. 8.10.