Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
KJV
King James Version
Now
in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who
lived
in
the remote
hill
country
of Ephraim took for
himself
a concubine from
Bethlehem
in
Judah
.
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
.
But
she
was
unfaithful
to
him and left
him to
return
to
her father’s
house in
Bethlehem
in
Judah.
After
she
had
been
there four months ,
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 .
her husband got
up
and went after her to speak kindly
to
her and bring her back
, taking
his servant and a pair
of donkeys.
So
the
girl
brought him into her father’s
house ,
and when her
father saw him, he gladly
welcomed
him.
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.
His father -
in -
law, the girl’s
father, persuaded
him to
stay,
so
he remained
with him three days ,
eating,
drinking
, and lodging
there.
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.
On the fourth day, they got
up
early in the morning and
prepared
to depart ,
but
the girl’s
father said to
his son -
in -
law, “Refresh
your
heart with a morsel of bread, and then
you
can
go. ”
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
.
So
they sat down and the
two
of them ate
and
drank
together .
Then
the girl’s
father said to
the man, “Please
agree
to
stay
overnight
and let your
heart be merry. ”
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.
The man got
up to depart, but
his father -
in -
law persuaded
him ,
so
he stayed
there that
night
.
And
when
the man rose
up to depart, his father in law urged
him :
therefore
he lodged
there again
.
On
the
fifth
day,
he got
up
early in the morning to depart ,
but
the girl’s
father said, “Please
refresh
your
heart. ”
So
they waited
until late
afternoon and the
two
of them ate
.
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.
When the man got
up to depart with
his concubine and his servant, his father -
in -
law, the girl’s
father, said to
him, “Look
, the day is
drawing
to
a
close.
Please
spend
the
night .
See
, the day is
almost
over.
Spend
the
night
here, that your
heart may be merry .
Then
you
can
get up
early tomorrow
for
your journey
home. ”
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.
But the man was
unwilling
to
spend
the
night .
He got
up and departed, and arrived
opposite
Jebus (that
is
, Jerusalem ),
with his
two saddled donkeys
and
his concubine.
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
.
When they were near
Jebus and
the day was almost
gone,
the servant said to
his master, “Please
, let us stop
at
this Jebusite
city and
spend
the night
here
. ”
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
.
But
his master replied
, “
We will not turn aside to
the city of foreigners
, where
there
are
no
Israelites.
We will go
on
to Gibeah. ”
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.
He continued
, “
Come, let us try
to reach
one of these towns
to spend
the
night in Gibeah or Ramah. ”
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.
So
they continued
on their journey,
and the sun set
as
they neared
Gibeah in
Benjamin.
And
they passed
on and
went
their way;
and the sun went
down
upon
them
when
they were
by
Gibeah ,
which
belongeth
to
Benjamin.
They stopped
to go in and lodge in Gibeah .
The
Levite
went in and
sat down in the city square,
but
no one
would
take
them into his home
for
the
night
.
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
.
That
evening
an old man from the
hill
country
of Ephraim
, who
was residing
in Gibeah (
the men of that
place were Benjamites ),
came
in
from
his
work
in
the
field
.
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.
When he looked
up and
saw the
traveler
in the city square,
the old man asked,
“Where
are
you
going
, and where
have
you
come
from
? ”
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
?
The
Levite
replied
, “
We are traveling
from Bethlehem
in
Judah
to
the remote
hill
country
of Ephraim ,
where
I
am
from .
I went to Bethlehem
in
Judah
, and
now
I am going to the house of the LORD; but
no one
has
taken
me into
his
home,
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.
even
though
there is both straw and feed
for our donkeys,
and bread and wine for me and the
maidservant
and young man with me.
There is nothing
that
we,
your
servants,
lack
. ”
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
.
“Peace
to
you,”
said
the old man .
“
Let me supply
everything
you
need.
Only do
not spend
the
night
in the square
. ”
And
the old man said,
Peace
be
with
thee;
howsoever
let all
thy
wants
lie
upon
me ;
only lodge
not in the street
.
So he brought him to
his house and fed
his
donkeys.
And they washed their feet and ate
and drank
.
So he brought him into
his house ,
and gave
provender
unto
the
asses:
and they washed their feet ,
and did
eat
and drink
.
While
they were enjoying
themselves
, suddenly
the wicked
men of the city surrounded
the house .
Pounding
on
the door, they
said
to the old
man
who
owned
the house, “
Bring out
the man who
came to
your
house, so
we can
have
relations
with
him !”
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 .
The owner
of the house went out and said to
them, “No
, my brothers
, do not do
this
wicked
thing!
After
all,
this man is a
guest
in
my
house .
Do not commit
this outrage
.
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
.
Look
, let
me
bring
out
my virgin
daughter and the
man’s
concubine, and you
can
use
them and do with them as
you wish.
But do not do
such
a
vile thing to
this
man
. ”
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.
But the men would not listen
to him .
So the Levite
took his concubine and sent
her outside
to
them ,
and they raped
her and abused her throughout
the night ,
and at
dawn
they let her go.
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.
Early
that
morning,
the woman went
back
to
the house where her master
was staying
, collapsed
at
the
doorway,
and
lay
there
until
it was light.
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.
In the morning, when
her
master
got
up
and opened the doors of the house to go out
on
his journey
, there
was
his concubine ,
collapsed
in
the doorway
of the house, with
her hands on
the threshold.
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.
“Get
up,”
he told
her .
“
Let us go
. ”
But there
was
no
response
. So
the man put
her on
his
donkey
and set
out
for
home
.
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
.
When he reached
his house, he picked
up
a knife, took
hold of
his concubine, cut
her limb
by
limb
into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout
the territory
of Israel.
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.
And everyone
who
saw it said, “Nothing
like
this
has
been
seen
or
done from the day the Israelites
came out of the land of Egypt until
this day .
Think
it over
, take counsel
, and speak up!”
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.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and King James Version. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; UK publication rights are administered by the Crown's patentee; public domain in most other jurisdictions..