Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
WEB
World English Bible
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.
It
happened
in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that
there
was
a certain
Levite sojourning
on
the farther
side
of
the
hill -
country of Ephraim ,
who
took to
him
a concubine out
of
Bethlehem Judah.
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 ,
His
concubine
played
the
prostitute
against
him ,
and went
away
from
him to her father's
house to
Bethlehem Judah ,
and
was
there the
space
of
four 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.
Her husband arose,
and went after her ,
to speak kindly to her ,
to
bring her again
, having
his servant with
him,
and a couple
of donkeys :
and
she
brought him into her father's
house ;
and when the
father of
the
young
lady
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.
His father-in-law, the young
lady's
father, retained
him ;
and
he abode
with him three days :
so
they
ate
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. ”
It
happened
on the fourth day, that
they arose
early in the morning ,
and he
rose
up
to depart :
and
the young
lady's
father said to his son-in-law, Strengthen
your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward
you shall
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. ”
So they sat down ,
and ate and drink,
both
of
them
together :
and
the young
lady's
father said to the man, Please be
pleased
to stay all
night,
and let your heart be merry.
The man got
up to depart ,
but his father-in-law persuaded
him, so
he stayed
there that
night
.
The man rose
up to depart ;
but his father-in-law urged
him, and
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
.
He arose
early in the morning on
the
fifth
day
to depart ;
and
the young
lady's
father said, Please strengthen
your heart and stay
until
the day
declines;
and
they
ate,
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. ”
When the man rose
up to depart ,
he,
and
his concubine ,
and his servant, his father-in-law, the young
lady's
father, said to him, Behold
, now
the day draws
toward
evening,
please stay
all
night :
behold
, the day grows
to
an
end,
lodge
here, that your heart may be merry ;
and
tomorrow
get you
early on
your way,
that
you
may
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 wouldn't
stay
that
night ,
but
he rose
up and departed, and came
over
against
Jebus ( the
same
is Jerusalem) :
and
there
were
with him
a
couple
of
donkeys 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
. ”
When they were by
Jebus ,
the day was far
spent;
and
the servant said to his master, Please come
and
let us turn
aside
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. ”
His master said
to
him
, We won't
turn aside into
the city of a
foreigner
, that
is
not
of
the
children
of
Israel;
but
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. ”
He said
to
his
servant
, Come and
let us draw
near
to one of these places;
and
we
will
lodge
in Gibeah ,
or in
Ramah.
So they continued
on their journey,
and the sun set
as
they
neared
Gibeah in
Benjamin.
So they passed
on and
went
their way;
and the sun went
down
on
them
near
to
Gibeah ,
which
belongs
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
.
They turned
aside
there,
to go in to
lodge in Gibeah :
and
he
went in ,
and sat him
down in the street
of
the
city ;
for
there
was
no man
who
took
them into his house
to
lodge
.
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
.
Behold,
there
came
an old man from his
work
out
of
the field
at
even:
now
the
man
was
of
the
hill -
country of 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
? ”
He lifted
up his
eyes,
and saw the wayfaring
man
in the street
of
the
city ;
and
the old man said
, Where go
you ?
and whence
come you
?
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,
He
said
to
him
, We are passing
from Bethlehem Judah to the farther
side
of
the
hill -
country of Ephraim ;
from there
am
I ,
and
I
went to Bethlehem Judah :
and I am [now]
going to the house of Yahweh
; and
there
is
no man
who
takes
me into his 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 donkeys ;
and there
is
bread and wine also
for me ,
and for
your
handmaid,
and for
the
young man who
is with
your servants :
there
is
no
want
of
anything
.
“Peace
to
you,”
said
the old man .
“
Let me supply
everything
you
need.
Only do
not
spend
the
night
in the square
. ”
The old man said,
Peace
be
to
you;
howsoever
let all
your
wants
lie
on
me ;
only don't
lodge
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
the
donkeys fodder;
and they washed their feet ,
and ate 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 !”
As
they were making
their
hearts
merry
, behold,
the men of the city ,
certain
base
fellows,
beset
the house round
about,
beating
at
the door ;
and
they spoke
to the master
of
the house, the
old
man,
saying,
Bring forth
the man who came into
your 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
.
The man,
the
master
of the house ,
went out to
them,
and said to them, No, my brothers, please
don't
act
so
wickedly;
seeing
that
this man is come
into
my house ,
don't
do 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
virgin,
and his
concubine ;
them
I
will
bring
out
now
, and humble
you them ,
and do with them what
seems
good
to
you :
but to this man don't
do
any
such
folly
.
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 wouldn't
listen to him :
so the man
laid
hold
on
his concubine ,
and brought
her forth
to 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, until 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.
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, with her hands on 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
.
He said
to
her ,
Up,
and
let us be
going;
but none
answered:
then
he
took
her up
on the
donkey ;
and the
man
rose
up,
and
got
him
to
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.
When he was
come
into
his house, he took
a knife, and
laid
hold on
his concubine, and
divided
her ,
limb by limb ,
into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all
the borders
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!”
It
was
so,
that
all
who 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 to
this day :
consider
it, take counsel, and speak .
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and World English Bible. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org..