Chapter 19

¹ And there was a Levite sojourning in the sides of Mount Ephraim, and he took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem Judah. ² And his concubine departed from him, and went away from him to the house of her father to Bethlehem Judah, and she was there four months.

Jdg 19:1-2

³ And her husband rose up, and went after her to speak kindly to her, to recover her to himself; and he had his young man with him, and a pair of asses; and she brought him into the house of her father; and the father of the damsel saw him, and was well pleased to meet him. ⁴ And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, constrained him, and he stayed with him for three days; and they ate and drank, and lodged there. ⁵ And it came to pass on the fourth day that they rose early, and he stood up to depart; and the father of the damsel said to his son-in-law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward ye shall go. ⁶ So they two sat down together and ate and drank: and the father of the damsel said to her husband, Tarry now the night, and let thy heart be merry. ⁷ And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law constrained him, and he stayed and lodged there.

Jdg 19:3-7

⁸ And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the father of the damsel said, Strengthen now thy heart, and quit thyself as a soldier till the day decline; and the two ate. ⁹ And the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine, and his young man; but his father-in-law the father of the damsel said to him, Behold now, the day has declined toward evening; lodge here, and let thy heart rejoice; and ye shall rise early tomorrow for your journey, and thou shalt go to thy habitation. ¹⁰ But the man would not lodge there, but he arose and departed, and came to the part opposite Jebus (this is Jerusalem), and [there was] with him a pair of asses saddled, and his concubine [was] with him.

Jdg 19:8-10

¹¹ And they came as far as Jebus: and the day had far advanced, and the young man said to his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites, and let us lodge in it. ¹² And his master said to him, We will not turn aside to a strange city, where there is not one of the children of Israel, but we will pass on as far as Gibeah. ¹³ And he said to his young man, Come, and let us draw nigh to one of the places, and we will lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah. ¹⁴ And they passed by and went on, and the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which is in Benjamin. ¹⁵ And they turned aside thence to go in to lodge in Gibeah; and they went in, and sat down in the street of the city, and there was no one who conducted them into a house to lodge.

Jdg 19:11-15

¹⁶ And behold, an old man came out of the field from his work in the evening; and the man was of Mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah, and the men of the place [were] sons of Benjamin. ¹⁷ And he lifted up his eyes, and saw a traveler in the street of the city; and the old man said to him, Whither goest thou, and whence comest thou? ¹⁸ And he said to him, We are passing by from Bethlehem Judah to the sides of Mount Ephraim: I am from thence, and I went as far as Bethlehem Judah, and I am going home, and there is no man to take me into his house. ¹⁹ Yet is there straw and food for our asses, and bread and wine for me and my handmaid and the young man with thy servants; there is no want of anything. ²⁰ And the old man said, Peace [be] to thee; only be every want of thine upon me, only do thou by no means lodge in the street. ²¹ And he brought him into his house, and made room for his asses; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

Jdg 19:16-21

²² And they [were] comforting their heart, when, behold, the men of the city, sons of transgressors, compassed the house, knocking at the door: and they spoke to the old man the owner of the house, saying, Bring out the man who came into thy house, that we may know him. ²³ And the master of the house came out to them, and said, Nay, brethren, do not ye wrong, I pray you, after this man has come into my house; do not ye this folly. ²⁴ Behold my daughter a virgin, and the man’s concubine: I will bring them out, and humble ye them, and do to them that which is good in your eyes; but to this man do not this folly. ²⁵ But the men would not consent to hearken to him; so the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night till the morning, and let her go when the morning dawned.

Jdg 19:22-25

²⁶ And the woman came toward morning, and fell down at the door of the house where her husband was, until it was light. ²⁷ And her husband rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went forth to go on his journey; and, behold, the woman his concubine had fallen down by the doors of the house, and her hands were on the threshold. ²⁸ And he said to her, Rise, and let us go; and she answered not, for she was dead: and he took her upon his ass, and went to his place.

Jdg 19:26-28

²⁹ And he took his sword, and laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve parts, and sent them to every coast of Israel. ³⁰ And it was so, that everyone who saw it said, [Such a day] as this has not happened nor has been seen from the day of the going up of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt until this day: take ye counsel concerning it, and speak.

Jdg 19:29-30