1 I n those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.

In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living temporarily in the most remote part of the hill district of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

2 H is concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there for four months.

And his concubine was untrue to him and went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem of Judah and stayed there the space of four months.

3 H er 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. She brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young lady saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

Then her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her and to bring her back, having with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

4 H is father-in-law, the young lady’s father, kept him there; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank, and stayed there.

And his father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him, and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank, and he lodged there.

5 O n the fourth day, they got up early in the morning, and he rose up to depart. 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.”

On the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and the prepared to leave, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread and afterward go your way.

6 S o they sat down, ate, and drank, both of them together. Then the young lady’s father said to the man, “Please be pleased to stay all night, and let your heart be merry.”

So both men sat down and ate and drank together, and the girl’s father said to the man, Consent to stay all night and let your heart be merry.

7 T he man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.

And when the man rose up to depart, his father-in-law urged him; so he lodged there again.

8 H e 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 both ate.

And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, but the girl’s father said, Strengthen your heart and tarry until toward evening. So they ate, both of them.

9 W hen 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 is ending. Stay here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow go on your way early, that you may go home.”

And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, Behold, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you stay all night. Behold, now the day grows to an end, lodge here and let your heart be merry, and tomorrow get early on your way and go home.

10 B ut the man wouldn’t stay that night, but he rose up and departed, and toward Jebus (also called Jerusalem). With him were a couple of saddled donkeys. His concubine also was with him.

But the man would not stay that night; so he rose up and departed and came opposite to Jebus, which is Jerusalem. With him were two saddled donkeys and his concubine.

11 W hen 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 stay in it.”

When they were near Jebus, it was late, and the servant said to his master, Come I pray, and let us turn into this Jebusite city and lodge in it.

12 H is 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.”

His master said to him, We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.

13 H e said to his servant, “Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.”

And he said to his servant, Come and let us go to one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.

14 S o they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.

So they passed on and went their way, and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin,

15 T hey turned aside there, to go in to stay in Gibeah. He went in, and sat down in the street of the city; for there was no one who took them into his house to stay.

And they turned aside there to go in and lodge at Gibeah. And the Levite went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for no man took them into his house to spend the night.

16 B ehold, an old man came from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.

And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening. He was from the hill country of Ephraim but was living temporarily in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 H e lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”

And when he looked up, he saw the wayfarer in the city square, and the old man said, Where are you going? And from where did you come?

18 H e said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to Yahweh’s house; and there is no one who has taken me into his house.

The Levite replied, We are passing from Bethlehem of Judah to the rear side of the hill country of Ephraim; I am from there. I went to Bethlehem of Judah, but I am going to the house of the Lord, and there is no man who receives me into his house.

19 Y et there is both straw and feed for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.”

Yet we have both straw and provender for our donkeys and bread and wine also for me, your handmaid, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.

20 T he old man said, “Peace be to you; how ever let me supply all your needs. Just don’t sleep in the street.”

And the old man said, Peace be to you, but leave all your wants to me; only do not lodge in the street.

21 S o he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

So he brought him into his house and gave provender to the donkeys. And the guests washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 A s they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we can have sex with him!”

Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, beset the house round about, beat on the door, and said to the master of the house, the old man, Bring forth the man who came to your house, that we may have intercourse with him.

23 T he man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, “No, my brothers, please don’t act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, don’t do this folly.

And the man, the master of the house, went out and said to them, No, my kinsmen, I pray you, do not act so wickedly; seeing that this man is my guest, do not do this folly.

24 B ehold, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but to this man don’t do any such folly.”

Behold, here are my virgin daughter and this man’s concubine; them I will bring out now; debase them and do with them what seems good to you, but to this man do not so vile a thing.

25 B ut the men wouldn’t listen to him: so the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all night until the morning. When the day began to dawn, they let her go.

But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and forced her forth to them, and they had intercourse with her and abused her all the night until morning. And when the dawn began to break, they let her go.

26 T hen the woman came 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.

At daybreak the woman came and fell down and lay at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light.

27 H er 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 had fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.

And her master rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way; and behold, his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

28 H e said to her, “Get up, and let us be going!” but no one answered. Then he took her up on the donkey; and the man rose up, and went to his place.

And he said to her, Up, and let us be going. But there was no answer. Then he put her upon the donkey, and the man rose up and went home.

29 W hen he had come into his house, he took a knife, and cut up his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.

And when he came into his house, he took a knife, and took hold of his dead concubine and divided her limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.

30 I t was so, that all who saw it said, “Such a deed has not been done or 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.”

And all who saw it said, There was no such deed done or seen from the day that the Israelites came up out of the land of Egypt to this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak.