Judges 19

And it happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a man, a Levite, sojourning in the recesses of the mountain of Ephraim, and he took for himself a woman, a concubine, from Bethleem of Iouda.

And his concubine went away from him and departed from him to her father's house at Bethleem of Iouda, and she was there four months of days.

And her husband arose and went after her, to speak to her heart, to bring her back to himself; and his young servant was with him, and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house; and the father of the young woman saw him and rejoiced to meet him.

And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, detained him, and he stayed with him three days; and they ate and drank and lodged there.

And on the fourth day they rose early in the morning, and he got up to go; and the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law: Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you shall go.

And he sat down, and the two of them ate together and drank; and the father of the young woman said to the man: Come now, spend the night, and your heart will be glad.

And the man arose to go, but his father-in-law pressed him, and he sat down and lodged there.

And on the fifth day he rose early in the morning to go, and the father of the young woman said: Strengthen your heart, please, and tarry until the day declines. And the two of them ate.

And the man arose to go, he and his concubine and his young servant; and his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him: Behold now, the day has grown weak toward evening; lodge here, and your heart will be glad; and tomorrow you shall rise early for your journey, and you shall go to your tent.

But the man was not willing to lodge, and he arose and departed and came opposite Iebous — that is Ierousalem — and with him was a pair of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him.

And they came as far as Iebous, and the day was far advanced; and the young servant said to his master: Come now, let us turn aside into this city of the Iebousite and lodge in it.

And his master said to him: We will not turn aside into a foreign city, in which there is none of the sons of Israel here; and we will pass on as far as Gabaa.

And he said to his young servant: Come, let us draw near to one of these places, and we will lodge in Gabaa or in Rama.

And they passed on and went their way, and the sun set upon them near Gabaa, which belongs to Beniamin.

And they turned aside there to go in and lodge in Gabaa; and they went in and sat down in the open square of the city, and there was no one who took them into his house to lodge.

And behold, an old man was coming in the evening from his work, from the field; and the man was from the mountain of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gabaa, and the men of the place were sons of Benjamin.

And he lifted up his eyes and saw the wayfaring man in the open square of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?"

And he said to him, "We are passing through from Bethlehem of Judah to the recesses of the mountain of Ephraim; I am from there, and I went as far as Bethlehem of Judah, and I am going to my house; and there is no man who takes me into his house.

"And indeed there is straw and fodder for our donkeys, and there are loaves and wine for me and for the maidservant and for the young man with your servants; there is no lack of anything."

And the old man said, "Peace to you; only let all your lack be upon me; only do not lodge in the square."

And he brought him into his house and made a place for the donkeys; and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

And while they were making their heart merry, behold, men of the city, sons of lawless men, surrounded the house, knocking at the door, and they said to the man, the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him."

And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said, "No, brothers, do not do evil, I pray; since this man has come into my house, do not commit this folly."

"See, my daughter the virgin, and his concubine: I will bring them out, and humble them and do to them what is good in your eyes; but to this man you shall not do this thing of folly."

But the men were not willing to listen to him; and the man took hold of his concubine and brought her out to them outside; and they knew her and mocked her all the night until morning, and they sent her away as the morning came up.

And the woman came toward the dawn and fell beside the door of the house where her husband was, until it grew light.

And her husband rose 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 beside the doors of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

And he said to her, "Rise, and let us go." But she did not answer, for she was dead. And he took her upon the donkey and went to his place.

And he took the sword and seized his concubine and cut her into twelve pieces and sent them into every territory of Israel.

And it came to pass that everyone who saw it said, "Such a thing has not happened and has not been seen from the day of the going up of the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt until this day. Set counsel among yourselves concerning it, and speak."