| Berean Study Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now 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. | 1In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite staying in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim acquired a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as his concubine. |
| 2But 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, | 2But she was unfaithful to him and left him for her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She was there for four months. |
| 3her 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. | 3Then her husband got up and followed her to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had his servant with him and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him to her father's house, and when the girl's father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. |
| 4His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there. | 4His father-in-law, the girl's father, detained him, and he stayed with him for three days. They ate, drank, and spent the nights there. |
| 5On 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.” | 5On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to go, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Have something to eat to keep up your strength and then you can go." |
| 6So 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.” | 6So 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 enjoy yourself." |
| 7The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. | 7The man got up to go, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed and spent the night there again. |
| 8On 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. | 8He got up early in the morning of the fifth day to leave, but the girl's father said to him, "Please keep up your strength." So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate. |
| 9When 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.” | 9The man got up to go with his concubine and his servant, when his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Look, night is coming. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, enjoy yourself, then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey and go home." |
| 10But 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. | 10But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up, departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). The man had his two saddled donkeys and his concubine with him. |
| 11When 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.” | 11When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, "Please, why not let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here?" |
| 12But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.” | 12But his master replied to him, "We will not stop at a foreign city where there are no Israelites. Let's move on to Gibeah." |
| 13He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” | 13"Come on," he said, "let's try to reach one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah." |
| 14So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. | 14So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. |
| 15They 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. | 15They stopped to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one took them into their home to spend the night. |
| 16That 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. | 16In the evening, an old man came in from his work in the field. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was residing in Gibeah where the people were Benjaminites. |
| 17When 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?” | 17When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?" |
| 18The 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, | 18He answered him, "We're 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'm going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his home, |
| 19even 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.” | 19although there's straw and feed for the donkeys, and I have bread and wine for me, my concubine, and the servant with us. There is nothing we lack." |
| 20“Peace to you,” said the old man. “Let me supply everything you need. Only do not spend the night in the square.” | 20"Welcome!" said the old man. "I'll take care of everything you need. Only don't spend the night in the square." |
| 21So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank. | 21So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. Then they washed their feet and ate and drank. |
| 22While 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!” | 22While they were enjoying themselves, all of a sudden, wicked men of the city surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man who was the owner of the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him!" |
| 23The 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. | 23The owner of the house went out and said to them, "Please don't do this evil, my brothers. After all, this man has come into my house. Don't commit this horrible outrage. |
| 24Look, 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.” | 24Here, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man's concubine now. Abuse them and do whatever you want to them. But don't commit this outrageous thing against this man." |
| 25But 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. | 25But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and took her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning. At daybreak they let her go. |
| 26Early 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. | 26Early that morning, the woman made her way back, and as it was getting light, she collapsed at the doorway of the man's house where her master was. |
| 27In 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. | 27When her master got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went out to leave on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, collapsed near the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. |
| 28“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. | 28"Get up," he told her. "Let's go." But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. |
| 29When 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. | 29When he entered his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and then sent her throughout the territory of Israel. |
| 30And 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!” | 30Everyone who saw it said, "Nothing like this has ever happened or has been seen since the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until now. Think it over, discuss it, and speak up!" |
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