Judges 19:1-13 ▼

1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the sides of the hill country of Ephraim, and He took for himself a woman, a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

2 And his concubine committed prostitution against him and went away from him to the house of her father at Bethlehem in Judah. And she was there days—four months.

3 And her husband arose and went after her to speak to her kindly and bring her back, and his young man was with him, and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into the house of her father, and the father of the young woman saw him, and he was glad to meet him.

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

5 And it came to pass on the fourth day that they arose early in the morning, and he stood to depart. And the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your? way.”

6 And they sat down and ate, the two of them together, and they drank. And the father of the young woman said to the man, “Be content, please, and lodge, and let your heart be merry.”

7 And the man stood to depart, and his father-in-law urged him, and again he lodged there.

8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart. And the father of the young woman said, “Refresh, please, Your heart.” And they delayed until the stretching of the day, and the two of them ate.

9 And the man stood to depart, he and his concubine and his servant, and his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, “Behold, now the day is drawing toward evening. Spend the night, please. Behold, is coming to an end the day. Lodge here, that your heart may be merry, and go early tomorrow your? way, so that you may get home.”

10 The man was not willing to spend that night. And he rose and departed, and came to opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), and with him were the two donkeys saddled, and his concubine was with him.

11 They were near Jebus, and the day had gone down greatly. And the servant said to his master, “Come, please, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusite, and lodge in it.”

12 And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; and we will go on to Gibeah.”

13 And he said to his servant, “Come, and let us draw near to one of these places, and we shall lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.”