Judges 19:1-13 ▼

1 And it will be in those days, and no king in Israel; and it will be a man, a Levite, sojourning in the sides of mount Ephraim, and he will take to him a wife, a concubine, from the House of Bread, of Judah.

2 And his concubine will commit fornication against him, and she will go from him to the house of her father, to the House of Bread, of Judah, and she will be there the days of four months.

3 And her husband will rise and go after her to speak to her heart, to turn it back; and his young man with him and a pair of asses: and she will bring him into her father's house; and the father of the girl will see him and will rejoice at his meeting.

4 And his father-in-law, the girl's father, will hold fast upon him, and he will dwell with, him three days: and they will eat and drink and lodge there.

5 And it will be in the fourth day, and they will rise early in the morning, and he will rise up to go: and the girl's father will say to his son-in-law, Strengthen thine heart with a bit of bread, and afterward ye shall go.

6 And they will sit down and eat, they two together, and drink: and the girl's father will say to the man, Be willing, now, and lodge, and do good to thy heart.

7 And the man will rise up to go, and his father-in-law will press upon him, and he will sit down and lodge there.

8 And he will rise early in the morning in the fifth day, to go, and the girl's father will say, Strengthen now thy heart. And they lingered till the day declined, and they two will eat.

9 And the man will rise to go, he and his concubine and his boy; and his father-in-law, the girl's father, will say to him, Behold, now, the day weakened toward evening; lodge now: behold, the declining of the day; lodge here, and thy heart shall be joyous; and rise early to-morrow to your way and go to thy tent.

10 And the man was not willing to lodge, and he will rise and go, and, come even to the front of Jebus; this is Jerusalem: and with him a pair of asses saddled, and his concubine with him.

11 They with Jebus, and the day gone down greatly; and the youth will say to his lord, Go, now, and we will turn to this city of the Jebusites, and we will lodge in it.

12 And his lord will say to him, We will not turn into a strange city which is not of the sons of Israel here; and we passed over even to Gibeah.

13 And he will say to his boy, Go, and we will come near to one of the places and lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.