Judges 19:1-21 ▼

1 It happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a secondary wife from Bethlehem Judah.

2 His secondary wife was angry with him and went away from him to her father's house in Bethlehem of Judah, and was there about four months.

3 Her 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. And she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

4 His father-in-law, the young woman's father, welcomed him; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank and stayed there.

5 It happened on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart: and the young woman's father said to his son-in-law, |Refresh yourself with a piece of bread, and after that you may go.|

6 So they sat down, ate, and drank, both of them together. Then the young woman's father said to the man, |Please agree to stay the night, and enjoy yourself.|

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

8 He arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the young woman's father said, |Please refresh yourself and stay until the day declines.| And the two of them ate and drank.

9 When the man rose up with his secondary wife and his servant to leave, his father-in-law, the young woman's father, said to him, |Look, now the day draws toward evening, please stay the night. Look, the day grows to an end, stay here, and enjoy yourself; and tomorrow you can get up early for your journey so that you may go home.|

10 But the man wouldn't stay that night, but he rose up and departed, and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). And there were with him a couple of saddled donkeys, and his secondary wife and his servant were with him.

11 When they were by Jebus, the day was almost gone, and the servant said to his master, |Please come and let us stop at this city of the Jebusites, and spend the night in it.|

12 His master said to him, |We won't go into the city of a foreigner that is not of the children of Israel, but we will pass over to Gibeah.|

13 He said to his servant, |Come and let us try to reach one of those places and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.|

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

15 They turned that way to go in to spend the night in Gibeah. And he went in and they sat down in the street of the city; for there was no one who would take them into their house to spend the night.

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

17 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the traveler in the street of the city. And the old man said, |Where are you going, and where did you come from?|

18 He said to him, |We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. And I am going to my home, and there is no one who will take me into his home.

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

20 And the old man said, |Peace be to you. I will take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the square.|

21 So he brought him into his house, and fed the donkeys. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.