Judges 19:1-22 ▼

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.”

14 And they passed by and went their way. And the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.

15 And they turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in and he sat down in the open square of the city, for no one would take them into the house to spend the night.

16 And behold, an old man came in from his work in the field at the evening. And the man was from the mountains of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, and the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 And he raised his eyes, and he saw the traveler in the open square of the city, and the old man said, “Where are you going, and from where do you come?”

18 And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah toward the far reaches of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. I am going to the house of YHWH, and there is no man who will take me into his house.

19 And straw and fodder there is for our donkeys, and bread and wine there is for myself, and for your maidservant, and for the young man with your servant. There is no lack of anything.”

20 And the old man said, “Peace be with you. Only all your needs is on me, only do not spend the night in the open square.”

21 And he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 They were enjoying themselves, and suddenly men of the city, certain perverted men, surrounded the house and beat on the door, and they spoke to the old man, the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him.”