Judges 19:14-30 ▼

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.”

23 And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not act wickedly, please, not after that this man has come in my house. Do not commit this outrage.

24 Behold, my daughter the virgin and his concubine, let me bring them out now, and you? may humble them and do with them what is good in your? eyes; and to this man do not this vile thing.”

25 And the men would not listen to him. And the man took his concubine and brought her out to them outside. And they knew her and abused her all the night until the morning, and sent her away at the rising of the dawn.

26 And the woman came as was dawning the day, and she fell down at the door of the house of the man where her master was, until the light.

27 And her master arose in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, and there was the woman, his concubine, fallen at the door of the house, and her hands were on the threshold.

28 And he said to her, “Get up, and let us be going.” And there was no answer. And the man lifted her onto the donkey, and the man got up and went to his place.

29 And he entered into his house, and he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine, and divided her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and he sent her into all the territory of Israel.

30 And so it was that all who saw it said, “Nothing has been done nor seen as this from the day that came up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt until this day. Set you? upon it, take counsel, and speak.”