Juízes 19

¹ Also in those dayes, when there was no king in Israel, a certaine Leuite dwelt on the side of mount Ephraim, and tooke to wife a concubine out of Beth-lehem Iudah,

² And his concubine played ye whore there, and went away from him vnto her fathers house to Beth-lehem Iudah, and there continued the space of foure moneths.

³ And her husband arose and went after her, to speake friendly vnto her, and to bring her againe: he had also his seruant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him vnto her fathers house, and when the yong womans father sawe him, he reioyced of his coming.

⁴ And his father in lawe, the yong womans father reteined him: & he abode with him three dayes: so they did eate & drinke, & lodged there.

⁵ And when the fourth day came, they arose earely in the morning, and he prepared to depart: then the yong womans father said vnto his sonne in lawe, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and then go your way.

⁶ And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for theThat is, his concubines father.damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.

⁷ And when the man rose vp to depart, his father in lawe was earnest: therefore he returned, and lodged there.

⁸ And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said,Meaning, that he should refresh himself with food, as in (Jdg_19:5).Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

⁹ And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest goThat is, to the town or city where he lived.home.

¹⁰ But the man would not tarry, but arose & departed, and came ouer against Iebus, (which is Ierusalem) and his two asses laden, and his concubine were with him.

¹¹ When they were neere to Iebus, the day was sore spent, and the seruant said vnto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let vs turne into this citie of the Iebusites, and lodge all night there.

¹² And his master said unto him,Though in these days there were most horrible corruptions, even necessity could not compel them to associate with those who did not profess the true God.We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that [is] not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.

¹³ And he said vnto his seruant, Come, and let vs drawe neere to one of these places, that wee may lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.

¹⁴ So they went forward vpon their way, and the sunne went downe vpon them neere to Gibeah, which is in Beniamin.

¹⁵ Then they turned thither to goe in and lodge in Gibeah: and when he came, he sate him downe in a streete of the citie: for there was no man that tooke them into his house to lodging.

¹⁶ And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which [was] also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place [were]Or, the children of Jamini.Benjamites.

¹⁷ And when he had lift vp his eyes, he sawe a wayfairing man in the streetes of the citie: then this olde man sayde, Whither goest thou, and whence camest thou?

¹⁸ And he said unto him, We [are] passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence [am] I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I [am now] going to theTo Shiloh of Mizpeh where the ark was.house of the LORD; and there [is] no man that receiveth me to house.

¹⁹ Although we haue straw and prouader for our asses, and also bread and wine for me & thine handmayde, and for the boy that is with thy seruant: we lacke nothing.

²⁰ And the olde man sayde, Peace bee with thee: as for all that thou lackest, shalt thou finde with me: onely abide not in the streete al night.

²¹ So he brought him into his house, & gaue fodder vnto the asses: and they washed their feete, and did eate and drinke.

²² [Now] as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, [and]In an attempt to break it.beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

²³ And this man the master of ye house went out vnto the, & said vnto them, Nay my brethre, do not so wickedly, I pray you: seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this villenie.

²⁴ Behold, [here is] my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now,That is, abuse them, as in (Gen_19:8).and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

²⁵ But the men woulde not hearken to him: therefore ye man tooke his concubine, & brought her out vnto them: and they knewe her and abused her all the night vnto the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her goe.

²⁶ Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, andShe fell down dead, as in (Jdg_19:27).fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord [was], till it was light.

²⁷ And her lorde arose in the morning, and opened the doores of the house, and went out to goe his way, and beholde, the woman his concubine was dead at the doore of the house and her handes lay vpon the thresholde.

²⁸ And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her [up] upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto hisMeaning, home to mount Ephraim.place.

²⁹ And whe he was come to his house, he took a knife, and laid hand on his concubine, and deuided her in pieces with her bones into twelue parts, and sent her through all quarters of Israel.

³⁰ And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was noFor this was like the sin of Sodom for which God rained down fire and brimstone from heaven.such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak [your minds].