King James Version

1 And it was in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite was staying in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, and he took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem of Judah. 2 And his concubine was unfaithful to him and went away from him to her father's house, to Bethlehem of Judah, and there she was for four months. 3 And a man rose and went after her to speak to her heart, to bring her back, and his young man with him, and a pair of donkeys, and she brought them to her father's house, and her father saw him and rejoiced to meet him. 4 And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, strengthened him, and he sat with him three days, and they ate and drank and spent the night there. 5 And it was on the fourth day, and they rose early in the morning, and he got up to go, and the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, "Strengthen yourself with a morsel of bread, and afterward you may go." 6 And they sat and ate together and drank, and the father of the young woman said to the man, "Please stay overnight and it will be good for your heart." 7 And the man arose to go, and he pleaded with his father-in-law, and he stayed and lodged there. 8 And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to go, and the father of the young woman said, "Please strengthen your heart and wait until the day bends," and they both ate. 9 And the man got up to go; he and his concubine and his servant. And he said to his father-in-law, the girl's father, "Please let us rest overnight, for today is very long; here is a place to stay overnight, and it will be good for your heart. And you will rise early tomorrow to go on your way, and you will go to your tent." 10 And the man was unwilling to stay, so he arose and went and came to the place opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem, and with him were two saddled donkeys and his concubine with him. 11 They are with Jebus, and today it is very late, and the young man said to his lord, "Come, please, and let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites, and let us lodge there." 12 And he said to me, "My lord, we will not turn aside to a foreign city that is not of the children of Israel, but we will pass on to Gibeah." 13 And he said to his servant, "Let us go to one of the places, and we will lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah." 14 And they passed by and went, and the sun came upon them near the hill that is in Benjamin. 15 And they turned aside there to come to lodge in Gibeah, and he entered and sat in the open square of the city, and there was no man who took them into his house to lodge. 16 And behold, an old man came from his work from the field in the evening, and the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was living in Gibeah, and the men of the place were sons of Benjamin. 17 And I lifted my eyes and saw the man who was traveling in the street of the city, and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where have you come from?" 18 And he said to me, "We are passing through from Bethlehem of Judah to the outskirts of the hill country of Ephraim. From there I am and I will go to Bethlehem of Judah, and to the house of the Lord I am going, and there is no man to gather me into the house." 19 And also, there is straw and feed for our donkeys, and there is bread and wine for me and for your servant, and for the young man with your servants, there is no lack of anything. 20 And the old man said to you, "Peace be to you; only all your wants are upon me; only in the street do not linger." 21 And he brought her to his house and they washed their feet and ate and drank. 22 They are improving their hearts, and behold, the men of the city, worthless men, surrounded the house, banging on the door, and they said to the old man, the master of the house, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house, and we will know him." 23 And the man of the house went out to them and said, "Do not, my brothers, do not do evil, after this man has come to my house; do not commit this disgraceful act." 24 Behold, my daughter, the virgin and the concubine; please bring them out to us, and let us know them, and do to them what is good in your eyes, but to this man do not do any act of this disgrace. 25 And the men did not desire to listen to him, and the man strengthened himself with his concubine and went out to them into the street, and they knew her, and they abused her all night until morning, and they let her go when the dawn arose. 26 And the woman came to the entrance of the house of the man whose master was there until dawn. 27 And my lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to walk on his way, and behold, the woman, his concubine, was falling at the entrance of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 And he said to her, "Get up and let us go," and there was no answer, and he took her on the donkey, and the man got up and went to his place. 29 And he came into his house, and he took the food and he held onto his concubine, and he cut her into twelve pieces and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. 30 And it shall be that all who see and say, "Never has such a thing happened, nor has it been seen, since the day the children of Israel went up from the land of Egypt until this day," set it upon yourselves as a testimony and speak.