A Levite Takes a Concubine
Judges 19, verse 1. And it was so in the days when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite sojourning on the lower slopes of Mount Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah, Judges 19, verse 2. but his concubine left him and returned to the house of her father, to Bethlehem in Judah. She remained there for four months. Judges 19, verse 3. Then her husband arose and sought after her, to speak kindly to her and win her back to himself. His young servant and a pair of asses were with him. So she brought him into her father's house, and when her father saw him, he was well-pleased to meet him. Judges 19, verse 4. Now his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, delayed him, and he stayed with him for three days. And they ate and drank and lodged there. Judges 19, verse 5. Then on the fourth day, they arose early in the morning to depart; but the young woman's father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.” Judges 19, verse 6. So he sat down, and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the young woman's father said to the man, “Please come lodge here, and let your heart be merry.” Judges 19, verse 7. And when the man stood to depart, his father-in-law urged him, so he sat and lodged there again. Judges 19, verse 8. Then on the fifth day, he arose early in the morning to depart, but the father of the young woman said, “Please, strengthen your heart and camp here until the day starts to wane,” and the two men ate a meal together. Judges 19, verse 9. And when the man stood to depart—he and his concubine and his servant—his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, “Look, the day is now drawing toward evening: please spend the night. See, the day is coming to an end: lodge here that your heart may be merry, and tomorrow go your way early, so that you may get home.” Judges 19, verse 10. However, the man was not willing to spend that night. So he rose and departed, and came to a place opposite Jebus—that is, Jerusalem. There with him were the two saddled donkeys and his concubine. Judges 19, verse 11. They had come as far as Jebus, and the day was far advanced, and the young servant said to his master, “Come, let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and lodge in it.” Judges 19, verse 12. But his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a foreign city where there are no sons of Israel. We will go onward as far as Gibeah.” Judges 19, verse 13. So he said to his young servant, “Come, let us draw near to one of these places and lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.” Judges 19, verse 14. And they passed by and went on their way. The sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. Judges 19, verse 15. There they turned aside to find lodging in Gibeah. And when he went in, he sat down in the open square of the city, and there was not a man who would take them into his house to lodge. Judges 19, verse 16. And behold, an old man came in from his work in the field at evening. He was from Mount Ephraim and he sojourned in Gibeah. The men of this place were sons of Benjamin. Judges 19, verse 17. And his eyes looked upward, and he saw the traveler in the street of the city. The old man said to him, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?” Judges 19, verse 18. So he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah toward the lower slopes of Mount Ephraim. I am from there and I traveled as far as Bethlehem of Judah. But there is no man to take me into his house, Judges 19, verse 19. yet we have straw and food for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and my handmaid, and for the young man with your servant. There is no lack of anything.” Judges 19, verse 20. And the old man said, “Peace be with you. And let all your needs be upon me, only do not lodge in the open street.” Judges 19, verse 21. So he brought him into his house and made a place for the asses. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank. Judges 19, verse 22. As they were comforting their heart, men of the city, sons of lawlessness, surrounded the house and beat on the door. They spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house, that we may know him!” Judges 19, verse 23. But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has come into my house, do not commit this foolishness. Judges 19, verse 24. Look, here is my virgin daughter and the man's concubine; I will lead them out now. Subdue and control them, do with them what is good in your eyes; but to this man do not do such a thoughtless thing!” Judges 19, verse 25. But the men were not inclined to heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when dawn came, they let her go. Judges 19, verse 26. And toward dawn, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, till there was daylight. Judges 19, verse 27. When her master arose in the morning and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way, there was his concubine, fallen at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold. Judges 19, verse 28. And he said to her, “Get up and let us be going.” But she did not answer, for she was dead. He carried her upon his ass and went to his place. Judges 19, verse 29. Then he took a sword, laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve pieces. He sent the twelve pieces throughout all the tribes of Israel. Judges 19, verse 30. And it was so, that everyone who saw it said, “A day such as this has never happened nor been seen from the day the children of Israel were brought out of the land of Egypt until this day. Take counsel amongst yourselves and proclaim your findings!”