¹ In those days when [there was] no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem of Judah.

² And his concubine committed adultery against him and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehem of Judah and was there four whole months.

³ And her husband arose and went after her to speak friendly unto her [and] to bring her again, having his servant with him and a couple of asses, and she brought him into her father's house. And when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him;

⁴ and his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he dwelt with him three days; eating and drinking, and abiding there.

⁵ And on the fourth day when they arose early in the morning, [the levite] rose up to depart; and the damsel's father said unto his son-in-law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards ye shall go.

⁶ And the two of them sat down together and ate and drank. And the damsel's father said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and thy heart shall be merry.

⁷ And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him to remain and lodge there [again].

⁸ And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, and the damsel's father said, Strengthen now thy heart. And after having eaten together, they tarried until afternoon.

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 draws toward evening, I pray you tarry all night; behold, the day comes to an end; lodge here that thy heart may be merry, and tomorrow ye shall get up early and be on your way that thou may come unto thy tent.

¹⁰ But the man would not remain there that night, but he rose up and departed and came over against Jebus, which [is] Jerusalem, with his two asses saddled and [with] his concubine.

¹¹ [And] when they [were] by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come now and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites and lodge in it.

¹² And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside here into a city of strangers that [is] not of the sons of Israel; we will go on to Gibeah.

¹³ And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places to pass the night, in Gibeah or in Ramah.

¹⁴ And they passed on and walked; and the sun went down upon them [when they were] by Gibeah, which [belonged] to Benjamin.

¹⁵ And they turned in there, to enter [and] to lodge in Gibeah; and entering in, they sat down in the plaza of the city, for no one took them into their house to pass the night.

¹⁶ And, behold, an old man, who in the evening came from working in the field, who [was] also of Mount Ephraim, sojourned in Gibeah, but the men of the place [were] sons of Jemini.

¹⁷ And the old man lifted up his eyes and saw the traveller in the plaza of the city and said unto him, Where dost thou go and where hast thou come from?

¹⁸ And he said unto him, We [are] passing from Bethlehem of Judah toward the side of Mount Ephraim, where I am from, and I went to Bethlehem of Judah, but I [am now] going to the house of the LORD, and no one [has] received me in [their] house

¹⁹ even though we have straw and fodder for our asses, and there is bread and wine also for me and for thy handmaid and for the young man [who is] with thy servant; we have no lack of any thing.

²⁰ And the old man said, Peace [be] with thee; let all thy needs be upon me; only do not pass the night in the plaza.

²¹ So he brought him into his house and gave fodder unto the asses, and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

²² [Now] as they were making their hearts merry, behold, that men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about [and] beat at the doors and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house that we may know him.

²³ And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them and said unto them, No, my brethren, I pray you, do not do this evil, seeing that this man has entered into my house; do not commit this folly.

²⁴ Behold, [here is] my virgin daughter and his concubine; I will bring them out now, humble them, and do with them what seems good unto you, but unto this man do not commit this [vile] folly.

²⁵ But the men would not hearken unto him, so the man took his concubine and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her and abused her all night until the morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go.

²⁶ Then the woman came, in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord [was] until it was light.

²⁷ And her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, and behold, the woman his, concubine, was fallen down [at] the door of the house with her hands upon the threshold.

²⁸ And he said unto her, Rise up, and let us be going. But she did not answer. Then the man rose up and took her upon his ass and went unto his place.

²⁹ And when he was come into his house, he took a knife and laid hold on his concubine and divided her, [together] with her bones into twelve pieces, and sent them into all the borders of Israel.

³⁰ And everyone that saw it said, No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day. Consider this, give advice, and speak.: