¹ And it came to pass in those days, when, king, there was none in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-judah.

² And his concubine went astray against him, and departed from him, unto the house of her father, in Bethlehem-judah,—and remained there, the space of four months.

³ Then arose her husband, and went after her, to speak unto her heart, that he might bring her back again, having his young man with him, and a couple of asses,—and she brought him into the house of her father, and, when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

⁴ And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, constrained him, and he abode with him three days,—and they did eat and drink, and lodged there.

⁵ And it came to pass, on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, and gat up to go, that the father of the damsel said unto his son-in-law,—Stay thy heart with a morsel of bread, and, afterwards, ye shall go your way.

⁶ So they both of them sat down and did eat together, and drink. Then said the father of the damsel unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry the night, and let thy heart be glad.

⁷ And, when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, so he turned back and tarried the night there.

⁸ And, when he arose early on the morning of the fifth day, to go, the father of the damsel said—Come now, stay thy heart, and tarry ye until the decline of the day. And they did eat, both of them.

⁹ And, when the man rose up to go—he and his concubine and his young man,—his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, said to him, Come now, see! the day hath sunk down towards evening, come now! tarry the night; lo! the day goeth down, tarry the night here, and let thy heart be glad, so shall ye rise early to-morrow for your journey, and thou shalt go thy way to thine own home.

¹⁰ But the man would not tarry the night, but rose up and went his way, and came as far as over against Jebus, the same, is Jerusalem,—and, with him, were a couple of asses, saddled, his concubine also, was with him.

¹¹ They being by Jebus, and, the day, having gone far down, the young man said unto his lord—Do come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and tarry the night therein.

¹² And his lord said unto him, We will not turn aside into a city of aliens, who are, not of the sons of Israel,—but will pass on as far as Gibeah.

¹³ And he said to his young man, Come and let us draw near unto one of the places,—and tarry the night in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

¹⁴ So they passed on, and went their way,—and the sun went in upon them beside Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

¹⁵ Then turned they aside there, to go in and tarry the night in Gibeah,—so he went in and abode in the broadway of the city; and there was no one minded to take them into a house, to tarry the night.

¹⁶ But lo! an old man, coming in from his work, out of the field, in the evening, and, the man, was from the hill country of Ephraim, he himself, being a sojourner in Gibeah,—but, the men of the place, were Benjamites.

¹⁷ So he lifted up his eyes, and saw a wayfaring man in the broadway of the city,—and the old man said—Whither goest thou? and from whence hast thou come?

¹⁸ And he said unto him—We, are passing along, from Bethlehem-judah, unto the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, whence I am, but I have been as far as Bethlehem-judah, and now, unto the house of Yahweh, am I going, and there is no one minded to take me into a house.

¹⁹ Nevertheless, straw and fodder too, is there for our asses, yea moreover, bread and wine, there are for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants,—there is lack, of nothing.

²⁰ And the old man said—Thou art welcome! only, all thy wants, be on me,—by no means, in the broadway, mayest thou lodge.

²¹ So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses,—and they bathed their feet, and did eat and drink.

²² They, were gladdening their heart, when lo! men of the city, men of the sons of the Abandoned One, beset the house round about, beating violently against the door,—and they spake unto the old man the owner of the house, saying, Bring forth the man that hath entered into thy house, that we may know him.

²³ And the man, the owner of the house, went forth unto them, and said unto them, Do not, my brethren, do not act vilely, I pray you,—after this man hath entered into my house, do not commit this impiety.

²⁴ Lo, my virgin daughter, and his concubine, I must needs now bring, them, forth, and ye must humble, them, and do, unto them, what seemeth good in your own eyes,—but, unto this man, must ye not do this impious thing!

²⁵ But the men would not hearken unto him, so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them, outside,—and they knew, her, and abused her all the night, until the morning, and let her go at the uprisings of the dawn.

²⁶ So the woman came in at the turnings of the morning,—and fell down at the entrance of the man’s house where her lord was, and [lay there] till it was light.

²⁷ So then her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went forth, to go on his journey,—when lo! the woman, his concubine, fallen at the entrance of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.

²⁸ And he said unto her—Up! and let us be going. But there was no answer. So he took her up on the ass, and the man rose up, and went his way to his own place.

²⁹ And, when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces,—and sent her throughout all the bounds of Israel.

³⁰ And so it was, that every one who beheld said—There hath not happened, nor been seen the like of this, from the day when the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt, until this day: Put it to yourselves contemning it, take counsel and speak!