Judges

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

1In those days Israel had no king. A Levite was living far up in the hills of Ephraim. Levites were men from one family group who helped with worship. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.

NoteA concubine was a woman who lived with a man as a wife, but she had a lower place in the home than a full wife did.

2And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.

2She was not faithful to him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem. She stayed there four months.

3And 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.

3Her husband went after her to speak kindly and bring her home. He took his servant and two donkeys. She brought him into her father's house. Her father was glad to see him.

4And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.

4His father-in-law asked him to stay. So he stayed three days. They ate and drank and slept there.

5And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel’s father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.

5On the fourth day they got up early to leave. The young woman's father said, "Eat a little bread first. Then you can go."

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

6So the two men sat down and ate and drank together. Her father said, "Please stay one more night and enjoy yourself."

7And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.

7The man got up to leave. His father-in-law kept asking him to stay. So he slept there again.

8And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel’s father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

8On the fifth day he got up early to leave. The father said, "Please eat something first." So they waited until afternoon, and the two of them ate.

9And 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 go home.

9Then the man got up to go with his concubine and his servant. His father-in-law said, "Look, evening is coming. Please stay the night. The day is almost over. Sleep here and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can start early for home."

10But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.

10But the man would not stay that night. He got up and left with his concubine and his two loaded donkeys. He came near Jebus, the town we now call Jerusalem.

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

11They were close to Jebus, and the day was nearly gone. The servant said, "Please, let us stop in this Jebusite town and sleep here."

12And his master said unto him, 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.

12His master said, "No. We will not stop in a town of strangers who are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah."

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

13He said to his servant, "Come. Let us reach Gibeah or Ramah and sleep there tonight."

14And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

14So they kept walking. The sun went down when they were near Gibeah. That town belonged to the family group of Benjamin.

15And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.

15They turned in to spend the night in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the town square. No one invited them into a house.

16And, 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 Benjamites.

16That evening an old man came in from his work in the field. He was from the hills of Ephraim too. He was living in Gibeah, but the men of that town were Benjamites.

17And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

17He looked up and saw the traveler in the town square. The old man asked, "Where are you going? Where have you come from?"

18And 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 the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.

18He said, "We are going from Bethlehem in Judah to the far hills of Ephraim. That is my home. I went to Bethlehem, and now I am going to the house of the LORD. But no one has taken us in."

19Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.

19"We have straw and food for our donkeys. We have bread and wine for me, for this woman, and for the young man with us. We do not need a thing."

NoteThe KJV says "there is no want of any thing." In old English, "want" meant "lack." It means they were not missing anything they needed.

20And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.

20The old man said, "Peace to you. I will give you whatever you need. Only do not sleep out in the square."

21So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

21So he brought them into his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet and ate and drank.

22Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and 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.

22While they were enjoying themselves, wicked men of the town surrounded the house. They pounded on the door. They said to the old man who owned the house, "Send out the man who came to your house. We want to have sex with him."

NoteThe KJV says the men wanted to "know" him. That was an old way of saying to have sex with someone. The KJV also calls them "sons of Belial," which simply means worthless or wicked men.

23And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.

23The owner of the house went out to them. He said, "No, my brothers, please do not do this evil thing. This man is a guest in my house. Do not do this shameful thing."

24Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

24"Look, here is my daughter, who has never been with a man. Here is his concubine too. I will bring them out to you. Use them and do what you want. But do not do such an evil thing to this man."

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

25But the men would not listen. So the Levite took his concubine and put her outside to them. They forced themselves on her and hurt her all night long. At dawn they let her go.

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

26As the sun came up, the woman came back. She fell down at the door of the house where her master was. She lay there until it was light.

27And 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, and her hands were upon the threshold.

27In the morning her master got up. He opened the doors to go on his way. There lay his concubine at the door. Her hands were on the doorstep.

28And 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 his place.

28He said to her, "Get up. Let us go." But she did not answer. So he put her on the donkey and went home.

29And 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 her into all the coasts of Israel.

29When he got home, he took a knife. He took hold of his concubine and cut her body into twelve pieces. He sent the pieces all through the land of Israel.

30And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no 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.

30Everyone who saw it said the same thing. "Nothing like this has happened since Israel came out of Egypt. Think about it. Talk it over. Say what should be done."