A Levite goeth to Beth-lehem to fetch home his wife.

1 ¶ And it came to pass² in those² days,º when [there was] no² kingº in Israel,º that there was² a certainº Leviteº sojourningºª on the sideº of mountº Ephraim,º who tookºª to him a concubineºº out of Bethlehemjudah.ºº² 2 And his concubineº played the whoreºª against² him, and went away¹ª² from²² him unto² her father'sº houseº to² Bethlehemjudah,ºº and was² there² fourº whole² months.º¹ 3 And her husbandº arose,ºª and went¹ª² afterº her, to speakºª friendlyº² unto her, [and] to bring her again,ºª having his servantº with² him, and a coupleº of asses:º and she broughtºª him into her father'sº house:º and when the fatherº of the damselº sawºª him, he rejoicedºª to meetºª him. 4 And his father in law,ºª the damsel'sº father,º retainedºª him; and he abodeºª with² him threeº days:º so they did eatºª and drink,ºª and lodgedºª there.²

5 ¶ And it came to pass² on the fourthº day,º when they arose earlyºª in the morning,º that he rose upºª to depart:¹ª² and the damsel'sº fatherº saidºª unto² his son in law,º Comfortºª thine heartº with a morselº of bread,º and afterwardº go your way.¹ª² 6 And they sat down,ºª and did eatºª and drinkºª bothº of them together:º for the damsel'sº fatherº had saidºª unto² the man,º Be content,ºª I pray thee,² and tarry all night,ºª and let thine heartº be merry.ºª 7 And when the manº rose upºª to depart,¹ª² his father in lawºª urgedºª him: therefore he lodgedºª there² again.ºª 8 And he arose earlyºª in the morningº on the fifthº dayº to depart:¹ª² and the damsel'sº fatherº said,ºª Comfortºª thine heart,º I pray thee.² And they tarriedºª until² afternoon,ººª and they did eatºª bothº of them. 9 And when the manº rose upºª to depart,¹ª² he,² and his concubine,º and his servant,º his father in law,ºª the damsel'sº father,º saidºª unto him, Behold,² now² the dayº drawethºª toward evening,ºª I pray you² tarry all night:ºª behold,² the dayº groweth to an end,ºª lodgeºª here,² that thine heartº may be merry;ºª and to morrowº get you earlyºª on your way,º that thou mayest goºª home.º 10 But the manº wouldºª not² tarry that night,ºª but he rose upºª and departed,¹ª² and cameºª over againstº² Jebus,º which² [is] Jerusalem;º and [there were] with² him twoº assesº saddled,ºª his concubineº also [was] with² him. 11 [And] when they² [were] by² Jebus,º the dayº was farº spent;ºª and the servantº saidºª unto² his master,º Come,¹ª² I pray thee,² and let us turn inºª into² this² cityº of the Jebusites,º and lodgeºª in it. 12 And his masterº saidºª unto² him, We will not² turn asideºª hither into² the cityº of a stranger,º that² [is] not² of the childrenº² of Israel;º we will pass overºª to² Gibeah.º 13 And he saidºª unto his servant,º Come,¹ª² and let us draw nearºª to oneº of these placesº to lodge all night,ºª in Gibeah,º or² in Ramah.º 14 And they passed onºª and went their way;¹ª² and the sunº went downºª upon them [when they were] byº Gibeah,º which² [belongeth] to Benjamin.º 15 And they turned asideºª thither,² to go inºª [and] to lodgeºª in Gibeah:º and when he went in,ºª he sat him downºª in a streetº of the city:º for [there was] no² manº that tookºª them into his houseº to lodging.ºª

An old man entertaineth him at Gibeah.

16 ¶ And, behold,² there cameºª an oldº manº from² his workº out of² the fieldº at even,º which² [was] also¹ of mountº² Ephraim;º and he² sojournedºª in Gibeah:º but the men¹² of the placeº [were] Benjamites.º 17 And when he had lifted upºª his eyes,º he sawºª² a wayfaringºª manº in the streetº of the city:º and the oldº manº said,ºª Whither²² goest¹ª² thou? and whenceº² comestºª thou? 18 And he saidºª unto² him, We² [are] passingºª from Bethlehemjudahºº² toward² the sideº of mountº Ephraim;º from thence²² [am] I:² and I went¹ª² to² Bethlehemjudah,ºº but I² [am now] goingºª to the houseº of the LORD;º and there [is] no² manº that receivethºª me to house.º 19 Yet there isº both² strawº and² provenderº for our asses;º and there is² breadº and wineº also² for me, and for thy handmaid,º and for the young manº [which is] with² thy servants:º [there is] no² wantº of any² thing.º 20 And the oldº manº said,ºª Peaceº [be] with thee; howsoeverº [let] all² thy wantsº [lie] upon² me; only² lodgeºª not² in the street.º 21 So he broughtºª him into his house,º and gave provenderºª unto the asses:º and they washedºª their feet,º and did eatºª and drink.ºª

The Benjamites abuse his concubine to death.

22 ¶ [Now] as they² were making their hearts¹ merry,ºª²² behold,² the men¹² of the city,º certain¹² sonsº of Belial,º beset¹ª the house¹ round about,ºª²² [and] beatºª at² the door,º and spakeºª to² the masterº of the house,º the old¹ man,¹² saying,ºª Bring forthºª² the manº that² cameºª into² thine house,º that we may knowºª him. 23 And the man,º the masterº of the house,º went outºª unto² them, and saidºª unto² them, Nay,º my brethren,º [nay], I pray you,² do not [so] wickedly;ºª² seeing¹ that²² this² manº is comeºª into² mine house,º doºª not²² this² folly.º 24 Behold,² [here is] my daughterº a maiden,º and his concubine;º them I will bring outºª now,² and humbleºª ye them, and doºª with them what seemethº goodº unto you: but unto this² manº doºª not² soº vileº a thing.º 25 But the men¹² wouldºª not² hearkenºª to him: so the manº tookºª his concubine,º and brought¹ª her forthº² unto² them; and they knewºª her, and abusedºª her all² the nightº until² the morning:º and when the dayº began to spring,ºª they let her go.ºª 26 Then cameºª the womanº in the dawningºª of the day,º and fell downºª at the doorº of the man'sº houseº where²² her lordº [was], till² it was light.º 27 And her lordº rose upºª in the morning,º and openedºª the doorsº of the house,º and went outºª to go¹ª² his way:º and, behold,² the womanº his concubineº was fallen downºª [at] the doorº of the house,º and her handsº [were] upon² the threshold.º 28 And he saidºª unto² her, Up,ºª and let us be going.¹ª² But none² answered.ºª Then the man¹ tookºª her [up] upon² an ass,º and the manº rose up,ºª and gat¹ª² him unto his place.º

He divideth her into twelve pieces, to send them to the twelve tribes.

29 ¶ And when he was comeºª into² his house,º he tookºª² a knife,º and laid holdºª on his concubine,º and dividedºª her, [together] with her bones,º into twelveºº pieces,º and sentºª her into all² the coastsº of Israel.º 30 And it was² so,¹ª that all² that sawºª it said,ºª There was no² such² deed¹ done² nor² seenºª from the dayº² that the childrenº of Israelº came upºª out of the landº² of Egyptº unto² this² day:º considerºª of² it, take advice,ºª and speakºª [your minds].