19:1 And it came to pass in those days, when [there was] no melekh in Yisrael, that there was a certain Levi (לויּי) sojourning on the side of mount Efrayim, who took to him a concubine out of Beit Lechem Yehudah.
19:2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him to her father's bayit to Beit LechemYehudah, and was there four whole months.
19:3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly to her, [and] to bring her again, having his eved with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's bayit: and when the avi of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
19:4 And his khoten (father-in-law), the damsel's avi, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
19:5 And 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 avi said to his son in law, Comfort your heart with a morsel of lechem, and afterward go your way.
19:6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's avi had said to the man, Be content, I pray you, and tarry all night, and let your heart be merry.
19:7 And when the man rose up to depart, his khoten (father-in-law) urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
19:8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's avi said, Comfort your heart, I pray you. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
19:9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his eved, his khoten (father-in-law), the damsel's avi, said to him, Hinei, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: Hinei, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that your heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that you may go home.
19:10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Yebus, which [is] Yerusalem; and [there were] with him two asses saddled, his concubine also [was] with him.
19:11 [And] when they [were] by Yebus, the day was far spent; and the eved said to his master, Come, I pray you, and let us turn in into this city of the Yebusites, and lodge in it.
19:12 And his master said to him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that [is] not of benai Yisrael; we will pass over to Giv'ah.
19:13 And he said to his eved, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Giv'ah, or in Ramah.
19:14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them [when they were] by Giv'ah, which [belongeth] to Benyamin.
19:15 And they turned aside thither, to go in [and] to lodge in Giv'ah: 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 bayit to lodging.
19:16 And, Hinei, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which [was] also of mount Efrayim; and he sojourned in Giv'ah: but the men of the place [were] Benyamites.
19:17 And 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?
19:18 And he said to him, We [are] passing from Beit Lechem Yehudah toward the side of mount Efrayim; from thence [am] I: and I went to Beit Lechem Yehudah, but I [am now] going to the bayit of ADONAI (יהוה); and there [is] no man that receiveth me to bayit.
19:19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is lechem and wine also for me, and for your handmaid, and for the young man [which is] with your evedim: [there is] no want of any thing.
19:20 And the old man said, Shalom [be] with thee; howsoever [let] all your wants [lie] upon me; only lodge not in the street.
19:21 So he brought him into his bayit, and gave provender to the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
19:22 [Now] as they were making their hearts merry, Hinei, the men of the city, certain banim of Belial, beset the bayit round about, [and] beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the bayit, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into your bayit, that we may know him.
19:23 And the man, the master of the bayit, went out to them, and said to them, Nay, my achim, [nay], I pray you, do not [so] wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine bayit, do not this folly.
19:24 Hinei, [here is] my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seems good to you: but to this man do not so vile a thing.
19:25 But the men would not listen to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth to 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.
19:26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's bayit where her ADONAI (יהוה) [was], till it was light.
19:27 And her adon rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the bayit, and went out to go his way: and, Hinei, the woman his concubine was fallen down [at] the door of the bayit, and her hands [were] upon the threshold.
19:28 And he said to her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her [up] upon a donkey, and the man rose up, and gat him to his place.
19:29 And when he was come into his bayit, 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 Yisrael.
19:30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that benai Yisrael came up out of the Eretz Mitzrayim to this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak [your minds].