Judges 19

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a man, a Levite, whose home was deep inthe highlands of Ephraim. He took as concubine a woman from Bethlehem in Judah.	1 There was a certain Levite, who dwelt on the side of mount Ephraim, who took a wife of Bethlehem Juda:
2 In a fit of anger his concubine left him and went back to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, andshe stayed there for some time -- four months.	2 And she left him and returned to her father's house in Bethlehem, and abode with him four months.
3 Her husband then set out after her, to appeal to her affections and fetch her back; he had his servantand two donkeys with him. As he was arriving at the house of the girl's father, the father saw him and camehappily to meet him.	3 And her husband followed her, willing to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to bring her back with him, having with him a servant and two asses: and she received him, and brought him into her father's house. And when his father in law had heard this, and had seen him, he met him with joy,
4 His father-in-law, the girl's father, kept him there; and he stayed with him for three days; they ate anddrank and spent the nights there.	4 And embraced the man. And the son in law tarried in the house of his father in law three days, eating with him and drinking familiarly.
5 On the fourth day they got up early, and the Levite was preparing to leave when the girl's father said tohis son-in-law, 'Have something to eat to gather strength; you can leave later.'	5 But on the fourth day arising early in the morning he desired to depart. But his father in law kept him, and said to him: Taste first a little bread, and strengthen thy stomach, and so thou shalt depart.
6 So they sat down and began eating and drinking, the two of them together; then the girl's father said tothe young man, 'Please agree to spend tonight here too and enjoy yourself.'	6 And they sat down together, and ate and drank. And the father of the young woman said to his son in law: I beseech thee to stay here to day, and let us make merry together.
7 And when the man got up to leave, the father-in-law pressed him again, and he spent another nightthere.	7 But he rising up began to be for departing. And nevertheless his father in law earnestly pressed him, and made him stay with him.
8 On the fifth day, the Levite got up early to leave, but the girl's father said to him, 'Please gatherstrength first!' So they stayed on until the sun began to go down, and the two men had a meal together.	8 But when morning was come, the Levite prepared to go on his journey. And his father in law said to him again: I beseech thee to take a little meat, and strengthening thyself, till the day be farther advanced, afterwards thou mayest depart. And they ate together.
9 The husband was getting up to leave with his concubine and his servant when his father-in-law, thegirl's father, said, 'Look, day is fading into evening. Please spend the night here. Look, the day is nearly over.Spend the night here and enjoy yourself. Then, early tomorrow, you can leave on your journey and go backhome.'	9 And the young man arose to set forward with his wife and servant. And his father in law spoke to him again: Consider that the day is declining, and draweth toward evening: tarry with me to day also, and spend the day in mirth, and to morrow thou shalt depart, that thou mayest go into thy house.
10 But the man, refusing to stay the night, got up and went on his way, until he arrived within sight ofJebus -- that is, Jerusalem. He had with him two donkeys saddled, his concubine and his servant.	10 His son in law would not consent to his words: but forthwith went forward and came over against Jebus, which by another name is called Jerusalem, leading with him two asses laden, and his concubine.
11 By the time they were near Jebus, the light was going fast. The servant said to his master, 'Come on,please, let us turn off into this Jebusite town and spend the night there.'	11 And now they were come near Jebus, and the day was far spent: and the servant said to his master: Come, I beseech thee, let us turn into the city of the Jebusites, and lodge there.
12 His master replied, 'We shal not turn off into a town of foreigners, of people who are not Israelites;we shal go on to Gibeah.'	12 His master answered him: I will not go into the town of another nation, who are not of the children of Israel, but I will pass over to Gabaa:
13 He then said to his servant, 'Come on, we shal try to reach one or other of those places, eitherGibeah or Ramah, and spend the night there.'	13 And when I shall come thither, we will lodge there, or at least in the city of Rama.
14 So they kept going and went on with their journey. As they approached Gibeah in Benjamin, the sunwas setting.	14 So they passed by Jebus, and went on their journey, and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gabaa, which is in the tribe of Benjamin:
15 So they turned that way to spend the night in Gibeah. Once inside, the Levite sat down in the townsquare, but no one offered to take them in for the night.	15 And they turned into it, to lodge there. And when they were come in, they sat in the street of the city, for no man would receive them to lodge.
16 Eventual y, an old man came along at nightfal from his work in the fields. He too was from thehighlands of Ephraim, although he was living in Gibeah; the people of the place, however, were Benjaminites.	16 And behold they saw an old man, returning out of the field and from his work in the evening, and he also was of mount Ephraim, and dwelt as a stranger in Gabaa; but the men of that country were the children of Jemini.
17 Looking up, he saw the travel er in the town square. 'Where are you going?' said the old man, 'Andwhere have you come from?'	17 And the old man lifting up his eyes, saw the man sitting with his bundles in the street of the city, and said to him: Whence comest thou? and whither goest thou?
18 'We are on our way', the other replied, 'from Bethlehem in Judah to a place deep in the highlands ofEphraim. That is where I come from. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going home, but no onehas offered to take me into his house,	18 He answered him: We came out from Bethlehem Juda, and we are going to our home, which is on the side of mount Ephraim, from whence we went to Bethlehem: and now we go to the house of God, and none will receive us under his roof:
19 although we have straw and provender for our donkeys, and I also have bread and wine for myself,and this maidservant and the young man who is travelling with your servant; we are short of nothing.'	19 We have straw and hay for provender of the asses, and bread and wine for the use of myself and of thy handmaid, and of the servant that is with me: we want nothing but lodging.
20 'Welcome,' said the old man. 'I shal see that you have al you want. You cannot spend the night inthe square.'	20 And the old man answered him: Peace be with thee: I will furnish all things that are necessary: only I beseech thee, stay not in the street.
21 So he took him into his house and gave the donkeys provender. The travel ers washed their feet,then ate and drank.	21 And he brought him into his house, and gave provender to his asses: and after they had washed their feet, he entertained them with a feast.
22 While they were enjoying themselves, some townsmen, scoundrels, came crowding round the house;they battered on the door and said to the old man, master of the house, 'Send out the man who went into yourhouse, we should like to have intercourse with him!'	22 While they were making merry, and refreshing their bodies with meat and drink, after the labour of the journey, the men of that city, sons of Belial, (that is, without yoke,) came and beset the old man's house, and began to knock at the door, calling to the master of the house, and saying: Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may abuse him.
23 The master of the house went out to them and said, 'No, brothers, please, do not be so wicked. Sincethis man is now under my roof, do not commit such an infamy.	23 And the old man went out to them, and said: Do not so, my brethren, do not so wickedly: because this man is come into my lodging, and cease I pray you from this folly.
24 Here is my daughter; she is a virgin; I shal bring her out to you. Il -treat her, do what you please withher, but do not commit such an infamy against this man.'	24 I have a maiden daughter, and this man hath a concubine, I will bring them out to you, and you may humble them, and satisfy your lust: only, I beseech you, commit not this crime against nature on the man.
25 But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and brought her out tothem. They had intercourse with her and ill-treated her al night til morning; when dawn was breaking they let hergo.	25 They would not be satisfied with his words; which the man seeing, brought out his concubine to them, and abandoned her to their wickedness: and when they had abused her all the night, they let her go in the morning.
26 At daybreak the girl came and fel on the threshold of her husband's host, and she stayed there until itwas light.	26 But the woman, at the dawning of the day, came to the door of the house where her lord lodged, and there fell down.
27 In the morning her husband got up and, opening the door of the house, was going out to continue hisjourney when he saw the woman, his concubine, lying at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold.	27 And in the morning the man arose, and opened the door that he might end the journey he had begun: and behold his concubine lay before the door with her hands spread on the threshold.
28 'Get up,' he said, 'we must leave!' There was no answer. He then loaded her on his donkey andbegan the journey home.	28 He thinking she was taking her rest, said to her: Arise, and let us be going. But as she made no answer, perceiving she was dead, he took her up, and laid her upon his ass, and returned to his house.
29 Having reached his house, he took his knife, took hold of his concubine and cut her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces; he then sent her throughout the territory of Israel.	29 And when he was come home he took a sword, and divided the dead body of his wife with her bones into twelve parts, and sent the pieces into all the borders of Israel.
30 He gave instructions to his messengers, 'This is what you are to say to al the Israelites, "Hasanything like this been done since the day when the Israelites came out of Egypt until today? Take this to heart,discuss it; then give your verdict." ' And al who saw it declared, 'Never has such a thing been done or been seensince the Israelites came out of Egypt until today.'	30 And when every one had seen this, they all cried out: There was never such a thing done in Israel from the day that our fathers came up out of Egypt, until this day: give sentence, and decree in common what ought to be done.