Judges 19

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 At that time, when there was no king in Israel, there was a Levite residing in remote parts of the mountain region of Ephraim who had taken for himself a concubine from Bethlehem of Judah.
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 His concubine was unfaithful to him and left him for her father's house in Bethlehem of Judah, where she stayed for some 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 Her husband then set out with his servant and a pair of asses, and went after her to forgive her and take her back. She brought him into her father's house, and on seeing him, the girl's father joyfully made him welcome.
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 He was detained by the girl's father, and so he spent three days with this father-in-law of his, eating and drinking and passing the night there.
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 On the fourth day they rose early in the morning and he prepared to go. But the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Fortify yourself with a little food; you can go later on."
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 So they stayed and the two men ate and drank together. Then the girl's father said to the husband, "Why not decide to spend the night here and enjoy yourself?"
7 And when the man got up to leave, the father-in-law pressed him again, and he spent another nightthere.	7 The man still made a move to go, but when his father-in-law pressed him he went back and spent the night there.
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 On the fifth morning he rose early to depart, but the girl's father said, "Fortify yourself and tarry until the afternoon." When he and his father-in-law had eaten,
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 husband was ready to go with his concubine and servant, the girl's father said to him, "It is already growing dusk. Stay for the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Spend the night here and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow you can start your journey home."
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 The man, however, refused to stay another night; he and his concubine set out with a pair of saddled asses, and traveled till they came opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem.
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 Since they were near Jebus with the day far gone, the servant said to his master, "Come, let us turn off to this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it."
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 But his master said to him, "We will not turn off to a city of foreigners, who are not Israelites, but will go on to Gibeah.
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 Come," he said to his servant, "let us make for some other place, either Gibeah or Ramah, to spend the night."
14 So they kept going and went on with their journey. As they approached Gibeah in Benjamin, the sunwas setting.	14 So they continued on their way till the sun set on them when they were abreast of Gibeah 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 There they turned off to enter Gibeah for the night. The man waited in the public square of the city he had entered, but no one offered them the shelter of his home for the night.
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 In the evening, however, an old man came from his work in the field; he was from the mountain region of Ephraim, though he lived among the Benjaminite townspeople of Gibeah.
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 When he noticed the traveler in the public square of the city, the old man asked where he was going, and whence he had come.
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 said to him, "We are traveling from Bethlehem of Judah far up into the mountain region of Ephraim, where I belong. I have been to Bethlehem of Judah and am now going back home; but no one has offered us the shelter of his house.
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 fodder for our asses, and bread and wine for the woman and myself and for our servant; there is nothing else we need."
20 'Welcome,' said the old man. 'I shal see that you have al you want. You cannot spend the night inthe square.'	20 "You are welcome," the old man said to him, "but let me provide for all your needs, and do not spend the night in the public square."
21 So he took him into his house and gave the donkeys provender. The travel ers washed their feet,then ate and drank.	21 So he led them to his house and provided fodder for the asses. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
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 enjoying themselves, the men of the city, who were corrupt, surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man whose house it was, "Bring out your guest, 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 The owner of the house went out to them and said, "No, my brothers; do not be so wicked. Since this man is my guest, do not commit this crime.
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 Rather let me bring out my maiden daughter or his concubine. Ravish them, or do whatever you want with them; but against the man you must not commit this wanton crime."
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 When the men would not listen to his host, the husband seized his concubine and thrust her outside to them. They had relations with her and abused her all night until the following dawn, when they let her go.
26 At daybreak the girl came and fel on the threshold of her husband's host, and she stayed there until itwas light.	26 Then at daybreak the woman came and collapsed at the entrance of the house in which her husband was a guest, where she lay until the morning.
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 When her husband rose that day and opened the door of the house to start out again on his journey, there lay the woman, his concubine, at the entrance of the house with her hands 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 said to her, "Come, let us go"; but there was no answer. So the man placed her on an ass and started out again for home.
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 On reaching home, he took a knife to the body of his concubine, cut her into twelve pieces, and sent them throughout the territory 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 Everyone who saw this said, "Nothing like this has been done or seen from the day the Israelites came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Take note of it, and state what you propose to do."