Judges 19 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Levite’s Concubine

19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of E′phraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 And his concubine became angry with[a] him, and she went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months. 3 Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple of asses. And he came[b] to her father’s house; and when the girl’s father saw him, he came with joy to meet him. 4 And his father-in-law, the girl’s father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days; so they ate and drank, and lodged there. 5 And on the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and he prepared to go; but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you may go.” 6 So the two men sat and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Be pleased to spend the night, and let your heart be merry.” 7 And when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law urged him, till he lodged there again. 8 And on the fifth day he arose early in the morning to depart; and the girl’s father said, “Strengthen your heart, and tarry until the day declines.” So they ate, both of them. 9 And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold, now the day has waned toward evening; pray tarry all night. Behold, the day draws to its close; lodge here and let your heart be merry; and tomorrow you shall arise early in the morning for your journey, and go home.”

10 But the man would not spend the night; he rose up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a couple of saddled asses, and his concubine was with him. 11 When they were near Jebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said to his master, “Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jeb′usites, and spend the night in it.” 12 And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel; but we will pass on to Gib′e-ah.” 13 And he said to his servant, “Come and let us draw near to one of these places, and spend the night at Gib′e-ah or at Ramah.” 14 So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gib′e-ah, which belongs to Benjamin, 15 and they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gib′e-ah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city; for no man took them into his house to spend the night.

16 And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening; the man was from the hill country of E′phraim, and he was sojourning in Gib′e-ah; the men of the place were Benjaminites. 17 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfarer in the open square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going? and whence do you come?” 18 And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of E′phraim, from which I come. I went to Bethlehem in Judah; and I am going to my home;[c] and nobody takes me into his house. 19 We have straw and provender for our asses, with bread and wine for me and your maidservant and the young man with your servants; there is no lack of anything.” 20 And the old man said, “Peace be to you; I will care for all your wants; only, do not spend the night in the square.” 21 So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses provender; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

Gibeah’s Crime

22 As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, base fellows, beset the house round about, beating on the door; and they said to the old man, the master of the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.” 23 And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren, do not act so wickedly; seeing that this man has come into my house, do not do this vile thing. 24 Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine; let me bring them out now. Ravish them and do with them what seems good to you; but against this man do not do so vile a thing.” 25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine, and put her out to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. 26 And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light.

27 And her master rose up in the morning, and when he opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, behold, there was his concubine lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, let us be going.” But there was no answer. Then he put her upon the ass; and the man rose up and went away to his home. 29 And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and laying hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. 30 And all who saw it said, “Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak.”

Footnotes

  1. Judges 19:2 Gk Old Latin: Heb played the harlot against
  2. Judges 19:3 Gk: Heb she brought him
  3. Judges 19:18 Gk Compare 19.29. Heb to the house of the Lord

You Might Also Like:

Judges 19 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

19 And it cometh to pass, in those days, when there is no king in Israel, that there is a man a Levite, a sojourner in the sides of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he taketh to him a wife, a concubine, out of Beth-Lehem-Judah; 2 and commit whoredom against him doth his concubine, and she goeth from...
Read More

Judges 19 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

19 In those days was no king in Israel. A man was a deacon, dwelling in the side of the hill of Ephraim, the which took a (secondary) wife of Bethlehem of Judah. (In those days there was no king in Israel. And there was a man who was a Levite, living far back, or deep, in the hill country of Ephraim...
Read More

Judges 19 - World English Bible (WEB)

19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah. 2 His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethl...
Read More

Judges 19 - The Voice (VOICE)

19 During this period, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite from the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim had a mistress[a] from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But she was unfaithful to him and returned home to her father in Bethlehem in Judah, and was away from the Levite for four month...
Read More

Judges 19 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Crime at Gibeah of Benjamin19 Now in those days, there was no king in Israel. There was a certain Levite dwelling in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who got himself a concubine out of Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her ...
Read More

Judges 19 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Levite’s Concubine19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of E′phraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 And his concubine became angry with[a] him, and she went away from him to her fat...
Read More

Judges 19 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Levite’s Concubine19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of E′phraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 And his concubine became angry with[a] him, and she went away from him to her fat...
Read More

Judges 19 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Levite’s Concubine19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite, residing in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine became angry with[a] him, and she went away from him to her father’s hous...
Read More

Judges 19 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Levite’s Concubine19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite, residing in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine became angry with[a] him, and she went away from him to her father’s hous...
Read More

Judges 19 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Levite’s Concubine19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite residing in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.(A)2 But his concubine became angry with[a] him, and she went away from him to her father’s house...
Read More

Judges 19 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Levite and His Concubine19 Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine. 2 But she became angry with him[a] and returned to her fath...
Read More

Judges 19 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Levite and Woman Who Acted as His Wife19 There was no king in Israel in those days. And there was a certain Levite staying in a far away part of the hill country of Ephraim. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to act as his wife. 2 But his woman was not faithful to him. She left him and wen...
Read More

Judges 19 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Levite’s Concubine19 And it came to pass in those days, (A)when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from (B)Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away f...
Read More

Judges 19 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

A Levite and his concubine19 In those days Israel had no king.Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been the...
Read More

Judges 19 - New International Version (NIV)

A Levite and His Concubine19 In those days Israel had no king.Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim(A) took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.(B) 2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had bee...
Read More

Judges 19 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

A Levite and His Concubine19 In those days Israel didn’t have a king.There was a Levite who lived deep in the hill country of Ephraim. He got a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But she wasn’t faithful to him. She left him. She went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed the...
Read More

Judges 19 - New English Translation (NET)

Sodom and Gomorrah Revisited19 In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite[a] living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine[b] from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 However, she[c] got angry at him[d] and went home[e] to her father’s house in Bethlehe...
Read More