1In those days there was no king in Israel. A certain Levite was living for a time on the far side of mount Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehemjudah.
2His concubine was unfaithful to him. She left him and went to her father's house at Bethlehemjudah, and she stayed there four whole months.
3Then her husband set out after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had his servant with him, and two donkeys. She brought him into her father's house. When the young woman's father saw him, he was glad to meet him.
4His father-in-law, the young woman's father, kept him there, and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank and slept there.
5On the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and the Levite rose to leave. But the young woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Strengthen yourself with a piece of bread, and after that you can go on your way."
6So the two of them sat down and ate and drank together. The young woman's father said to the man, "Please be willing to stay the night, and let your heart be glad."
7When the man rose to leave, his father-in-law urged him to stay, so he slept there again.
8On the fifth day he got up early in the morning to leave, and the young woman's father said, "Strengthen yourself, I ask you." So they waited until the afternoon, and the two of them ate.
9When the man rose to leave with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the young woman's father, said to him, "Look, the day is nearly over. Please stay the night. Look, the day is coming to an end. Sleep here, and let your heart be glad. Tomorrow you can get up early for your journey and go home."
10But the man would not stay that night. He got up and left, and came opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem. He had with him two saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him.
11When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone. The servant said to his master, "Please come, let us turn in to this city of the Jebusites and stay the night there."
12But his master said to him, "We will not turn in to a city of foreigners, who are not of the children of Israel. We will go on to Gibeah."
13He said to his servant, "Come, let us go on to one of these places and stay the night, in Gibeah or in Ramah."
14So they went on their way, and the sun went down on them when they were near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15They turned in there to go and stay the night in Gibeah. When the Levite went in, he sat down in a street of the city, for no one took them into his house to stay the night.
16Look, an old man came in from his work in the field in the evening. He too was from mount Ephraim, and he was living for a time in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites.
17He looked up and saw the traveller in the street of the city. The old man said, "Where are you going? Where do you come from?"
18He said to him, "We are travelling from Bethlehemjudah towards the far side of mount Ephraim. I am from there. I went to Bethlehemjudah, but now I am going to the house of the LORD, and no one will take me into his house."
19"Yet we have straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me, for your servant here, and for the young man who is with your servants. We need nothing at all."
20The old man said, "Peace be with you. Let all that you need be my care. Only do not stay the night in the street."
21So he brought him into his house and gave feed to the donkeys. They washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22While they were making their hearts glad, look, the men of the city, worthless men, surrounded the house. They beat on the door and said to the old man, the master of the house, "Bring out the man who came into your house, so that we may know him."
23The man, the master of the house, went out to them and said, "No, my brothers, no, I beg you, do not act so wickedly. This man has come into my house. Do not do this shameful thing."
24"Look, here is my daughter, who is a virgin, and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Force them and do to them whatever seems good to you. But to this man do not do such a vile thing."
25But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and brought her out to them. They knew her, and abused her all night until the morning. When the day began to dawn, they let her go.
26Then at daybreak the woman came and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, and lay there till it was light.
27Her master got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house. He went out to go on his way, and look, the woman, his concubine, had fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the doorstep.
28He said to her, "Get up, and let us be going." But no one answered. Then the man lifted her onto a donkey, and he set out and went to his own place.
29When he came to his house, he took a knife, took hold of his concubine, and cut her up, bone by bone, into twelve pieces. He sent her through all the country of Israel.
30And everyone who saw it said, "No such thing has been done or seen from the day the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think about it, talk it over, and say what you think."