The Koine Bible

And it came to pass in those days, and there was no king in Israel, and there came to be a Levite man sojourning in the recesses of the hill-country of Ephraim; and the man took for himself a concubine wife from Bethlehem of Judah.

And his concubine was angry with him and went away from him to her father’s house in Bethlehem of Judah, and she was there four months.

And her man arose and went after her to speak to her heart, to reconcile her to himself and to bring her back again to him, and his little boy with him, and a pair of pack animals; and he went as far as the house of her father, and the father of the young woman saw him and was present to meet him

And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, brought him in, and he sat with him three days, and they ate and drank and slept there

And it happened on the fourth day, and they rose early in the morning, and he got up to go; and the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your heart with a piece of bread, and after this you shall go.

And they sat and ate both of them together and drank, and the father of the young woman said to the man, beginning, Lodge here, and let your heart be cheered.

And the man rose up to go, and his son-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.

And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to go, and the father of the young woman said, Strengthen your heart with bread, and stay until the day declines; and they ate and drank both of them.

And the man rose to depart, he and his concubine and his little child; and his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, Behold now, toward evening the day has declined; stay here still today, and let your heart be made glad, and tomorrow you shall rise early for your way, and you shall go to your tent.

And the man was not willing to lodge, and he rose and went on, and they came as far as opposite Jebus; this is Jerusalem; and with him a yoke of asses saddled, and his concubine with him

While they were still near Jebus, and the day was very far spent, the boy said to his lord, Come now, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusite, and let us spend the night in it.

And his lord said to him, We shall certainly not turn aside into a city of a stranger, which is not of the sons of Israel, but we shall pass on to Gibeah.

And he said to his young man, Come, and let us enter into one of the places and lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.

And they passed by and went on, for the sun had gone down, near Gibeah, which is of Benjamin.

And they turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah, and they entered and sat in the broad street of the city, and there was no man gathering them into the house to lodge.

And behold, an old man came in from his work from the field in the evening, and the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he himself was sojourning in Gabaa, and the men of the place were sons of Benjamin.

And lifting up his eyes, he saw the man, the traveler, in the broad place of the city, and the old man said, Where are you going, and from where are you coming?

And he said to him, We are passing through from Bethlehem of Judah to the parts of the mountain of Ephraim, and I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem of Judah, and I am returning to my house, and there is no man gathering me into the house

and moreover there is straw and fodder for our donkeys, and moreover there is bread and wine for me and for your maidservant and for the young man; your servants lack nothing at all

And the old man said, Peace to you; only all your lack be on me; only do not lodge in the square.

And he brought him into his house and gave fodder to his pack animals, and they washed their feet and ate and drank

And while their heart was being made cheerful, behold, the men of the city, sons of lawless men, surrounded the house and knocked at the door and said to the man, the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.

And the man, the lord of the house, went out to them and said to them, By no means, brothers, do not do wickedly, please, after this man has come into my house; do not do this folly.

Behold, my virgin daughter and his concubine; I will bring them out now, and humble them, and do to them what is good in your eyes; but to this man do not do this deed of folly.

And the men were not willing to listen to him, and the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them outside, and they knew her and mocked her all the night until morning, and they sent her away as the dawn was rising.

And the woman came at daybreak and fell beside the door of the gate of the house of the man where her lord was there, until it grew light.

And her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, and behold, the woman his concubine was fallen by the door, and her hands were on the threshold.

And he said to her, Rise, and let us depart. And she did not answer him, but she had died. And he took her up onto the pack animal, and the man arose and went away to his place.

And he entered into his house and took the sword and laid hold of his concubine and cut her up, according to her bones, into twelve pieces and sent them throughout all the tribes of Israel

And it happened that everyone who saw said, Neither has such a thing happened nor has such a thing been seen from the day of the ascent of the sons of Israel out of Egypt until this day. And he gave orders to the men whom he sent away, saying, Thus you shall say to every man of Israel: Has such a thing come about according to this word from the day of the ascent of the sons of Israel out of Egypt until this day? Set for yourselves, indeed, a plan concerning it, and speak.