1
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Yisra’el, that there was a certain Levi sojourning in the far side of the hill country of Efrayim, and he took for himself an ishah, a concubine, from Beit-Lechem in Yehudah.
2
And his concubine acted unfaithfully against him, and went away from him to the house of her father, to Beit-Lechem in Yehudah, and was there four months.
3
And her ish rose and went after her, to speak to her heart and bring her back, having his young man with him and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into the house of her father. And when the father of the young ishah saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
4
And his father-in-law, the father of the young ishah, held him, and he dwelt with him three days. And they ate and drank and lodged there.
5
And it came to pass on the fourth day that they rose early in the morning, and he rose to go. And the father of the young ishah said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you may go.”
6
And they sat down, and the two of them ate and drank together. And the father of the young ishah said to the ish, “Please be willing and lodge, and let your heart be good.”
7
And the ish rose to go, but his father-in-law pressed him, and he returned and lodged there.
8
And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to go. And the father of the young ishah said, “Please strengthen your heart.” And they delayed until the day declined, and the two of them ate.
9
And the ish rose to go, he and his concubine and his young man. And his father-in-law, the father of the young ishah, said to him, “See now, the day has declined toward evening. Please lodge. See, the day is drawing to its close. Lodge here, and let your heart be good. And tomorrow rise early for your way, and go to your tent.”
10
But the ish was not willing to lodge. And he rose and went, and came as far as opposite Yevus, which is Yerushalayim. And with him were a pair of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him.
11
They were near Yevus, and the day had gone down exceedingly. And the young man said to his master, “Please come, and let us turn aside into this city of the Yevusi and lodge in it.”
12
And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not from the sons of Yisra’el. We will pass on as far as Givah.”
13
And he said to his young man, “Come, and let us draw near to one of these places, and lodge in Givah or in HaRamah.”
14
And they passed on and went their way, and the sun went down upon them near Givah, which belongs to Binyamin.
15
And they turned aside there to enter and lodge in Givah. And he entered and sat in the broad place of the city, but no ish gathered them into his house to lodge.
16
And see, an old ish came from his work from the field in the evening. And the ish was from the hill country of Efrayim, and he sojourned in Givah, but the men of the place were Binyamini.
17
And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveling ish in the broad place of the city. And the old ish said, “Where are you going, and from where do you come?”
18
And he said to him, “We are passing from Beit-Lechem in Yehudah to the far side of the hill country of Efrayim. From there I am, and I went to Beit-Lechem in Yehudah, and now I am going to the house of Yahuah. And no ish gathers me into the house.
19
Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and there is bread and wine also for me and for your female servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.”
20
And the old ish said, “Shalom to you. Only let all your lack be upon me. Only do not lodge in the broad place.”
21
And he brought him into his house and mixed fodder for the donkeys. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22
They were making their heart good, and see, the men of the city, sons of worthlessness, surrounded the house, beating upon the door. And they spoke to the old ish, master of the house, saying, “Bring out the ish who came into your house, that we may know him.”
23
And the ish, master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not do evil. Since this ish has come into my house, do not do this disgraceful thing.
24
See, my daughter, a virgin, and his concubine—I will bring them out now. Humble them and do to them what is good in your eyes. But against this ish do not do this disgraceful thing.”
25
But the men were not willing to listen to him. And the ish seized his concubine and brought her out to them outside. And they knew her and abused her all the night until the morning. And they sent her away at the rising of dawn.
26
And the ishah came at the turning of morning and fell at the entrance of the house of the ish where her master was, until it became light.
27
And her master rose in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way. And see, the ishah, his concubine, had fallen at the entrance of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.
28
And he said to her, “Rise, and let us go.” But there was no answer. And he took her upon the donkey, and the ish rose and went to his place.
29
And he came to his house and took the knife, and seized his concubine and divided her according to her bones into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the border of Yisra’el.
30
And it came to pass that everyone who saw it said, “There has not been, and there has not been seen, anything like this from the day the sons of Yisra’el came up from the land of Mitzrayim until this day. Set your heart upon it, take counsel, and speak.”