1And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a Levite man (ish) sojourning at the far side of the hill country of Ephraim, and he took to himself a woman (ishah), a concubine, from Bethlehem of Judah.
2And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house, to Bethlehem of Judah, and was there days, four months.
3And her husband (ish) arose and went after her, to speak to her heart, to bring her back, and his young man was with him, and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him to her father's house, and the father of the young woman saw him, and rejoiced to meet him.
4And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, held him; and he stayed with him three days, and they ate and drank and lodged there.
5And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they rose early in the morning, and he rose up to go; and the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, "Sustain your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you shall go."
6And the two of them sat and ate together and drank. And the father of the young woman said to the man (ish), "Be willing, please, and lodge the night, and let your heart be merry."
7And the man (ish) rose up to go; but his father-in-law urged him, and he returned and lodged there.
8And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to go; and the father of the young woman said, "Sustain your heart, please." And they lingered until the declining of the day; and the two of them ate.
9And the man (ish) rose up to go, he and his concubine and his young man; and his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, "Behold, please, the day has weakened toward evening; lodge the night, please. Behold, the day is declining; lodge here, and let your heart be merry; and tomorrow you shall rise early for your journey, and you shall go to your tent."
10But the man (ish) was not willing to lodge the night, and he rose up and went, and came opposite Jebus (it is Jerusalem); and with him were a pair of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him.
11They were near Jebus, and the day had gone down very much; and the young man said to his master, "Come, please, and let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it."
12And his master said to him, "We will not turn aside to a city of foreigners, who are not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah."
13And he said to his young man, "Come, and let us draw near to one of these places, and lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah."
14And they passed on and went; and the sun went down on them beside Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15And they turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah; and he went in and sat in the open square of the city, and there was no man (ish) gathering them into the house to lodge.
16And behold, an old man (ish) coming from his work from the field in the evening; and the man (ish) was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibeah; and the men (ish) of the place were Benjamites.
17And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the man (ish), the wayfarer, in the open square of the city; and the old man (ish) said, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?"
18And he said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem of Judah to the far side of the hill country of Ephraim; I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem of Judah; and I am going to the house of YHWH, and there is no man (ish) gathering me into the house.
19And there is both straw and also fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, and for your maidservant, and for the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything."
20And the old man (ish) said, "Peace to you; only let all your lack be upon me; only do not lodge in the open square."
21And he brought him to his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22They were making their hearts merry, and behold, the men (ish) of the city, men (ish), sons of belial, surrounded the house, beating on the door; and they spoke to the man (ish), the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man (ish) who came to your house, that we may know him."
23And the man (ish), the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, "No, my brothers, do not do evil, please; after this man (ish) has come into my house, do not do this folly.
24Behold, my daughter the virgin, and his concubine; let me bring them out now, and humble them, and do to them what is good in your eyes; but to this man (ish) do not do this thing of folly."
25But the men (ish) were not willing to listen to him; so the man (ish) took hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them outside; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning; and they let her go at the rising of the dawn.
26And the woman (ishah) came at the turning of the morning, and fell at the entrance of the man's (ish) house, where her master was, until the light.
27And her master rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go on his way; and behold, the woman (ishah), his concubine, fallen at the entrance of the house, and her hands upon the threshold.
28And he said to her, "Rise up, and let us go." But there was no answer. And he took her upon the donkey, and the man (ish) rose up and went to his place.
29And he came to his house, and took the knife, and took hold of his concubine, and cut her up by her bones into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the territory of Israel.
30And it was so, that everyone who saw said, "There has not happened nor been seen anything like this from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day; set your heart upon it, take counsel, and speak."