12 However, his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; instead, we will go on as far as Gibeah.”

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16 Then behold, an old man was coming out of the field from his work at evening. Now the man was from (A)the hill country of Ephraim, and he was [a]staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place (B)were Benjaminites. 17 And he raised his eyes and saw the traveler in the public square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?” 18 And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, for I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. But I am now going to [b]my house, and no one will take me into his house. 19 Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, and [c]your female slave, and (C)the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.” 20 Then the old man said, “(D)Peace to you. Only let me take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the public square.” 21 (E)So he took him into his house and fed the donkeys, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 While they were [d]celebrating, behold, (F)the men of the city, certain [e](G)worthless men, surrounded the house, pushing one another at the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house that we may [f]have relations with him.” 23 Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not act so wickedly. Since this man has come into my house, (H)do not commit this vile sin. 24 (I)Here is my virgin daughter and [g]the man’s concubine. Please let me bring them out, then rape them and do to them [h]whatever you wish. But do not commit this act of vile sin against this man.” 25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her outside to them; and they [i]raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn. 26 [j]As the day began to dawn, the woman came and fell down at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was, until full daylight.

27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, then behold, his concubine was lying at the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 And he said to her, “Get up and let’s go,” (J)but there was no answer. Then he put her on the donkey; and the man set out and went to his [k]home. 29 When he entered his house, he took a knife and seized his concubine, and (K)cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb. Then he sent her throughout the territory of Israel. 30 All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, [l](L)make a plan, and speak up!”

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 19:16 Or sojourning
  2. Judges 19:18 MT; LXX the house of the Lord, cf. v 29
  3. Judges 19:19 I.e., the concubine
  4. Judges 19:22 Lit making their hearts glad
  5. Judges 19:22 Lit sons of Belial
  6. Judges 19:22 Lit know him
  7. Judges 19:24 Lit his
  8. Judges 19:24 Lit the good in your eyes
  9. Judges 19:25 Lit knew her (carnally)
  10. Judges 19:26 Lit At the turning of the morning
  11. Judges 19:28 Lit place
  12. Judges 19:30 Or take counsel

Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, Israel;
There they stand!
Will the battle against the sons of injustice not overtake them in Gibeah?

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