NKJV

NKJV

Click to Change

Return to Top

Return to Top

Printer Icon

Print

Copy
Copy Options
Format by: Verse Paragraph
Strong's
Red Letter
Audio Bibles
The Blue Letter Bible

Judges 19 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

toggle collapse
Choose a new font size and typeface
Audio Bibles
The Levite’s Concubine
The Levite and His Concubine
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:1 - And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:2 - But his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there four whole months.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:3 - Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back, having his servant and a couple of donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he was glad to meet him.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:4 - Now his father-in-law, the young woman’s father, detained him; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank and lodged there.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:5 - Then it came to pass on the fourth day that they arose early in the morning, and he stood to depart; but the young woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:6 - So they sat down, and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the young woman’s father said to the man, “Please be content to stay all night, and let your heart be merry.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:7 - And when the man stood to depart, his father-in-law urged him; so he lodged there again.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:8 - Then he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, but the young woman’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they delayed until afternoon; and both of them ate.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:9 - And when the man stood to depart—he and his concubine and his servant—his father-in-law, the young woman’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is now drawing toward evening; please spend the night. See, the day is coming to an end; lodge here, that your heart may be merry. Tomorrow go your way early, so that you may get home.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:10 - However, the man was not willing to spend that night; so he rose and departed, and came to opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). With him were the two saddled donkeys; his concubine was also with him.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:11 - They were near Jebus, and the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, “Come, please, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and lodge in it.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:12 - But his master said to him, “We will not turn aside here into a city of foreigners, who are not of the children of Israel; we will go on to Gibeah.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:13 - So he said to his servant, “Come, let us draw near to one of these places, and spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:14 - And they passed by and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:15 - They turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And when he went in, he sat down in the open square of the city, for no one would take them into his house to spend the night.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:16 - Just then an old man came in from his work in the field at evening, who also was from the mountains of Ephraim; he was staying in Gibeah, whereas the men of the place were Benjamites.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:17 - And when he raised his eyes, he saw the traveler in the open square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:18 - So he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah toward the remote mountains of Ephraim; I am from there. I went to Bethlehem in Judah; now I am going to the house of the LORD. But there is no one who will take me into his house,
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:19 - “although we have both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and bread and wine for myself, for your female servant, and for the young man who is with your servant; there is no lack of anything.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:20 - And the old man said, “Peace be with you! However, let all your needs be my responsibility; only do not spend the night in the open square.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:21 - So he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
Gibeah’s Crime
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:22 - As they were enjoying themselves, suddenly certain men of the city, perverted men,[fn] surrounded the house and beat on the door. They spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him carnally!
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:23 - But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has come into my house, do not commit this outrage.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:24 - “Look, here is my virgin daughter and the man’s[fn] concubine; let me bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them as you please; but to this man do not do such a vile thing!”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:25 - But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:26 - Then the woman came as the day was dawning, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:27 - When her master arose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, there was his concubine, fallen at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:28 - And he said to her, “Get up and let us be going.” But there was no answer. So the man lifted her onto the donkey; and the man got up and went to his place.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:29 - When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve pieces, limb by limb,[fn] and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 19:30 - And so it was that all who saw it said, “No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, confer, and speak up!”
NKJV Footnotes
Literally sons of Belial
Literally his
Literally with her bones
NKJV

New King James Version, © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The text of the New King James Version (NKJV) appearing on or deriving from this or any other web page is for personal use only. Any other use of the NKJV must be in conformity with the Quotation Policy for the New King James Version. For more information about the New King James Version, the Quotation Policy, and for inquiries about permission to use the New King James Version, go to Thomas Nelson, Inc..

For more information on this translation, see the NKJV Preface.

BLB Searches
Search the Bible
NKJV
 [?]

Advanced Options

Other Searches

Multi-Verse Retrieval
x
NKJV

Daily Devotionals
x

Blue Letter Bible offers several daily devotional readings in order to help you refocus on Christ and the Gospel of His peace and righteousness.

Daily Bible Reading Plans
x

Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year.

One-Year Plans

Two-Year Plan