Judges 19 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Benjamites Violate a Levite’s Concubine

1 Now it happened ^H1961 in those ^H1992 days ^H3117, when there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 king ^H4428 in Israel ^H3478, that there was a certain ^H376 Levite ^H3881 sojourning ^H1481 in the remote ^H3411 part ^H3411 of the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669, who took ^H3947 a concubine ^H6370 for himself from Bethlehem ^H1035 in Judah ^H3063.

2 But his concubine ^H6370 played ^H2181 the ^H2181 harlot ^H2181 against ^H5921 him, and she went ^H1980 away from him to her father’s ^H1 house ^H1004 in Bethlehem ^H1035 in Judah ^H3063 and was there ^H8033 for a period ^H3117 of four ^H702 months ^H2320. 3 Then her husband ^H376 arose ^H6965 and went ^H1980 after ^H310 her to speak ^H1696 to her heart ^H3820 in order to bring ^H7725 her back ^H7725, and his young ^H5288 man ^H5288 was with him as well as a pair ^H6776 of donkeys ^H2543. So she brought ^H935 him into her father’s ^H1 house ^H1004, and the girl’s ^H5291 father ^H1 saw ^H7200 him and was ^H8055 glad ^H8055 to meet ^H7122 him. 4 And his father-in-law ^H2859, the girl’s ^H5291 father ^H1, prevailed ^H2388 upon him; and he remained ^H3427 with him three ^H7969 days ^H3117. So they ate ^H398 and drank ^H8354 and spent ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 there ^H8033. 5 Now it happened ^H1961 on the fourth ^H7243 day ^H3117 that they got ^H7925 up ^H7925 early ^H7925 in the morning ^H1242, and he arose ^H6965 to go ^H1980; and the girl’s ^H5291 father ^H1 said ^H559 to his son-in-law ^H2860, “Sustain ^H5582 [fn]yourself ^H3820 with a piece ^H6595 of bread ^H3899, and afterward ^H310 you may go ^H1980.” 6 So both ^H8147 of them sat ^H3427 down ^H3427 and ate ^H398 and drank ^H8354 together ^H3162; and the girl’s ^H5291 father ^H1 said ^H559 to the man ^H376, “Please ^H4994 be willing ^H2974 to spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885, and let your heart ^H3820 be ^H3190 merry ^H3190.” 7 Then the man ^H376 arose ^H6965 to go ^H1980, but his father-in-law ^H2859 pressed ^H6484 him so that he turned ^H7725 back ^H7725 and spent ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 there ^H8033. 8 And on the fifth ^H2549 day ^H3117 he arose ^H7925 to go ^H1980 early ^H7925 in the morning ^H1242, and the girl’s ^H5291 father ^H1 said ^H559, “Please ^H4994 sustain ^H5582 [fn]yourself ^H3824 and wait ^H4102 until ^H5704 [fn]afternoon ^H5186 H3117”; so both ^H8147 of them ate ^H398. 9 Then the man ^H376 arose ^H6965 to go ^H1980 along with his concubine ^H6370 and young ^H5288 man ^H5288, and his father-in-law ^H2859, the girl’s ^H5291 father ^H1, said ^H559 to him, “Behold ^H2009 now ^H4994, the day ^H3117 has drawn ^H7503 [fn]to a close ^H6150; please ^H4994 spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885. Behold ^H2009, the day ^H3117 is [fn]coming ^H2583 to ^H2583 an ^H2583 end ^H2583; spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 here ^H6311 that your heart ^H3824 may be merry ^H3190. Then tomorrow ^H4279 you may arise ^H7925 early ^H7925 for your journey ^H1870 so that you may go ^H1980 to your tent ^H168.”

10 But the man ^H376 was ^H14 not willing ^H14 to spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885, so he arose ^H6965 and went ^H1980 and came ^H935 to a place before ^H5227 Jebus ^H2982 (that is, Jerusalem ^H3389). And there were with him a pair ^H6776 of saddled ^H2280 donkeys ^H2543; his concubine ^H6370 also was with him. 11 They were alongside ^H5973 of ^H5973 Jebus ^H2982, and the day ^H3117 was almost ^H3966 gone ^H7286. And the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 said ^H559 to his master ^H113, “Come ^H1980, please ^H4994, and let us turn ^H5493 aside ^H5493 into this ^H2088 city ^H5892 of the Jebusites ^H2983 and spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 in it.” 12 However, his master ^H113 said ^H559 to him, “We will not turn ^H5493 aside ^H5493 into the city ^H5892 of foreigners ^H5237 who ^H834 are not of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478; but we will pass ^H5674 on ^H5674 by ^H5674 until ^H5704 Gibeah ^H1390.” 13 Then he said ^H559 to his young ^H5288 man ^H5288, “Come ^H1980 and let us draw ^H7126 near ^H7126 to one ^H259 of these places ^H4725; and we will spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 in Gibeah ^H1390 or ^H176 Ramah ^H7414.” 14 So they passed ^H5674 along ^H5674 and went ^H1980 their way, and the sun ^H8121 set ^H935 on them near ^H681 Gibeah ^H1390 which ^H834 belongs to Benjamin ^H1144. 15 Then they turned ^H5493 aside ^H5493 there ^H8033 in ^H5493 order to enter ^H935 and to spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 in ^H935 Gibeah ^H1390. So [fn]they entered ^H935 and sat ^H3427 down ^H3427 in ^H935 the open ^H7339 square ^H7339 of the city ^H5892. Now no ^H369 one ^H376 was taking ^H622 them into his house ^H1004 to spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885.

16 But behold ^H2009, an old ^H2205 man ^H376 was coming ^H935 from his work ^H4639, from the field ^H7704, at evening ^H6153. Now the man ^H376 was from the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669, and he was sojourning ^H1481 in Gibeah ^H1390, but the men ^H376 of the place ^H4725 were Benjamites ^H1145. 17 And he lifted ^H5375 up ^H5375 his eyes ^H5869 and saw ^H7200 the traveler ^H376 H732 in the open ^H7339 square ^H7339 of the city ^H5892; and the old ^H2205 man ^H376 said ^H559, “Where ^H575 are you going ^H1980, and where ^H370 do you come ^H935 from?” 18 And he said ^H559 to him, “We are passing ^H5674 from Bethlehem ^H1035 in Judah ^H3063 to the remote ^H3411 part ^H3411 of the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669. I am from there ^H8033, and I went ^H1980 to Bethlehem ^H1035 in Judah ^H3063. But I am now going ^H1980 to [fn]the house ^H1004 of Yahweh ^H3068, and no ^H369 man ^H376 is taking ^H622 me into his house ^H1004. 19 Yet there ^H3426 is ^H3426 both ^H1571 straw ^H8401 and fodder ^H4554 for our donkeys ^H2543, and also ^H1571 bread ^H3899 and wine ^H3196 for me, [fn]your maidservant ^H519, and the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 who is with your servants ^H5650; there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 lack ^H4270 of anything ^H3605 H1697.” 20 Then the old ^H2205 man ^H376 said ^H559, “Peace ^H7965 be to you. Only ^H7534 let me take care of all ^H3605 that you lack ^H4270; however ^H7534, do not spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 in the open ^H7339 square ^H7339.” 21 So he brought ^H935 him into his house ^H1004 and gave ^H1101 the donkeys ^H2543 fodder ^H1101, and they washed ^H7364 their feet ^H7272 and ate ^H398 and drank ^H8354.

22 They were making their hearts ^H3820 merry ^H3190, and behold ^H2009, the men ^H376 of the city ^H5892, certain ^H376 [fn]vile ^H1100 fellows ^H1121, surrounded ^H5437 the house ^H1004, pounding ^H1849 the door ^H1817; and they spoke ^H559 to the owner ^H1167 of the house ^H1004, the old ^H2205 man ^H376, saying ^H559, “Bring ^H3318 out ^H3318 the man ^H376 who ^H834 came ^H935 into your house ^H1004 that we may [fn]know ^H3045 him.” 23 Then the man ^H376, the owner ^H1167 of the house ^H1004, went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to them and said ^H559 to them, “No ^H408, my brothers ^H251, please ^H4994 do not do ^H7489 evil ^H7489. Since ^H310 H834 this ^H2088 man ^H376 has come ^H935 into my house ^H1004, do not commit ^H6213 this ^H2088 disgraceful ^H5039 act ^H5039. 24 Behold ^H2009, my daughter ^H1323 who is a virgin ^H1330, and his concubine ^H6370—please ^H4994 let me bring ^H3318 them out ^H3318 that you may violate ^H6031 them and do ^H6213 to them whatever is good ^H2896 in your eyes ^H5869. But do not commit ^H6213 such ^H2088 a disgraceful ^H5039 act ^H1697 against this ^H2088 man ^H376.” 25 But the men ^H376 were ^H14 not willing ^H14 to listen ^H8085 to him. So the man ^H376 took ^H2388 hold ^H2388 of his concubine ^H6370 and brought ^H3318 her out ^H3318 to them; and they knew ^H3045 her and abused ^H5953 her all ^H3605 night ^H3915 until ^H5704 morning ^H1242, and they let ^H7971 her go ^H7971 at the [fn]breaking ^H5927 of dawn ^H7837. 26 [fn]As the day ^H1242 began to dawn ^H6437 H1242, the woman ^H802 came ^H935 and fell ^H5307 down ^H5307 at the doorway ^H6607 of the man’s ^H376 house ^H1004 where ^H834 H8033 her master ^H113 was, until ^H5704 full daylight ^H216.

27 Then her master ^H113 arose ^H6965 in the morning ^H1242 and opened ^H6605 the doors ^H1817 of the house ^H1004 and went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to go ^H1980 on his way ^H1870, and behold ^H2009, the woman ^H802, his concubine ^H6370, was lying ^H5307 at the doorway ^H6607 of the house ^H1004 with her hands ^H3027 on the threshold ^H5592. 28 And he said ^H559 to her, “Get ^H6965 up ^H6965 and let us go ^H1980,” but there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 answer ^H6030. Then he took ^H3947 her on the donkey ^H2543; and the man ^H376 arose ^H6965 and went ^H1980 to his [fn]home ^H4725. 29 Then he entered ^H935 his house ^H1004 and took ^H3947 a knife ^H3979 and took ^H2388 hold ^H2388 of his concubine ^H6370 and cut ^H5408 her in twelve ^H8147 H6240 pieces ^H5409, limb by limb ^H6106, and sent ^H7971 her throughout ^H3605 the territory ^H1366 of Israel ^H3478. 30 And all ^H3605 who saw ^H7200 it said ^H559, “Nothing ^H3808 like this ^H2088 has ever happened ^H1961 or been seen ^H7200 from the day ^H3117 when the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 came ^H5927 up ^H5927 from the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714 to this ^H2088 day ^H3117. Consider ^H7760 it; take ^H5779 counsel ^H5779 and speak ^H1696 up!”