Thematic Bible
Judges 19:1 (show verse)
There was still no king in Israel. There was a Levite who lived in the remote area of Mount Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
Judges 19:2 (show verse)
She was unfaithful to him and went to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah. She was there four whole months.
Judges 19:3 (show verse)
The man went after her to persuade her to return. He took his servant and two donkeys with him. The woman invited the Levite into the house, and when her father saw him, he gave him a friendly greeting.
Judges 19:4 (show verse)
The young woman's father insisted that he stay. So he stayed for three days. The couple had their meals and spent the nights there.
Judges 19:5 (show verse)
The morning of the fourth day they woke up early and prepared to go. But the woman's father said to the Levite: Eat first. You will feel better. You can go later.
Judges 19:6 (show verse)
The two men sat down and ate and drank together. Then the woman's father told him: Spend the night and enjoy yourself.
Judges 19:7 (show verse)
The Levite got up to go. However the father encouraged him to stay, so he spent another night there.
Judges 19:8 (show verse)
The morning of the fifth day he started to leave. The woman's father said: Eat something and wait until later in the day. The two men ate together.
Judges 19:9 (show verse)
When the man, his concubine, and the servant once more started to leave, the father said: It is almost evening. Please spend the night. It will be dark soon. Stay and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can get up early for the trip and go home.
Judges 19:10 (show verse)
The man did not want to spend another night there. He and his concubine started on their way, with their servant and two donkeys with packsaddles.
Judges 19:11 (show verse)
It was late in the day when they came near Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). The servant said to his master: Why not stop and spend the night here in this Jebusite city?
Judges 19:12 (show verse)
But his master said: We are not going to stop in a city where the people are not Israelites.
Judges 19:13 (show verse)
We will pass by and go a little farther and spend the night at Gibeah or Ramah.
Judges 19:14 (show verse)
They passed by Jebus and continued on their way. It was sunset when they came to Gibeah in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.
Judges 19:15 (show verse)
They turned off the road to spend the night there. They went into town and sat down in the city square. However no one offered to take them home for the night.
Judges 19:16 (show verse)
An old man came by at the end of a day's work on the farm. He was originally from the mountains of Ephraim, but he was now living in Gibeah. (The other people there were from the tribe of Benjamin.)
Judges 19:17 (show verse)
The old man saw the traveler in the city square and asked: Where do you come from? Where are you going?
Judges 19:18 (show verse)
The Levite answered: We have been in Bethlehem in Judah. We are on our way home deep in the mountains of Ephraim. No one will put us up for the night.
Judges 19:19 (show verse)
We have fodder and straw for our donkeys and we have bread and wine for my concubine and me and for my servant. We have everything we need.
Judges 19:20 (show verse)
The old man said: Come to my home. You are welcome! I will take care of you. You do not have to spend the night in the square.
Judges 19:21 (show verse)
He took them home and fed their donkeys. They washed their feet and ate and drank.
Judges 19:22 (show verse)
They were enjoying themselves when suddenly some sexual perverts from the town surrounded the house and pounded on the door. They said to the old man: Bring out the man who came to your house! We want to have sex with him!
Judges 19:23 (show verse)
The old man went outside and said to them: No, my friends! Please! Do not do such an evil, immoral thing! This man is my guest.
Judges 19:24 (show verse)
Here is his concubine and my virgin daughter. I will bring them out now. You can have them. Do whatever you want with them. But do not do such an awful thing to this man!
Judges 19:25 (show verse)
The men would not listen to him. The Levite took his concubine and put her outside with them. They raped her and abused her all night long and did not stop until morning.
Judges 19:26 (show verse)
At dawn the woman came and fell down at the door of the old man's house. She was still there when daylight came.
Judges 19:27 (show verse)
When her master opened the door that morning to go on his way, he found his concubine lying in front of the house with her hands reaching for the door.
Judges 19:28 (show verse)
He said: Get up and let us go. But there was no answer. Then he put her body across the donkey and started on his way home.
Judges 19:29 (show verse)
When he arrived at his house he got a knife. He took his concubine's body and cut it into twelve pieces. He sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Judges 19:30 (show verse)
Everyone who saw it said: No such deed has been seen or done since the people of Israel left Egypt! We must do something about this! What will we do?