¹In those days , when there was no king in Israel , there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah .

²His concubine played the prostitute against him , and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem Judah , and was there for four months .

³Her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her , to bring her again , having his servant with him and a couple of donkeys . She brought him into her father’s house ; and when the father of the young lady saw him , he rejoiced to meet him .

⁴His father-in-law , the young lady ’s father, kept him there ; and he stayed with him three days . So they ate and drank , and stayed there .

⁵On the fourth day , they got up early in the morning , and he rose up to depart . The young lady ’s father said to his son-in-law , “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread , and afterward you shall go your way .”

⁶So they sat down , ate, and drank , both of them together . Then the young lady ’s father said to the man , “Please be pleased to stay all night , and let your heart be merry .”

⁷The man rose up to depart ; but his father-in-law urged him , and he stayed there again .

⁸He arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart ; and the young lady ’s father said, “Please strengthen your heart and stay until the day declines;” and they both ate.

⁹When the man rose up to depart , he , and his concubine , and his servant , his father-in-law , the young lady ’s father, said to him , “Behold , now the day draws towards evening , please stay all night . Behold , the day is ending. Stay here , that your heart may be merry ; and tomorrow go on your way early , that you may go home .”

¹⁰But the man wouldn’t stay that night , but he rose up and went near Jebus (also called Jerusalem ). With him were a couple of saddled donkeys . His concubine also was with him .

¹¹When they were by Jebus , the day was far spent ; and the servant said to his master, “Please come and let ’s enter into this city of the Jebusites , and stay in it .”

¹²His master said to him , “We won’t enter into the city of a foreigner that is not of the children of Israel ; but we will pass over to Gibeah .”

¹³He said to his servant , “Come and let ’s draw near to one of these places ; and we will lodge in Gibeah , or in Ramah .”

¹⁴So they passed on and went their way ; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah , which belongs to Benjamin .

¹⁵They went over there , to go in to stay in Gibeah . He went in , and sat down in the street of the city ; for there was no one who took them into his house to stay .

¹⁶Behold , an old man came from his work out of the field at evening . Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived in Gibeah ; but the men of the place were Benjamites .

¹⁷He lifted up his eyes , and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city ; and the old man said, “Where are you going ? Where did you come from ?”

¹⁸He said to him , “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there , and I went to Bethlehem Judah . I am going to the LORD ’s house ; and there is no one who has taken me into his house .

¹⁹Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys ; and there is bread and wine also for me , and for your servant , and for the young man who is with your servants . There is no lack of anything .”

²⁰The old man said, “Peace be to you ! Just let me supply all your needs , but don’t sleep in the street .”

²¹So he brought him into his house , and gave the donkeys fodder . Then they washed their feet , and ate and drank .

²²As they were making their hearts merry , behold , the men of the city , certain wicked fellows , surrounded the house , beating at the door ; and they spoke to the master of the house , the old man , saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house , that we can have sex with him !”

²³The man , the master of the house , went out to them , and said to them , “No , my brothers, please don’t act so wickedly ; since this man has come into my house , don’t do this folly .

²⁴Behold , here is my virgin daughter and his concubine . I will bring them out now . Humble them , and do with them what seems good to you ; but to this man don’t do any such folly .”

²⁵But the men wouldn’t listen to him ; so the man grabbed his concubine , and brought her out to them ; and they had sex with her , and abused her all night until the morning . When the day began to dawn , they let her go .

²⁶Then the woman came in the dawning of the day , and fell down at the door of the man ’s house where her lord was , until it was light.

²⁷Her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house , and went out to go his way ; and behold , the woman his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house , with her hands on the threshold .

²⁸He said to her , “Get up , and let ’s get going !” but no one answered . Then he took her up on the donkey ; and the man rose up , and went to his place .

²⁹When he had come into his house , he took a knife and cut up his concubine , and divided her , limb by limb , into twelve pieces , and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel .

³⁰It was so , that all who saw it said , “Such a deed has not been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day ! Consider it , take counsel , and speak .”