| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. | 1In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. |
| 2But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months, | 2However, she got angry at him and went home to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months, |
| 3her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. | 3her husband came after her, hoping he could convince her to return. He brought with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father's house and the girl's father saw him, he greeted him warmly. |
| 4His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there. | 4His father-in-law, the girl's father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there. |
| 5On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to depart, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and then you can go.” | 5On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave. But the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Have a bite to eat for some energy, then you can go." |
| 6So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and let your heart be merry.” | 6So the two of them sat down and had a meal together. Then the girl's father said to the man, "Why not stay another night and have a good time!" |
| 7The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. | 7When the man got ready to leave, his father-in-law convinced him to stay another night. |
| 8On the fifth day, he got up early in the morning to depart, but the girl’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate. | 8He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl's father said, "Get some energy. Wait until later in the day to leave!" So they ate a meal together. |
| 9When the man got up to depart with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing to a close. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, that your heart may be merry. Then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey home.” | 9When the man got ready to leave with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Look! The day is almost over! Stay another night! Since the day is over, stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home." |
| 10But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine. | 10But the man did not want to stay another night. He left and traveled as far as Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine. |
| 11When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Please, let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here.” | 11When they got near Jebus, it was getting quite late and the servant said to his master, "Come on, let's stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night in it." |
| 12But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.” | 12But his master said to him, "We should not stop at a foreign city where non-Israelites live. We will travel on to Gibeah." |
| 13He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” | 13He said to his servant, "Come on, we will go into one of the other towns and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah." |
| 14So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. | 14So they traveled on, and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. |
| 15They stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for the night. | 15They stopped there and decided to spend the night in Gibeah. They came into the city and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them to spend the night. |
| 16That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was residing in Gibeah (the men of that place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the field. | 16But then an old man passed by, returning at the end of the day from his work in the field. The man was from the Ephraimite hill country; he was living temporarily in Gibeah. (The residents of the town were Benjaminites.) |
| 17When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where have you come from?” | 17When he looked up and saw the traveler in the town square, the old man said, "Where are you heading? Where do you come from?" |
| 18The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home, | 18The Levite said to him, "We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. That's where I'm from. I had business in Bethlehem in Judah, but now I'm heading home. But no one has invited me into their home. |
| 19even though there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and the maidservant and young man with me. There is nothing that we, your servants, lack.” | 19We have enough straw and grain for our donkeys, and there is enough food and wine for me, your female servant, and the young man who is with your servants. We lack nothing." |
| 20“Peace to you,” said the old man. “Let me supply everything you need. Only do not spend the night in the square.” | 20The old man said, "Everything is just fine! I will take care of all your needs. But don't spend the night in the town square." |
| 21So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank. | 21So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet and had a meal. |
| 22While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!” | 22They were having a good time, when suddenly some men of the city, some good-for-nothings, surrounded the house and kept beating on the door. They said to the old man who owned the house, "Send out the man who came to visit you so we can have sex with him." |
| 23The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage. | 23The man who owned the house went outside and said to them, "No, my brothers! Don't do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Don't do such a disgraceful thing! |
| 24Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.” | 24Here are my virgin daughter and my guest's concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do to them whatever you like. But don't do such a disgraceful thing to this man!" |
| 25But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. | 25The men refused to listen to him, so the Levite grabbed his concubine and made her go outside. They raped her and abused her all night long until morning. They let her go at dawn. |
| 26Early that morning, the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, collapsed at the doorway, and lay there until it was light. | 26The woman arrived back at daybreak and was sprawled out on the doorstep of the house where her master was staying until it became light. |
| 27In the morning, when her master got up and opened the doors of the house to go out on his journey, there was his concubine, collapsed in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. | 27When her master got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went outside to start on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, sprawled out on the doorstep of the house with her hands on the threshold. |
| 28“Get up,” he told her. “Let us go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. | 28He said to her, "Get up, let's leave!" But there was no response. He put her on the donkey and went home. |
| 29When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel. | 29When he got home, he took a knife, grabbed his concubine, and carved her up into twelve pieces. Then he sent the pieces throughout Israel. |
| 30And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!” | 30Everyone who saw the sight said, "Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since the Israelites left the land of Egypt! Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!" |
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