31AND THEY SET UP FOR <THE> THEMSELVES <OBJ.> [THE] CARVED IMAGE OF MICAH WHICH HE HAD MADE ALL [THE] DAYS OF [THE] BEING OF [THE] HOUSE OF <THE> GOD AT SHILOH 31So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
1AND IT WAS IN THE DAYS <THE> THOSE AND [WAS] A KING THERE NOT IN ISRAEL AND HE WAS A MAN A LEVITE SOJOURNING IN [THE] REMOTEST PARTS OF [THE] HILL COUNTRY OF EPHRAIM AND HE TOOK FOR <THE> HIMSELF A WOMAN A CONCUBINE FROM BETH- -LEHEM JUDAH The Crime of the Benjamites (Genesis 19:1–11) 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.
2AND SHE WAS ANGRY TOWARDS HIM CONCUBINE HIS AND SHE WENT FROM WITH <THE> HIM TO [THE] HOUSE OF FATHER HER TO BETH- -LEHEM JUDAH AND SHE WAS THERE DAYS FOUR MONTHS 2But she was unfaithful to him*NoteCloseLXX became angry with him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,
3AND HE AROSE HUSBAND HER AND HE WENT AFTER HER TO SPEAK TO HEART HER TO BRING BACK HER AND SERVANT HIS [WAS] WITH HIM AND A PAIR OF DONKEYS AND SHE BROUGHT HIM [THE] HOUSE OF FATHER HER AND HE SAW HIM [THE] FATHER OF THE YOUNG WOMAN AND HE WAS GLAD TO MEET HIM 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.
4AND HE TOOK HOLD ON <THE> HIM FATHER-IN-LAW HIS [THE] FATHER OF THE YOUNG WOMAN AND HE REMAINED WITH HIM THREE DAYS AND THEY ATE AND THEY DRANK AND THEY SPENT [THE] NIGHT THERE 4His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there.
5AND IT WAS ON THE DAY <THE> FOURTH AND THEY ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING AND HE AROSE TO GO AND HE SAID [THE] FATHER OF THE YOUNG WOMAN TO SON-IN-LAW HIS SUSTAIN HEART YOUR A MORSEL OF BREAD AND AFTER YOU WILL GO 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.”
6AND THEY SAT DOWN AND THEY ATE [THE] TWO OF THEM TOGETHER AND THEY DRANK AND HE SAID [THE] FATHER OF THE YOUNG WOMAN TO THE MAN BE WILLING PLEASE AND SPEND [THE] NIGHT SO IT MAY BE GOOD HEART YOUR 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.”
7AND HE AROSE THE MAN TO GO AND HE URGED <IN> <THE> HIM FATHER-IN-LAW HIS AND HE TURNED BACK AND HE SPENT [THE] NIGHT THERE 7The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.
8AND HE ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING ON THE DAY <THE> FIFTH TO GO AND HE SAID [THE] FATHER OF THE YOUNG WOMAN SUSTAIN PLEASE HEART YOUR AND DELAY UNTIL DECLINES THE DAY AND THEY ATE [THE] TWO OF THEM 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.
9AND HE AROSE THE MAN TO GO HE AND CONCUBINE HIS AND SERVANT HIS AND HE SAID TO <THE> HIM FATHER-IN-LAW HIS [THE] FATHER OF THE YOUNG WOMAN HERE! PLEASE IT IS SINKING THE DAY TO BECOME EVENING SPEND [THE] NIGHT PLEASE HERE! TO DECLINE THE DAY SPEND [THE] NIGHT HERE SO IT MAY BE GOOD HEART YOUR AND YOU WILL RISE EARLY TOMORROW FOR JOURNEY YOUR AND YOU WILL GO TO TENT YOUR 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.”
10AND NOT HE WAS WILLING THE MAN TO SPEND [THE] NIGHT AND HE AROSE AND HE WENT AND HE CAME TO OPPOSITE JEBUS THAT [IS] JERUSALEM AND [WERE] WITH HIM A PAIR OF DONKEYS SADDLED AND CONCUBINE HIS [WAS] WITH HIM 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.
11THEY [WERE] NEAR JEBUS AND THE DAY IT HAD GONE DOWN EXCEEDINGLY AND HE SAID THE SERVANT TO MASTER<S> HIS COME! PLEASE SO LET US TURN ASIDE TO [THE] CITY OF THE JEBUSITE[S] <THE> THIS SO WE MAY SPEND [THE] NIGHT IN <THE> IT 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.”
12AND HE SAID TO HIM MASTER<S> HIS NOT WE WILL TURN ASIDE TO A CITY FOREIGN WHO NOT [ARE] OF [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL THEY AND WE WILL PASS ON TO GIBEAH 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.”
13AND HE SAID TO SERVANT HIS COME! SO LET US DREW NEAR AT ONE OF THE PLACES AND WE WILL SPEND [THE] NIGHT IN <THE> GIBEAH OR IN <THE> RAMAH 13He continued “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
14AND THEY PASSED ON AND THEY WENT AND IT WENT FOR <THE> THEM THE SUN BESIDE <THE> GIBEAH WHICH [BELONGS] TO BENJAMIN 14So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
15AND THEY TURNED ASIDE THERE TO GO TO SPEND [THE] NIGHT IN <THE> GIBEAH AND HE WENT AND HE SAT IN [THE] OPEN SQUARE OF THE CITY AND NOT ANYONE [WAS] RECEIVING <OBJ.> THEM THE HOUSE TOWARDS TO SPEND [THE] NIGHT 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.
16AND THERE! A MAN OLD [WAS] COMING FROM WORK HIS FROM THE FIELD IN THE EVENING AND THE MAN [WAS] FROM [THE] HILL COUNTRY OF EPHRAIM AND HE [WAS] SOJOURNING IN <THE> GIBEAH AND [THE] MEN OF THE PLACE [WERE] BEN- JAMINITES 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.
17AND HE LIFTED UP EYES HIS AND HE SAW <OBJ.> THE MAN WHO WAS TRAVELING IN [THE] OPEN SQUARE OF THE CITY AND HE SAID THE MAN <THE> OLD WHERE? ARE YOU GOING AND FROM WHERE? ARE YOU COMING 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?”
18AND HE SAID TO HIM [ARE] PASSING WE FROM BETH- -LEHEM JUDAH TO [THE] REMOTEST PARTS OF [THE] HILL COUNTRY OF EPHRAIM [AM] FROM THERE I AND I WENT TO BETH- -LEHEM JUDAH AND <OBJ.> [THE] HOUSE OF YAHWEH I [AM] GOING AND NOT ANYONE [WAS] RECEIVING <OBJ.> ME THE HOUSE TOWARDS 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;*NoteCloseLXX I am going to my home; see verse 29. but no one has taken me into his home,
19AND [ARE] BOTH STRAW AS WELL AS FODDER THERE FOR DONKEYS OUR AND [ARE] ALSO FOOD AND WINE THERE FOR ME AND FOR MAIDSERVANT YOUR AND FOR THE SERVANT WITH SERVANTS YOUR THERE NOT [IS] LACK OF ANY THING 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.”
20AND HE SAID THE MAN <THE> OLD PEACE [BE] TO <THE> YOU CERTAINLY ALL LACK YOUR [IS] ON ME ONLY IN THE OPEN SQUARE MAY NOT YOU SPEND [THE] NIGHT 20“Peace to you,” said the old man. “Let me supply everything you need. Only do not spend the night in the square.”
21AND HE BROUGHT HIM TO HOUSE HIS AND HE FED <TO> THE DONKEYS AND THEY WASHED FEET THEIR AND THEY ATE AND THEY DRANK 21So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.
22THEY [WERE] MAKING GOOD <OBJ.> HEART THEIR AND THERE! [THE] MEN OF THE CITY MEN OF SONS OF WORTHLESSNESS THEY SURROUNDED <OBJ.> THE HOUSE BEATING VIOLENTLY ON THE DOOR AND THEY SAID TO THE MAN [THE] MASTER OF THE HOUSE <THE> OLD <TO> SAYING BRING OUT <OBJ.> THE MAN WHO HE CAME TO HOUSE YOUR SO WE MAY KNOW HIM 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!”
23AND HE WENT OUT TO THEM THE MAN [THE] MASTER OF THE HOUSE AND HE SAID TO THEM MAY [YOU] NOT O BROTHERS MY MAY NOT YOU DO EVIL PLEASE AFTER THAT HE HAS COME THE MAN <THE> THIS MAY [YOU] NOT HOUSE MY MAY NOT YOU DO <OBJ.> THE DISGRACEFUL FOLLY <THE> THIS 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.
24HERE! DAUGHTER MY THE VIRGIN AND CONCUBINE HIS LET ME BRING OUT PLEASE <OBJ.> THEM AND AFFLICT <OBJ.> THEM AND DO TO <THE> THEM THE GOOD IN VIEW YOUR AND TO THE MAN <THE> THIS NOT YOU MUST DO [THE] THING OF <THE> DISGRACEFUL FOLLY <THE> THIS 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.”
25AND NOT THEY WERE WILLING THE MEN TO LISTEN TO <THE> HIM AND HE TOOK HOLD THE MAN ON CONCUBINE HIS AND HE BROUGHT [HER] OUT TO THEM <THE> OUTSIDE AND THEY KNEW <OBJ.> HER AND THEY ABUSED <IN> <THE> HER ALL THE NIGHT UNTIL THE MORNING AND THEY LET GO HER JUST AS CAME UP THE DAWN 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.
26AND SHE CAME THE WOMAN TO [THE] TURNING OF THE MORNING AND SHE FELL [THE] ENTRANCE OF [THE] HOUSE OF THE MAN WHERE MASTER<S> HER [WAS] THERE UNTIL THE LIGHT 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.
27AND HE AROSE MASTER<S> HER IN THE MORNING AND HE OPENED [THE] DOORS OF THE HOUSE AND HE WENT OUT TO GO TO WAY HIS AND THERE! THE WOMAN CONCUBINE HIS [WAS] FALLING [THE] ENTRANCE OF THE HOUSE AND HANDS HER [WERE] ON THE THRESHOLD 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.
28AND HE SAID TO HER GET UP SO LET US GO AND THERE NOT [WAS ONE WHO] ANSWERED AND HE TOOK HER ON THE DONKEY AND HE AROSE THE MAN AND HE WENT TO PLACE HIS 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.
29AND HE CAME TO HOUSE HIS AND HE TOOK <OBJ.> THE KNIFE AND HE TOOK HOLD ON CONCUBINE HIS AND HE CUT IN PIECES HER TO BONES HER INTO TWO [PLUS] TEN PIECES AND HE SENT OUT HER IN ALL [THE] TERRITORY OF ISRAEL 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.
30AND IT WAS EVERY <THE> [ONE WHO] SAW AND HE SAID NOT IT HAS OCCURRED AND NOT IT HAS BEEN SEEN LIKE THIS <TO> FROM [THE] DAY CAME UP [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL FROM [THE] LAND OF EGYPT UNTIL THE DAY <THE> THIS SET FOR <THE> YOURSELVES ON IT TAKE COUNSEL AND SPEAK 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!”