1 And it happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a Levite sojourning in the outskirts of the hill country of Ephraim took to himself a concubine {pilegesh: secondary wife} from Bethlehem of Judah {Yehudah: tribal territory}.
2 And his concubine{pilagsh: secondary wife} acted unfaithfully against him and went to her father’s house in Bethlehem of Judah, where she remained for four months{chodashim: lunar months}.
3 Then her husband arose and went after her to speak to her heart {libbah: inner self}, to bring her back, accompanied by his servant and a pair of donkeys. She led him into her father’s house, and when the father of the young woman saw him, he rejoiced {sameach: joyful response} to meet him.
4 And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, urged{chazak: pressed earnestly} him, so he stayed{vayeshev: took lodging} with him for three days; and they ate and drank, and they spent the night there.
5 And it happened on the fourth day, and they got up early in the morning, and he rose to depart, and the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart {se‘ad: give support} with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go {lalechet: to go}.”
6 So they sat down, and the two of them ate together and drank. Then the father of the young woman said to the man, “Please be willing {hoelna: please agree} to stay overnight, and let your heart {libbekha: inmost self} be glad.”
7 And the man arose to go, but his father-in-law {khotno: wife’s father} urged {yip̣ṣar: pressed strongly}, so he returned and spent the night there.
8 On the fifth day, he rose early in the morning to depart, but the father of the young woman said, “Please refresh your heart {levav: inner being}, and delay yourselves {vehitmahhêmû: polite persistence} until the day inclines.” So the two of them ate together.
9 And the man rose up to go—he, his concubine, and his servant. But his father-in-law, the father of the girl, said to him, “Behold, please, the day has grown slack {rapha: lost its strength} toward evening. Please spend the night; behold, the day is ending. Stay here and it will be well with your heart {levav: inner person}. In the morning you shall rise early for your journey, and you may go to your tent.”
10 But the man would not stay overnight, so he rose and departed, and he came to the opposite {nokhach: front of city} of Jebus, which is Jerusalem. And with him were a pair {tsemad: two yoked animals} of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him.
11 Now they were near Jebus, and the day had declined greatly. Then the servant {na'ar: young attendant} said to his master, “Please let us go and turn aside to this city of the Jebusite {Yevusi: pre-Israelite inhabitants} and let us spend the night in it.”
12 And his master {adonaiw: household authority} said to him, “We will not turn aside into a foreign city {nokhri: non-Israelite}, which is not of the sons of Israel; instead, we will proceed on to Gibeah.”
13 And he said to his servant {naʿaro: personal attendant}, “Come, let us approach {venikrevah: mutual drawing near} one of the places and let us spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.”
14 And they passed on and continued going, and the sun {hashemesh: temporal marker} went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin {le-Binyamin: tribal territory}.
15 So they turned aside there to enter and lodge in Gibeah {Gibeah: Benjaminite town}, and he went and sat in the open square of the city, but there was no man to receive {meassef: to gather in guests} them into his house to lodge.
16 And behold, an old man came from his work {ma’aseh: daily activity} in the field at evening. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and was sojourning in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjaminites {Yemini: tribal descendants}.
17 And he lifted his eyes and saw the traveler{oreakh: temporary guest} in the city square{rechov: public gathering place}; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and from where do you come?”
18 And he said to him, “We are passing through from Bethlehem in Judah to the remotest parts {yarketai: extremities} of the hill country of Ephraim. From there I came and went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant LORD}, but there is no one to receive me into his house.”
19 And there is also straw and fodder {mispo: animal feed} for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, and for your maidservant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything {kol-davar: every necessary thing}.
20 And the old man said, “Peace {shalom: greeting of safety} to you! Let all you lack {machsorekha: any deficiency} lie upon me. But do not lodge in the street.”
21 So he brought him into his house, and he gave fodder to the donkeys {khamorim: pack animals}. Then they washed their feet {ragleihem: gesture of welcome}, and they ate and drank.
22 As they were making their hearts glad {meitivim: joyful celebration}, behold, the men of the city, sons of worthlessness {benei-beliyaal: moral corruption}, surrounded the house and pounded on the door. They said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house so that we may know him.”
23 And the man, the owner of the house {baʿal: responsible host}, went out to them and said, “No, my brothers, do not do harm, please. After this man has come into my house, do not do this disgraceful act {hanvalah: deep dishonor}.”
24 Behold, my virgin {betulah: maiden status} daughter and his concubine; let me bring them out to you, please {otzi’ah-nâ: earnest plea}. Humble them and do to them what is good in your eyes. But to this man, do not do this disgraceful thing.
25 But the men were not willing to listen to him, so the man seized his concubine {pilegesh: secondary wife} and sent her outside to them. They knew her, and they abused {vayit’all’lu: treated with cruelty} her all night until morning, and they sent her away as the dawn was rising.
26 And the woman came at the turning {lifnot: dawn approach} of the morning, and she fell at the doorway {petach: entrance} of the house of the man who was her master, there until the light.
27 And her master {adonéha: primary household authority} arose in the morning, and he opened the doors of the house, and he went out to go on his way; and behold, the woman his concubine was lying at the entrance of the house with her hands upon the threshold {saf: boundary step}.
28 And he said to her, “Arise {kumi: get up}, and let us go.” But there was no answering {oneh: response}. Then he took her and placed her upon the donkey, and the man stood up and went to his place.
29 He returned to his house, took the knife {makhelet: slaughter knife}, seized his concubine, cut her up, bone by bone {la'atsameha: by her bones}, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the entire territory of Israel.
30 And it came to pass that everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened {nihyetah: come to pass} or been seen since the day the sons of Israel went up from the land of Egypt until this day. Give careful counsel {utzu: deliberate earnestly}, and speak out.”