The Crime of the Benjamites
And it was in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a Levite man sojourning in the far reaches of the hill country of Ephraim; and he took for himself a woman, a concubine, from Bethlehem of Judah.
And his concubine was unfaithful to him, and she went away from him to her father’s house, to Bethlehem of Judah; and she was there some days — four months.
And her husband rose and went after her, to speak to her heart, to bring her back — and his young man was with him, and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, held on to him, and he stayed with him three days; and they ate and drank, and lodged there.
And it was on the fourth day that they rose early in the morning, and he got up to go; and the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go.”
And they sat, and the two of them ate together and drank; and the father of the young woman said to the man, “Be content, please, and stay the night, and let your heart be glad.”
And the man rose to go, but his father-in-law pressed him, and he turned back and lodged there.
And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to go; and the father of the young woman said, “Strengthen your heart, please.” And they lingered until the day declined, and the two of them ate.
And the man rose to go — he, and his concubine, and his young man. And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him: “Look, please — the day has sunk toward evening. Lodge here, please. Look, the day is ending. Lodge here, and let your heart be glad; and tomorrow you shall rise early for your way, and go to your tent.”
But the man was not willing to lodge; and he rose and went, and came as far as opposite Jebus — that is Jerusalem — and with him a pair of saddled donkeys, and his concubine with him.
They were near Jebus, and the day was far spent; and the young man said to his master, “Come, please, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusite and lodge in it.”
And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners, who are not of the sons of Israel; we will pass on as far as Gibeah.”
And he said to his young man, “Come, and let us draw near to one of the places; and we will lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.”
And they passed on and went; and the sun went down on them beside Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
And they turned aside there, to go in and lodge at Gibeah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city — and no one was gathering them into a house to lodge.
And look — an old man coming from his work, from the field, in the evening. And the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjaminites.
And he lifted his eyes and saw the traveling man in the open square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”
And he said to him: “We are passing from Bethlehem of Judah to the far reaches of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there; and I went to Bethlehem of Judah, and I am going to the house of the LORD — and no one is gathering me into a house.
And there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and there is also bread and wine for me and for your maidservant and for the young man with your servants. There is no lack of anything.”
And the old man said, “Peace to you. Only let all your needs be on me — only do not lodge in the square.”
And he brought him into his house and gave feed to the donkeys; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
They were making their hearts glad — and look, the men of the city, worthless men, surrounded the house, pounding on the door; and they said to the man, the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, so that we may know him.”
And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them: “No, my brothers — do not do evil, please. Since this man has come into my house, do not do this outrage.
Look — my virgin daughter, and his concubine. Let me bring them out, please. Humble them, and do to them what is good in your eyes; but to this man do not do this outrageous thing.”
But the men were not willing to listen to him. So the man took hold of his concubine and brought her out to them outside; and they knew her and abused her all night until the morning, and they let her go at the coming up of the dawn.
And the woman came at the turning of the morning, and fell at the entrance of the man’s house where her master was, until it was light.
And her master rose in the morning and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go on his way — and look, the woman, his concubine, fallen at the entrance of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
And he said to her, “Rise, and let us go” — but there was no answer. And he took her on the donkey; and the man rose and went to his place.
And he came to his house, and took the knife, and took hold of his concubine and cut her up, limb by limb, into twelve pieces; and he sent her through all the territory of Israel.
And it was that everyone who saw it said: “Nothing like this has happened or been seen from the day the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Set your minds on it; take counsel, and speak.”