The Crime of the Benjamites
(Genesis 19:1–11)

1And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the sides of the hill country of Ephraim, and He took for himself a woman, a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2And his concubine committed prostitution against him† and went away from him to the house of her father at Bethlehem in Judah.

And she was there days—four months. 3And her husband arose and went after her to speak to her kindly and bring her back, and his young man was with him, and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into the house of her father, and the father of the young woman saw him, and he was glad to meet him. 4And his father-in-law prevailed upon him, the father of the young woman, and he stayed with him three days, and they ate and drank and lodged there.

5And it came to pass on the fourth day that they arose early in the morning, and he stood to depart. And the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your⁺ way.” 6And they sat down and ate, the two of them together, and they drank. And the father of the young woman said to the man, “Be content, please, and lodge, and let your heart be merry.” 7And the man stood to depart, and his father-in-law urged him, and again he lodged there.

8And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart. And the father of the young woman said, “Refresh, please, Your heart.” And they delayed until the stretching of the day, and the two of them ate. 9And the man stood to depart, he and his concubine and his servant, and his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, “Behold, now the day is drawing toward evening. Spend the night, please. Behold, is coming to an end the day. Lodge here, that your heart may be merry, and go early tomorrow your⁺ way, so that you may get home.”

10The man was not willing to spend that night. And he rose and departed, and came to opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), and with him were the two donkeys saddled, and his concubine was with him. 11They were near Jebus, and the day had gone down greatly. And the servant said to his master, “Come, please, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusite, and lodge in it.”

12And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; and we will go on to Gibeah.” 13And he said to his servant, “Come, and let us draw near to one of these places, and we shall lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.”

14And they passed by and went their way. And the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. 15And they turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in and he sat down in the open square of the city, for no one would take them into the house to spend the night.

16And behold, an old man came in from his work in the field at the evening. And the man was from the mountains of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, and the men of the place were Benjamites. 17And he raised his eyes, and he saw the traveler in the open square of the city, and the old man said, “Where are you going, and from where do you come?”

18And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah toward the far reaches of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. I am going to the house of YHWH,† and there is no man who will take me into his house. 19And straw and fodder there is for our donkeys, and bread and wine there is for myself, and for your maidservant, and for the young man with your servant. There is no lack of anything.”

20And the old man said, “Peace be with you. Only all your needs is on me, only do not spend the night in the open square.” 21And he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22They were enjoying themselves, and suddenly men of the city, certain perverted men, surrounded the house and beat on the door, and they spoke to the old man, the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him.”

23And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not act wickedly, please, not after that this man has come in my house. Do not commit this outrage. 24Behold, my daughter the virgin and his concubine, let me bring them out now, and you may humble them and do with them what is good in your⁺ eyes; and to this man do not this vile thing.”

25And the men would not listen to him. And the man took his concubine and brought her out to them outside. And they knew her and abused her all the night until the morning, and sent her away at the rising of the dawn. 26And the woman came as was dawning the day, and she fell down at the door of the house of the man where her master was, until the light.

27And her master arose in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, and there was the woman, his concubine, fallen at the door of the house, and her hands were on the threshold. 28And he said to her, “Get up, and let us be going.” And there was no answer. And the man lifted her onto the donkey, and the man got up and went to his place.

29And he entered into his house, and he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine, and divided her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and he sent her into all the territory of Israel. 30And so it was that all who saw it said, “Nothing has been done nor seen as this from the day that came up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt until this day. Set you⁺ upon it, take counsel, and speak.”