Judges 19:16-30
Read Judges 19 in full →16But behold, an old man was coming from his work, from the field, at evening. Now the man was from athe hill country of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibeah, but the men of the place bwere Benjamites. 17And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?” 18And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. But I am now going to 1the house of Yahweh, and no man is taking me into his house. 19“Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, 1your maidservant, and athe young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.” 20Then the old man said, “aPeace be to you. Only let me take care of all that you lack; however, do not spend the night in the open square.” 21aSo he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.
22They were making their hearts merry, and behold, athe men of the city, certain 1,bvile fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house that we may 2know him.” 23Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not do evil. Since this man has come into my house, ado not commit this disgraceful act. 24“aBehold, my daughter who is a virgin, and his concubine—please let me bring them out that you may violate them and do to them whatever is good in your eyes. But do not commit such a disgraceful act against this man.” 25But the men were not willing to listen to him. So the man took hold of his concubine and brought her out to them; and they knew her and abused her all night until morning, and they let her go at the 1breaking of dawn. 261As the day began to dawn, the woman came and fell down at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was, until full daylight.
27Then her master arose in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, and behold, the woman, his concubine, was lying at the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28And he said to her, “Get up and let us go,” abut there was no answer. Then he took her on the donkey; and the man arose and went to his 1home. 29Then he entered his house and took a knife and took hold of his concubine and acut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel. 30And all who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it; atake counsel and speak up!”