1In those days, when Israel had no king, there was a Levite living in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. He took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
2His concubine was unfaithful to him and left him, returning to her father's house in Bethlehem, Judah, where she stayed for four months.
3Her husband then went after her, bringing his servant and two donkeys, to speak kindly to her and convince her to come back. When she brought him to her father's house, the young woman's father was happy to see him.
4His father-in-law, the young woman's father, persuaded him to stay, and he remained there for three days. They ate, drank, and stayed there.
5On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning, and the man prepared to leave. The young woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with a little food first, and then you can go on your way."
6So they sat down and both ate and drank together. Then the young woman's father said to the man, "Please agree to stay the night and enjoy yourself."
7The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law urged him, so he stayed there again.
8On the fifth day, he got up early in the morning to leave. The young woman's father said, "Please refresh yourself and stay until the day is almost over." So they both ate.
9When the man, his concubine, and his servant got up to leave, his father-in-law, the young woman's father, said to him, "Look, it's getting late. Please stay the night. The day is ending. Stay here and enjoy yourself; then tomorrow morning, you can leave early and go home."
10But the man refused to stay that night. Instead, he got up and left, heading toward Jebus (also known as Jerusalem). He had two saddled donkeys with him, and his concubine was with him as well.
11As they were near Jebus, the day was almost over. The servant said to his master, "Please, let's turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and stay there."
12His master replied, "We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not part of the people of Israel; instead, we will go on to Gibeah."
13He told his servant, "Come on, let's go to one of these other places and we will stay in Gibeah or Ramah."
14So they continued on their way, and the sun set as they were near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15They turned aside there to spend the night in Gibeah. The man went in and sat down in the city square, but no one offered to take them into their home for the night.
16Suddenly, an old man came home from his work in the field in the evening. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim but lived in Gibeah, while the other men of the place were Benjamites.
17He looked up and saw the traveler in the city square. The old man asked, "Where are you going? And where did you come from?"
18He told him, "We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the far side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. I am going to Yahweh's house, and no one has invited me into their home."
19However, we have straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me, for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. We lack nothing."
20The old man said, "May you have peace. Please let me provide for all your needs. Just don't sleep in the street."
21So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys food. Then they washed their feet and ate and drank.
22As they were enjoying themselves, suddenly, the men of the city, some wicked fellows, surrounded the house and began beating on the door. They spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house so we can have sex with him!"
23The man, the master of the house, went out to them and said, "No, my brothers, please don't act so wickedly. Since this man has come into my house, don't do this disgraceful thing."
24Look, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humiliate them and do with them what you wish, but don't do anything so disgraceful to this man."
25But the men wouldn't listen to him. So the man grabbed his concubine and brought her out to them. They had sex with her and abused her all night until morning. When daybreak began, they let her go.
26Then the woman came at dawn and collapsed at the door of the man's house where her master was, and stayed there until it was light.
27Her master got up in the morning, opened the house doors, and went out to leave. And there, the woman, his concubine, was lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
28He said to her, "Get up, and let's go!" but no one answered. Then he lifted her onto the donkey. The man got up and went to his home.
29When he arrived at his house, he took a knife, cut up his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces. Then he sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.
30Everyone who saw it said, "Such a deed has never been done or seen from the day the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt until today! Think about it, discuss it, and speak up."