Study Desk

So Micah dedicated (installed) the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in the house of Micah.

So the sons of Dan sent from the total number of their [extended] family five brave men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to scout the land and to explore it; and they said to them, "Go, explore the land." They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

And they said to him, "Please ask of God, so that we may know whether our journey on which we are going will be successful."

So they turned in that direction and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him how he was doing.

So they turned and left, and they put the children, the livestock, and the valuables and supplies in front of them.

Then the Danites went on their way; and Micah saw that they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back to his house.

So they set up for themselves Micah's [silver-plated wooden] image which he had made, and kept it throughout the time that the house (tabernacle) of God was at Shiloh.

Then her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly and tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him into her father's house, and when the father of the girl saw him, he was happy to meet him.

So his father-in-law, the girl's father, detained him; and he stayed there with him for three days. So they ate and drank, and he lodged there.

So both men sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl's father said to the man, "Please be willing to spend the night and enjoy yourself."

Then the man got up to leave, but his father-in-law urged him [strongly to remain]; so he spent the night there again.

On the fifth day he got up early in the morning to leave, but the girl's father said, "Please strengthen yourself, and wait until the end of the day." So both of them ate.

But the man was not willing to stay the night; so he got up and left and came to a place opposite Jebus (that is Jerusalem). With him were two saddled donkeys [and his servant] and his concubine.

So they passed by and went on their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah, which belongs to [the tribe of] Benjamin,

So he brought him into his house and fed the donkeys; and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

While they were celebrating, behold, men of the city, certain worthless and evil men, surrounded the house, pounding on the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came to your house so that we may have relations with him."

Then the man, the master of the house, went out and said to them, "No, my fellow citizens, please do not act so wickedly. Since this man has come to my house [as my guest], do not commit this sacrilege.

But the men would not listen to him. So the man took the Levite's concubine and brought her outside to them; and they had relations with her and abused her all night until morning; and when daybreak came, they let her go.

So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, replied, "I had come with my concubine to spend the night in Gibeah, [a town] which belongs to [the tribe of] Benjamin.

"But the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me, but instead they raped my concubine [so brutally] that she died.