Study Desk

His father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay. So he stayed with him three days. They ate and drank and stayed there.

They got up early in the morning on the fourth day to get ready to go. The girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Eat a piece of bread to get your strength. Then you may go."

The man stood up to go. But his father-in-law begged him so that he stayed another night there.

Then the man stood up to leave with his woman and his servant. His father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Now see, the day is ending. I beg you, stay the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Stay here through the night so your heart may be happy. Get up early tomorrow to go on your way home."

But the man would not stay the night. He stood up and left and came to a place beside Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had his woman with him and two donkeys to carry them both.

The day was almost gone when they were near Jebus. The servant said to his owner, "Come, let us go in and stay the night in this city of the Jebusites."

But his owner said to him, "We will not go into the city of strangers who are not of the people of Israel. We will go as far as Gibeah."

And he said to his servant, "Come, let us go to one of these places. We will stay the night in Gibeah or Ramah."

They turned to go in and stay at Gibeah. They went in and sat down outside in the center of the city. For no one took them into his house to stay the night.

In the evening an old man came out of the field from his work. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and was staying in Gibeah. But the men of the place were Benjamites.

The Levite said to him, "We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to a far away part of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but am now returning home. But no one will take me into his house.

So he took him into his house and gave food to the donkeys. The people washed their feet and ate and drank.

But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his woman and brought her out to them. The men had sex with her all night until morning. When the sun came up, they let her go.

Her owner got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house. He went out to go on his way and saw his woman lying at the door of the house. Her hands were on the step.

He said to her, "Get up. Let us be going." But there was no answer. He put her body across the donkey and started on his way home.

When he went into his house, he took a knife. He took hold of his woman and cut her into twelve pieces, arm by arm, leg by leg. Then he sent her out through all the land of Israel.

All the people stood up as one man, saying, "Not one of us will go to his tent. Not one of us will return to his house.

The men of Israel had made a promise in Mizpah, saying, "None of us will give his daughter in marriage to a man of Benjamin."

and watch. The daughters of Shiloh might come out to dance. Then come out of the grape-fields. Each of you will catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh. Then go to the land of Benjamin.

The people of Israel left there at that time. Each man returned to his family in his own land.