Study Desk

And there was no one to save them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near Beth-rehob. So they rebuilt the city and lived in it.

So they set up for themselves Micah's carved image which he had made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

His father-in-law, the girl's father, prevailed upon him, and he remained with him for three days. So they ate and drank and stayed there.

So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl's father said to the man, "Please be so kind as to spend the night, and let your heart be cheerful."

Now on the fifth day he got up to go early in the morning, but the girl's father said, "Please strengthen yourself, and wait until late afternoon"; so both of them ate.

When the man got up to go, along with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Behold now, the day has drawn to a close; please spend the night. Behold, the day is coming to an end; spend the night here so that your heart may be cheerful. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey and go home."

But the man was unwilling to spend the night, so he got up and left, and came to a place opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). And with him was a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine also was with him.

So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.

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

Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my brothers, please do not act so wickedly. Since this man has come into my house, do not commit this vile sin.

But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her outside to them; and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn.

So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came with my concubine to spend the night at Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.

"But the citizens of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night, threatening me. They intended to kill me; instead, they raped my concubine so that she died.

"And we will take ten men out of a hundred throughout the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to supply provisions for the people, so that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may punish them for all the vile sin that they have committed in Israel."

So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man.

"Now then, turn over the men, the worthless men who are in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel." But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.

So the sons of Israel got up in the morning and camped against Gibeah.

So the sons of Israel came against the sons of Benjamin on the second day.

So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.

And the sons of Benjamin said, "They are defeated before us, like the first time." But the sons of Israel said, "Let's flee, so that we may draw them away from the city to the roads."