1 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite was living in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. He took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 His concubine was unfaithful to him and left him for her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there four months. 3 Her husband arose and went after her to speak tenderly to her and bring her back. His servant and a pair of donkeys were with him. She brought him into her father’s house, and the young woman’s father saw him and was glad to meet him. 4 His father-in-law, the young woman’s father, persuaded him to stay, and he stayed with him three days. They ate and drank and spent the night there. 5 On the fourth day they rose early in the morning, and he arose to leave. But the young woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you may go.” 6 The two of them sat down and ate and drank together. Then the young woman’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay the night, and let your heart be merry.” 7 The man arose to leave, but his father-in-law urged him, so he stayed there another night. 8 On the fifth day he rose early in the morning to leave. The young woman’s father said, “Please refresh your heart, and wait until afternoon.” The two of them ate. 9 The man arose to leave with his concubine and his servant. His father-in-law, the young woman’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing toward evening. Please stay the night. The day is coming to an end; spend the night here, and let your heart be merry. Tomorrow you can rise early for your journey and go home.” 10 But the man would not stay the night. He arose and left, and came opposite Jebus, that is, Jerusalem. With him were a pair of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him. 11 When they were near Jebus and the day was far spent, the servant said to his master, “Please come, let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.” 12 His master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not of the people of Israel. We will go on to Gibeah.” 13 He said to his servant, “Come, let us draw near to one of these places and spend the night at Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 They passed on and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. 15 They turned aside there to enter and spend the night in Gibeah. He entered and sat in the city square, but no one took them into a house to spend the night. 16 An old man was coming from his work in the fields that evening. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and was staying in Gibeah, though the people of the place were Benjamites. 17 He lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the city square. The old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?” 18 He said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to the house of the LORD, but no one takes me into a house. 19 We have straw and fodder for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me, for your female servant, and for the young man with your servants. We lack nothing.” 20 The old man said, “Peace to you. Let all your needs be my responsibility. Only do not spend the night in the square.” 21 He brought him into his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet, ate, and drank. 22 While they were making their hearts merry, worthless men of the city surrounded the house and pounded on the door. They said to the old man, the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house, so that we may have sexual relations with him.” 23 The owner of the house went out to them and said, “No, my brothers, please do not act wickedly. Since this man has entered my house, do not commit this outrage. 24 Here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out. Abuse them and do to them whatever seems good in your eyes. But do not do this outrageous thing to this man.” 25 But the men would not listen to him. The man seized his concubine and brought her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning. They let her go as dawn broke. 26 As morning approached, the woman came and fell at the entrance of the man’s house, where her master was, and lay there until it was light. 27 Her master arose in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went out to go on his way. There was the woman, his concubine, fallen at the entrance of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, and let us go.” But there was no answer. He put her on the donkey, and the man arose and went to his place. 29 When he came to his house, he took the knife, seized his concubine, and cut her up, with her bones, into twelve pieces. He sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has happened or been seen from the day the people of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, take counsel, and speak!”