1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah. 2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months. 3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. 4 And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
5 ¶ And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel’s father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way. 6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel’s father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry. 7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again. 8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel’s father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them. 9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home. 10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him. 11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. 12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah. 13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah. 14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. 15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
16 ¶ And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites. 17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou? 18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house. 19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing. 20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street. 21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
22 ¶ Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. 23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay , I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. 24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. 25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. 26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was , till it was light. 27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. 28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.
29 ¶ And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. 30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds .
1 Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις καὶ βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἦν ἐν Ισραηλ. καὶ ἐγένετο ἀνὴρ Λευίτης παροικῶν ἐν μηροῖς ὄρους Εφραιμ, καὶ ἔλαβεν ὁ ἀνὴρ ἑαυτῷ γυναῖκα παλλακὴν ἐκ Βηθλεεμ Ιουδα. 2 καὶ ὠργίσθη αὐτῷ ἡ παλλακὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς εἰς Βηθλεεμ Ιουδα καὶ ἐγένετο ἐκεῖ ἡμέρας τετράμηνον. 3 καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπορεύθη κατόπισθεν αὐτῆς τοῦ λαλῆσαι ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῆς τοῦ διαλλάξαι αὐτὴν ἑαυτῷ καὶ ἀπαγαγεῖν αὐτὴν πάλιν πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ τὸ παιδάριον αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ ζεῦγος ὑποζυγίων· καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἕως οἴκου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς, καὶ εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ τῆς νεάνιδος καὶ παρῆν εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ. 4 καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτὸν ὁ γαμβρὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ πατὴρ τῆς νεάνιδος καὶ ἐκάθισεν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἡμέρας τρεῖς, καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον καὶ ὕπνωσαν ἐκεῖ. 5 καὶ ἐγενήθη τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τετάρτῃ καὶ ὤρθρισαν τὸ πρωί, καὶ ἀνέστη τοῦ ἀπελθεῖν· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ πατὴρ τῆς νεάνιδος πρὸς τὸν γαμβρὸν αὐτοῦ Στήρισον τὴν καρδίαν σου κλάσματι ἄρτου, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο πορεύεσθε. 6 καὶ ἐκάθισαν καὶ ἔφαγον ἀμφότεροι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἔπιον· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ πατὴρ τῆς νεάνιδος πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα Ἀρξάμενος αὐλίσθητι, καὶ ἀγαθυνθήτω ἡ καρδία σου. 7 καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ ἀνὴρ ἀπελθεῖν· καὶ ἐβιάσατο αὐτὸν ὁ γαμβρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάλιν ηὐλίσθη ἐκεῖ. 8 καὶ ὤρθρισεν τὸ πρωὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ πέμπτῃ τοῦ ἀπελθεῖν· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ πατὴρ τῆς νεάνιδος Στήρισον τὴν καρδίαν σου ἄρτῳ καὶ στρατεύθητι, ἕως κλίνῃ ἡ ἡμέρα· καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον ἀμφότεροι. 9 καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ ἀνὴρ τοῦ ἀπελθεῖν, αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ παλλακὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ παιδάριον αὐτοῦ· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ γαμβρὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ πατὴρ τῆς νεάνιδος Ἰδοὺ δὴ εἰς ἑσπέραν κέκλικεν ἡ ἡμέρα· κατάλυσον ὧδε ἔτι σήμερον, καὶ ἀγαθυνθήτω ἡ καρδία σου, καὶ ὀρθριεῖτε αὔριον εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀπελεύσῃ εἰς τὸ σκήνωμά σου. 10 καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐλισθῆναι καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ ἀπῆλθεν, καὶ παρεγένοντο ἕως κατέναντι Ιεβους (αὕτη ἐστὶν Ιερουσαλημ), καὶ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ζεῦγος ὑποζυγίων ἐπισεσαγμένων, καὶ ἡ παλλακὴ αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ. 11 ἔτι αὐτῶν ὄντων κατὰ Ιεβους καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα κεκλικυῖα σφόδρα· καὶ εἶπεν τὸ παιδάριον πρὸς τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ Δεῦρο δὴ καὶ ἐκκλίνωμεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν τοῦ Ιεβουσαίου ταύτην καὶ αὐλισθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ. 12 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτόν Οὐ μὴ ἐκκλίνω εἰς πόλιν ἀλλοτρίου, ἣ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ, καὶ παρελευσόμεθα ἕως Γαβαα. 13 καὶ εἶπεν τῷ παιδαρίῳ αὐτοῦ Δεῦρο καὶ εἰσέλθωμεν εἰς ἕνα τῶν τόπων καὶ αὐλισθῶμεν ἐν Γαβαα ἢ ἐν Ραμα. 14 καὶ παρῆλθον καὶ ἀπῆλθον· ἔδυ γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος ἐχόμενα τῆς Γαβαα, ἥ ἐστιν τοῦ Βενιαμιν. 15 καὶ ἐξέκλιναν ἐκεῖ τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν καταλῦσαι ἐν Γαβαα· καὶ εἰσῆλθον καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐν τῇ πλατείᾳ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνὴρ ὁ συνάγων αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν οἶκον καταλῦσαι. 16 καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτης εἰσῆλθεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἑσπέρας· καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐξ ὄρους Εφραιμ, καὶ αὐτὸς παρῴκει ἐν Γαβαα, καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες τοῦ τόπου υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν. 17 καὶ ἀναβλέψας τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἶδεν τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν ὁδοιπόρον ἐν τῇ πλατείᾳ τῆς πόλεως· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ πρεσβύτης Ποῦ πορεύῃ καὶ πόθεν ἔρχῃ; 18 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν Διαβαίνομεν ἡμεῖς ἐκ Βηθλεεμ τῆς Ιουδα ἕως μηρῶν ὄρους τοῦ Εφραιμ· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐκεῖθέν εἰμι καὶ ἐπορεύθην ἕως Βηθλεεμ Ιουδα, καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ἐγὼ ἀποτρέχω, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνὴρ συνάγων με εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν· 19 καί γε ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα ὑπάρχει τοῖς ὄνοις ἡμῶν, καί γε ἄρτος καὶ οἶνος ὑπάρχει μοι καὶ τῇ δούλῃ σου καὶ τῷ παιδαρίῳ τοῖς δούλοις σου, οὐκ ἔστιν ὑστέρημα παντὸς πράγματος. 20 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ πρεσβύτης Εἰρήνη σοι, πλὴν πᾶν τὸ ὑστέρημά σου ἐπ᾽ ἐμέ· πλὴν ἐν τῇ πλατείᾳ μὴ καταλύσῃς. 21 καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ παρέβαλεν τοῖς ὑποζυγίοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνίψαντο τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον. 22 αὐτῶν δὲ ἀγαθυνθέντων τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν καὶ ἰδοὺ οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως υἱοὶ παρανόμων περιεκύκλωσαν τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ ἔκρουσαν τὴν θύραν καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν κύριον τῆς οἰκίας τὸν πρεσβύτην λέγοντες Ἐξάγαγε τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν εἰσελθόντα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν σου, ἵνα γνῶμεν αὐτόν. 23 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ κύριος τῆς οἰκίας καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς Μηδαμῶς, ἀδελφοί, μὴ πονηρεύσησθε δή· μετὰ τὸ εἰσεληλυθέναι τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν μου μὴ ποιήσητε τὴν ἀφροσύνην ταύτην· 24 ἰδοὺ ἡ θυγάτηρ μου ἡ παρθένος καὶ ἡ παλλακὴ αὐτοῦ, ἐξάξω δὴ αὐτάς, καὶ ταπεινώσατε αὐτὰς καὶ ποιήσατε αὐταῖς τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμῶν· καὶ τῷ ἀνδρὶ τούτῳ μὴ ποιήσητε τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς ἀφροσύνης ταύτης. 25 καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν οἱ ἄνδρες ἀκοῦσαι αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐπελάβετο ὁ ἀνὴρ τῆς παλλακῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔξω, καὶ ἔγνωσαν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐνέπαιξαν αὐτῇ ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ἕως τὸ πρωί· καὶ ἐξαπέστειλαν αὐτὴν ἅμα τῷ ἀναβαίνειν τὸν ὄρθρον. 26 καὶ ἦλθεν ἡ γυνὴ τὸ πρὸς πρωὶ καὶ ἔπεσεν παρὰ τὴν θύραν τοῦ πυλῶνος τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ ἀνδρός, οὗ ἦν ὁ κύριος αὐτῆς ἐκεῖ, ἕως οὗ διέφαυσεν. 27 καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ κύριος αὐτῆς τὸ πρωὶ καὶ ἤνοιξεν τὰς θύρας τοῦ οἴκου καὶ ἐξῆλθεν τοῦ ἀπελθεῖν τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ παλλακὴ αὐτοῦ πεπτωκυῖα παρὰ τὴν θύραν, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὸ πρόθυρον. 28 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτήν Ἀνάστηθι καὶ ἀπέλθωμεν· καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ τεθνήκει. καὶ ἀνέλαβεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὸ ὑποζύγιον καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ. 29 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν μάχαιραν καὶ ἐπελάβετο τῆς παλλακῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐμέλισεν αὐτὴν κατὰ τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῆς εἰς δώδεκα μερίδας καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτὰς εἰς πάσας τὰς φυλὰς Ισραηλ. 30 καὶ ἐγένετο πᾶς ὁ ὁρῶν ἔλεγεν Οὔτε ἐγενήθη οὔτε ὤφθη οὕτως ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἀναβάσεως υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης. καὶ ἐνετείλατο τοῖς ἀνδράσιν, οἷς ἐξαπέστειλεν, λέγων Τάδε ἐρεῖτε πρὸς πάντα ἄνδρα Ισραηλ Εἰ γέγονεν κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἀναβάσεως υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης; θέσθε δὴ ἑαυτοῖς βουλὴν περὶ αὐτῆς καὶ λαλήσατε.