1 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah. 2 His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there for four months. 3 Her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him and a couple of donkeys. She brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young lady saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. 4 His father-in-law, the young lady’s father, kept him there; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank, and stayed there.

5 On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning, and he rose up to depart. The young lady’s father said to his son-in-law, "Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you shall go your way." 6 So they sat down, ate, and drank, both of them together. Then the young lady’s father said to the man, "Please be pleased to stay all night, and let your heart be merry." 7 The man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again. 8 He arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the young lady’s father said, "Please strengthen your heart and stay until the day declines;" and they both ate.

9 When the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the young lady’s father, said to him, "Behold, now the day draws toward evening, please stay all night. Behold, the day is ending. Stay here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow go on your way early, that you may go home." 10 But the man wouldn’t stay that night, but he rose up and went near Jebus (also called Jerusalem). With him were a couple of saddled donkeys. His concubine also was with him.

11 When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, "Please come and let’s enter into this city of the Jebusites, and stay in it."

12 His master said to him, "We won’t enter into the city of a foreigner that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah." 13 He said to his servant, "Come and let’s draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah." 14 So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. 15 They went over there, to go in to stay in Gibeah. He went in, and sat down in the street of the city; for there was no one who took them into his house to stay.

16 Behold, an old man came from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites. 17 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"

18 He said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to Yahweh’s house; and there is no one who has taken me into his house. 19 Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything."

20 The old man said, "Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street." 21 So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank. 22 As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain wicked fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house, that we can have sex with him!"

23 The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, "No, my brothers, please don’t act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, don’t do this folly. 24 Behold, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but to this man don’t do any such folly."

25 But the men wouldn’t listen to him; so the man grabbed his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all night until the morning. When the day began to dawn, they let her go. 26 Then the woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, until it was light. 27 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 had fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.

28 He said to her, "Get up, and let’s get going!" but no one answered. Then he took her up on the donkey; and the man rose up, and went to his place.

29 When he had come into his house, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel. 30 It was so, that all who saw it said, "Such a deed has not been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day! Consider it, take counsel, and speak."

1 在以色列中没有王的日子， 有一个利未人寄居在以法莲山地的偏远地区； 他从犹大的伯利恒给自己娶了一个女子作妾。

2 他的妾背夫行淫， 离开丈夫， 回到犹大的伯利恒她父亲的家那里去了， 在那里住了四个月的日子。

3 她的丈夫起来， 带着一个仆人和两头驴去追她， 用话打动她的心， 叫她回来。她把丈夫带到自己父家， 那少女的父亲见了那人， 就欢欢喜喜迎接他。

4 那人的岳父， 就是女子的父亲， 强留那人， 那人就与他同住了三天； 他们一起吃喝， 在那里住宿。

5 到了第四天， 他们清早起来， 那人起身要走； 那女子的父亲对女婿说： "请吃点饼增添心力， 然后再走。"

6 于是二人坐下， 一起吃喝； 女子的父亲对那人说： "请你答应再过一夜， 畅快你的心。"

7 那人起来要走， 他的岳父强留他， 他又在那里过了一夜。

8 到了第五天， 他清早起来要走； 那女子的父亲说： "请吃点饼增添心力， 等到日头西斜再走吧。"于是他们耽延， 直到日头西斜； 二人一同吃饭。

9 那人和他的妾， 以及他的仆人起来要走的时候， 他的岳父， 就是那女子的父亲， 对他说： "看哪， 天快晚了！ 请再住一夜。看哪， 日头西斜了！ 请在这里再住一夜， 畅快你的心； 明天可以清早起来， 上路回家去。"

10 那人不愿再住一夜， 就带着自己的妾和两头备好了的驴， 起来走了， 来到耶布斯对面； 耶布斯就是耶路撒冷。

11 他们走近耶布斯的时候， 日头快要落了； 仆人对主人说： "来， 让我们转到这耶布斯人的城去， 好在那里住宿。"

12 主人对他说： "我们不可转到这座不是以色列人居住的外族人的城里去， 我们过到基比亚去吧。"

13 又对他的仆人说： "来吧， 我们可以到这些地方其中一个去投宿， 或在基比亚或在拉玛。"

14 于是他们走路过去； 他们走近便雅悯人的基比亚的时候， 日头已经落了。

15 他们从那里转身， 要进基比亚去住宿； 他们进去， 坐在城里的广场上， 因为没有人接待他们到家里去住宿。

16 到晚上， 有一个老年人从田间工作回来； 那人原是以法莲山地的人， 寄居在基比亚； 那地方的人却是便雅悯人。

17 那老年人举目， 看见那个旅客在城里的广场上， 就问他： "你要到哪里去？你从哪里来？"

18 利未人回答他： "我们是从犹大的伯利恒过来的， 要到以法莲山地的偏远地区去， 我原是那地方的人； 我去过犹大的伯利恒， 现在我要到我的家去（"到我的家去"原文作"到耶和华的殿去"）， 但没有人接待我到家里去。

19 其实我有粮草、有饲料， 可以喂驴； 我和我的妾， 以及与你的仆人在一起的那个青年人， 都有饼和酒吃喝， 一无所缺。"

20 那老年人说： "愿你平安， 你所缺乏的， 由我负责好了； 只是不可在广场上过夜。"

21 于是把他领到自己的家里， 用饲料喂了驴， 他们洗了脚， 就吃喝起来。

22 他们心里正畅快的时候， 忽然城里有些无赖之徒， 围绕房子， 不住地敲门， 对老房主说： "把进入你家的那个人带出来， 我们要与他交合。"

23 那房主出来见他们， 对他们说： "我的众兄弟啊， 不可这样， 请你们不要作恶； 这人既然进了我的家， 你们就不要作这羞耻的事。

24 这里有我的女儿， 还是处女， 并且有这人的妾， 我把她们领出来， 让你们污辱她们； 你们看怎样好， 就怎样待她们吧。只是对这个人， 你们却不要作这羞耻的事。"

25 那些人却不肯听从他的话， 那人就抓住自己的妾， 拉出外边去交给他们， 他们就与她交合， 整夜污辱她； 直到早晨， 天色破晓的时候， 才放她走。

26 天快亮的时候， 那女子回到留她主人住宿的那人的房子门口， 就仆倒在那里， 直到天亮。

27 到早晨， 她的主人起来， 开了房门， 出去要上路的时候， 就看见那妇人， 就是他的妾， 仆倒在门口， 她的双手搭在门槛上。

28 他对那妇人说： "起来， 我们走吧！ "可是却没有回答。那人就把她驮在驴上， 起程回自己的地方去了。

29 他到了家里， 就拿起刀来， 抓住自己的妾， 把她的肢体切成十二块， 叫人送到以色列的全境去。

30 看见的人都说： "自从以色列人从埃及地上来的日子， 直到今日， 这样的事并没有发生过， 也没有看见过； 你们要思想， 要商议， 要讨论。"