A Levite and his concubine
1In those days Israel had no king.
Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there for four months, 3her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her parents’ home, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. 4His father-in-law, the woman’s father, prevailed on him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there.
5On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, ‘Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go.’ 6So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterwards the woman’s father said, ‘Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself.’ 7And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. 8On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the woman’s father said, ‘Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!’ So the two of them ate together.
9Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the woman’s father, said, ‘Now look, it’s almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home.’ 10But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went towards Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
11When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, ‘Come, let’s stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night.’
12His master replied, ‘No. We won’t go into any city whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.’ 13He added, ‘Come, let’s try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places.’ 14So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. 15There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no-one took them in for the night.
16That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the inhabitants of the place were Benjaminites), came in from his work in the fields. 17When he looked and saw the traveller in the city square, the old man asked, ‘Where are you going? Where did you come from?’
18He answered, ‘We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the Lord.19:18 Hebrew, Vulgate, Syriac and Targum; Septuagint going home No-one has taken me in for the night. 19We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants – me, the woman and the young man with us. We don’t need anything.’
20‘You are welcome at my house,’ the old man said. ‘Let me supply whatever you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.’ 21So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.
22While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, ‘Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.’
23The owner of the house went outside and said to them, ‘No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing. 24Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.’
25But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. 26At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.
27When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28He said to her, ‘Get up; let’s go.’ But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
29When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. 30Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, ‘Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!’
Ang Levita ug ang iyang Asawa nga Sulugoon
1Sa panahon nga wala pay hari ang Israel, may usa ka Levita nga nagpuyo sa layong dapit sa kabungtoran sa Efraim. Kini nga Levita nakapangasawa ug sulugoon nga taga-Betlehem, nga sakop sa Juda. 2Apan nanglaki kining iyang asawa, ug mipauli kini sa balay sa iyang mga ginikanan sa Betlehem. Nagpabilin siya didto sulod sa upat ka bulan. 3Unya nakadesisyon ang Levita nga apason ang iyang asawa ug alam-alaman nga makig-uli kaniya. Nagdala siyag duha ka asno ug usa ka sulugoon. Pag-abot niya didto, gipadayon siya sa babaye, ug sa dihang nakita siya sa amahan sa babaye, giabiabi siya pag-ayo. 4Gipugos siya sa iyang ugangan nga magpabilin didto. Busa nagpabilin siya sulod sa tulo ka adlaw nga didto man nagakaon, nagainom, ug nagatulog.
5Sa ikaupat nga adlaw, sayo pa kaayo silang mibangon ug nanghipos kay mopauli. Apan miingon ang amahan sa babaye ngadto sa iyang umagad, “Kaon una kamo sa dili pa molakaw.” 6Busa mikaon sila. Miingon pag-usab ang amahan sa babaye, “Ugma na lang kamo lakaw kay maglipay-lipay una kita dinhi.” 7Molakaw na unta ang lalaki apan nagsigeg pamugos ang iyang ugangan, busa nagpabilin na lang sila. 8Pagkabuntag, sa ikalima nga adlaw, nagaandam na sila aron manglakaw, apan miingon na usab ang amahan sa babaye, “Kaon una kamo ug unya na lang kamo sa hapon lakaw.” Busa mikaon una sila. 9Sa dihang molakaw na ang Levita, ang iyang asawa, ug ang iyang sulugoon, miingon ang amahan sa babaye, “Morag hapon na ug sa dili madugay mongitngit na. Maayo pag dinhi na lang una usab kamo matulog. Paglipay-lipay una kamo, ug ugma sayo kamog lakaw.”
10-11Apan wala na gayod mosugot ang Levita. Milakaw gayod sila sakay sa duha ka asno. Hapon na kaayo sa dihang miabot sila sa Jebus (nga mao ang Jerusalem). Busa miingon ang iyang sulugoon, “Maayo pa tingalig dinhi na lang kita matulog niining lungsod sa mga Jebusihanon.” 12Mitubag ang Levita, “Dili mahimo nga dinhi kita matulog sa dapit nga dili mga Israelinhon ang nagpuyo. Molahos kita sa Gibea. 13Tana, mopadayon kita ug lakaw ug sa Gibea o sa Rama kita matulog.” 14Busa nagpadayon sila. Misalop na ang adlaw sa dihang miabot sila duol sa Gibea nga sakop sa teritoryo ni Benjamin. 15Misulod sila sa lungsod ug milingkod sa plasa, apan wala gayoy miagda kanila nga modayon sa ilang balay.
16Sa dihang ngitngit na, may usa ka tigulang nga lalaki nga gikan sa iyang trabaho sa uma. Kining tigulanga didto kaniadto nagpuyo sa kabungtoran sa Efraim apan niadtong higayona didto sa Gibea, sa teritoryo ni Benjamin na siya nagpuyo.
17Sa dihang nakita sila niining tigulanga, miduol kini kanila ug nangutana, “Taga-asa kamo ug asa kamo paingon?” 18Mitubag ang Levita, “Gikan kami sa Betlehem nga sakop sa Juda, ug mopauli kami sa among balay19:18 among balay: Mao kini sa Septuagint; apan sa Hebreo, balay sa Ginoo. sa kabungtoran sa Efraim. Apan walay miagda kanamo nga modayon sa ilang balay. 19May pagkaon ug ilimnon kami alang sa among kaugalingon, ug may kumpay usab alang sa among mga asno. Wala na kamiy kinahanglanon pa.” 20Miingon ang tigulang, “Ayaw kamo kabalaka. Didto kamo sa akong balay katulog. Andam akong mohatag sa tanan ninyong kinahanglanon. Ayaw lang kamog katulog dinhi sa plasa.” 21Busa gidala sila sa tigulang didto sa iyang balay. Gipakaon sa tigulang ang ilang mga asno, ug unya nanghimasa sila ug nangaon.
22Samtang naglipay sila, kalit lang nga gilibotan ug daotang mga tawo ang balay ug gisigihag dukdok ang pultahan. Miingon sila sa tigulang nga tag-iya sa balay, “Pagawasa ang bisita mong lalaki kay makighilawas kami kaniya.” 23Mitubag ang tigulang, “Ayaw, mga higala! Ayaw kamo paghimo ug daotan. Bisita ko kining tawhana ug makauulaw kanang inyong pagabuhaton. 24Ania ang iyang asawa ug ang akong anak nga dalaga. Ihatag ko sila kaninyo, ug buhata kanila ang gusto ninyong buhaton. Basta ayaw lang ninyo himoa kanang makauulaw nga butang sa akong bisita.”
25Wala mamati ang mga tawo kaniya, busa gipagawas sa Levita ang iyang asawa ug gitugyan kanila. Giamong-amongan nila siya sa tibuok gabii ug wala undangi hangtod nagbuntag. Pagkakaadlawon, gipalakaw nila ang babaye. 26Banagbanag na sa dihang miabot kini sa balay sa tigulang diin atua ang iyang bana. Natumba siya sa may pultahan ug didto na mabuntagi.
27Mibangon ang Levita pagkabuntag ug giablihan ang pultahan. Sa iyang paggawas aron mopadayon sa iyang lakaw, nakita niya ang iyang asawa nga naghapa ug ang mga kamot niini didto sa tumbanan sa pultahan. 28Miingon ang Levita, “Bangon na kay mopauli na kita.” Apan patay na diay19:28 patay na diay: Mao kini sa Septuagint; apan sa Hebreo, wala motubag. ang babaye, busa gikarga niya kini sa iyang asno ug milakaw.
29Pag-abot niya sa iyang balay, mikuha siyag sundang ug giputol-putol niya sa 12 ka bahin ang patayng lawas sa iyang asawa, ug unya gipadala niya kini sa 12 ka tribo sa Israel. 30Miingon ang tanang nakakita niini, “Wala pa gayoy nahitabo nga sama niini sukad sa pagbiya sa mga Israelinhon sa Ehipto. Unsay angay natong buhaton?”
