The Crime of the Benjamites (Genesis 19:1–11)
1 WBS And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite dwelling on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah. BSB BSB: Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
2 WBS And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months. BSB BSB: But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,
3 WBS And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to 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. BSB BSB: her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
4 WBS And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they ate and drank, and lodged there. BSB BSB: His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there.
5 WBS And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he arose to depart: and the damsel's father said to his son-in-law, Comfort thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward depart. BSB BSB: On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to depart, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and then you can go.”
6 WBS And they sat down, and ate and drank both of them together: for the damsel's father had said to the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry. BSB BSB: So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and let your heart be merry.”
7 WBS And when the man rose to depart, his father-in-law urged him: therefore he lodged there again. BSB BSB: The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.
8 WBS And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thy heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they ate both of them. BSB BSB: On the fifth day, he got up early in the morning to depart, but the girl’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate.
9 WBS And when the man arose to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said to him, Behold now the day draweth towards evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day is coming to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home. BSB BSB: When the man got up to depart with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing to a close. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, that your heart may be merry. Then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey home.”
10 WBS But the man would not tarry that night, but he arose and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him. BSB BSB: But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
11 WBS And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in to this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.BSB BSB: When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Please, let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here.”
12 WBS And his master said to 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. BSB BSB: But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.”
13 WBS And he said to his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah. BSB BSB: He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
14 WBS And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. BSB BSB: So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
15 WBS And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge. BSB BSB: They stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for the night.
16 WBS And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening, who was also of mount Ephraim; and he dwelt in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjaminites. BSB BSB: That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was residing in Gibeah (the men of that place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the field.
17 WBS And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a way-faring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou? BSB BSB: When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where have you come from?”
18 WBS And he said to him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-Judah towards 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 into his house. BSB BSB: The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home,
19 WBS 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: BSB BSB: even though there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and the maidservant and young man with me. There is nothing that we, your servants, lack.”
20 WBS And the old man said, Peace be with thee; however, let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street. BSB BSB: “Peace to you,” said the old man. “Let me supply everything you need. Only do not spend the night in the square.”
21 WBS So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses: and they washed their feet and ate and drank. BSB BSB: So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.
22 WBS Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house on all sides, and beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him.BSB BSB: While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”
23 WBS And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, Nay, my brethren, nay , I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this folly. BSB BSB: The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage.
24 WBS 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 to you: but to this man do not so vile a thing. BSB BSB: Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”
25 WBS But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth to 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. BSB BSB: But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite 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.
26 WBS 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. BSB BSB: Early that morning, the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, collapsed at the doorway, and lay there until it was light.
27 WBS And her lord rose 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, and her hands were upon the threshhold. BSB BSB: In the morning, when her master got up and opened the doors of the house to go out on his journey, there was his concubine, collapsed in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
28 WBS And he said to her, Rise, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her upon an ass, and the man rose, and went to his place. BSB BSB: “Get up,” he told her. “Let us go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
29 WBS And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the borders of Israel. BSB BSB: When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
30 WBS And it was so, that all that saw it, said, There hath been no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came from the land of Egypt to this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds . BSB BSB: And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.