JUDGES 19:1-13
19:1 Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite dwelling in the far end of the hill country of Ephraim. And he took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
19:2 But his concubine went about as a harlot, and she departed from him to her father’s house, to Bethlehem in Judah; and she was there for a period of four months.
19:3 Then her husband rose up and came after her to speak to her affectionately and to bring her back, bringing with him his young man and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he rejoiced to see him.
19:4 And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, detained him; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank, and they spent the night there.
19:5 And on the fourth day, they rose up early in the morning and got up to go. But the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, Sustain yourself with a morsel of bread, and afterward you can go.
19:6 So they sat down, and the two of them ate and drank together. And the father of the young woman said to the man, Will you not, I beg you, stay overnight and let your heart be merry?
19:7 And the man got up to go; but his father-in-law urged him, and he spent the night there again.
19:8 Then on the fifth day he rose up early in the morning to go; but the father of the young woman said, Sustain yourself, I beg you, and linger until the day has declined. So the two of them ate.
19:9 And when the man got up to go, with his concubine and his young man, his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, Look now, the day is waning toward evening; spend the night, I beg you. Look, the day is drawing to a close. Spend the night here, and let your heart be merry; then rise up early tomorrow for your journey and go home.
19:10 But the man did not want to spend the night, so he rose up and left. And he arrived at Jebus (that is, Jerusalem); and with him were a couple of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him.
19:11 And when they were at Jebus, the day was far spent; and the young man said to his master, Come now, and let us turn aside toward this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.
19:12 And his master said to him, We will not turn aside toward a city of foreigners, who are not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
19:13 And he said to his young man, Come and let us approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.