1 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of E'phraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
2 And his concubine became angry with him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months.
3 Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple of asses. And he came to her father's house; and when the girl's father saw him, he came with joy to meet him.
4 And his father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days; so they ate and drank, and lodged there.
5 And on the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and he prepared to go; but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you may go."
6 So the two men sat and ate and drank together; and the girl's father said to the man, "Be pleased to spend the night, and let your heart be merry."
7 And when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law urged him, till he lodged there again.
8 And on the fifth day he arose early in the morning to depart; and the girl's father said, "Strengthen your heart, and tarry until the day declines." So they ate, both of them.
9 And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Behold, now the day has waned toward evening; pray tarry all night. Behold, the day draws to its close; lodge here and let your heart be merry; and tomorrow you shall arise early in the morning for your journey, and go home."
10 But the man would not spend the night; he rose up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a couple of saddled asses, and his concubine was with him.
11 When they were near Jebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said to his master, "Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jeb'usites, and spend the night in it."
12 And his master said to him, "We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel; but we will pass on to Gib'e-ah."
13 And he said to his servant, "Come and let us draw near to one of these places, and spend the night at Gib'e-ah or at Ramah."
14 So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gib'e-ah, which belongs to Benjamin,
15 and they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gib'e-ah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city; for no man took them into his house to spend the night.
16 And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening; the man was from the hill country of E'phraim, and he was sojourning in Gib'e-ah; the men of the place were Benjaminites.
17 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfarer in the open square of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going? and whence do you come?"
18 And he said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of E'phraim, from which I come. I went to Bethlehem in Judah; and I am going to my home; and nobody takes me into his house.
19 We have straw and provender for our asses, with bread and wine for me and your maidservant and the young man with your servants; there is no lack of anything."
20 And the old man said, "Peace be to you; I will care for all your wants; only, do not spend the night in the square."
21 So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses provender; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22 As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, base fellows, beset the house round about, beating on the door; and they said to the old man, the master of the house, "Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him."
23 And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my brethren, do not act so wickedly; seeing that this man has come into my house, do not do this vile thing.
24 Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine; let me bring them out now. Ravish them and do with them what seems good to you; but against this man do not do so vile a thing."
25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine, and put her out to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go.
26 And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, till it was light.
27 And her master rose up in the morning, and when he opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, behold, there was his concubine lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
28 He said to her, "Get up, let us be going." But there was no answer. Then he put her upon the ass; and the man rose up and went away to his home.
29 And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and laying hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.
30 And all who saw it said, "Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak."
Versículos relacionados com Judges, 19:
Judges chapter 19 tells the shocking story of a Levite who, traveling with his concubine, decides to spend the night in the city of Gibéia, Benjamin. There they are hosted by an old man, but the city is surrounded by wicked men who require Levite to be delivered so that they can abuse him sexually. Instead, the old man offers his own daughter and Levite's concubine to men, who end up violating and killing the concubine. The Levite then cuts her body into pieces and sends the pieces to all the tribes of Israel, causing a war against the Benjamin tribe.
Deuteronomy 22:25-27: "But if a man finds a girl designed in the countryside, and the man to force, and lie down with her, then only the man who lay with her will die. But the girl will do nothing; There is no sin worthy of death; for, as when someone gets up against his neighbor, and takes his life, this is this case. For he found it in the field; the deposited girl shouted, but there was no one to deliver her. " This verse highlights the importance of protecting women's dignity and integrity and condemns sexual violence.
Proverbs 16:29: "The violent man persuad his companion, and guide him on the way not good." This verse condemns the violence and negative influence that violent men can have on others.
Isaiah 1:15-17: "And when you extend your hands, I will hide from you my eyes; yes, when the prayer multiply, I will not hear; for your hands are full of blood. Take from my eyes the wickedness of your acts; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, end up with oppression; do justice to the orphan, defend the cause of the widow. " This verse condemns injustice and violence and calls people to repent and seek justice.
Psalm 82:3-4: "Do justice to the poor and the orphan; justify the afflicted and the needy. Deliver the poor and needy; take them out of the hands of the wicked." This verse calls people to defend the needy and do justice, especially in the face of oppression and violence.
Amos 5:15: "Hate evil and love good, and establish righteousness at the door; perhaps the Lord God of hosts compasses Himself from the remnant of Joseph." This verse emphasizes the importance of hating evil and loving good, and the need to establish justice in all areas of life.
Chapters: