Liber Iudicum, 19

0. In diebus illis non erat rex in Israel.

0.

1. Fuit quidam vir Levi tes habitans ut advena in extrema parte montis Ephraim, qui accepit concubinam de Bethlehem Iudae.

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. Quae irritata reversa est in domum patris sui in Bethlehem mansitque apud eum quattuor mensibus.

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. Secutusque est eam vir suus volens loqui ad cor eius et secum reducere habens in comitatu puerum et duos asinos. Quae suscepit eum et introduxit in domum patris sui. Quem cum socer eius vidisset, occurrit ei laetus

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. et retinuit hominem. Mansitque gener in domo soceri tribus diebus comedens cum eo et bibens familiariter.

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. Die autem quarto, cum de nocte consurrexissent, et ille proficisci vellet, socer ait ad eum: “Gusta prius pauxillum panis et conforta cor tuum et sic proficisceris”.

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. Sederuntque ambo simul et comederunt ac biberunt. Dixitque pater puellae ad generum suum: “Quaeso te, ut hodie hic maneas, pariterque laetemur”.

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. At ille consurgens coepit velle proficisci. Et nihilominus obnixe eum socer tenuit et apud se fecit manere.

7. And when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law urged him, till he lodged there again.

8. Mane autem facto, quinta die parabat Levites iter; cui socer rursum: “Oro te, inquit, ut confortes cor tuum”. Et tardabant, donec declinaret dies; et ambo comederunt simul.

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. Surrexitque adulescens, ut pergeret cum uxore sua et puero. Cui rursum locutus est socer eius pater puellae: “Considera quod dies ad occasum declivior sit et propinquet ad vesperum; manete apud me etiam hodie, pernocta hic et esto laeto animo, et cras mane proficiscemini, ut vadas in domum tuam”.

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. Noluit gener acquiescere sermonibus eius, sed statim perrexit et venit contra Iebus, id est Ierusalem, ducens secum duos asinos onustos et concubinam.

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. Iamque aderant iuxta Iebus, et dies mutabatur in noctem; dixitque puer ad dominum suum: “Veni, obsecro, declinemus ad urbem Iebusaeorum et maneamus in ea”.

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. Cui respondit dominus: “Non ingrediamur oppidum gentis alienae, quae non est de filiis Israel, sed transibimus usque Gabaa”.

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. Dixitque puero suo: “Veni, accedamus ad unum de locis et manebimus in Gabaa aut Rama”.

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. Transierunt igitur Iebus et coeptum carpebant iter; occubuitque eis sol iuxta Gabaa, quae est in tribu Beniamin.

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. Diverteruntque ad eam, ut manerent ibi; quo cum intrassent, sedebant in platea civitatis, et nullus eos recipere volebat hospitio.

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. Et ecce apparuit homo senex revertens de agro et de opere suo vespere, qui et ipse erat de monte Ephraim et peregrinus habitabat in Gabaa; homines autem loci illius erant de tribu Beniamin.

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. Elevatisque oculis, vidit senex sedentem hominem viatorem in platea civitatis et dixit ad eum: “Unde venis et quo vadis?”.

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. Qui respondit ei: “Profecti sumus de Bethlehem Iudae et pergimus ad locum meum, qui est in extrema parte montis Ephraim, unde profectus sum in Bethlehem. Et nunc vado ad domum meam, nullusque sub tectum suum me vult recipere

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. habentem paleas et pabulum pro asinis nostris et panem ac vinum in meos et ancillae tuae usus et pueri, qui cum servo tuo sunt; nulla re indigemus nisi hospitio”.

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. Cui respondit senex: “Pax tecum sit! Ego praebebo omnia, quae necessaria sunt; tantum, quaeso, ne in platea maneas”.

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. Introduxitque eum in domum suam et commixtum migma asinis praebuit; ac, postquam laverunt pedes suos, recepit eos in convivium.

21. So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses provender; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

22. Illis laeto corde epulantibus, venerunt viri civitatis illius filii Belial et circumdantes domum senis fores pulsare coeperunt clamantes ad dominum domus atque dicentes: “Educ virum, qui ingressus est domum tuam, ut abutamur eo”.

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. Egressusque est ad eos senex et ait: “Nolite, fratres, nolite facere malum hoc, quia ingressus est homo hospitium meum, et cessate ab hac stultitia.

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. Habeo filiam virginem, et hic homo habet concubinam; educam eas ad vos, ut humilietis eas et faciatis eis, quod vobis placuerit; tantum, obsecro, ne scelus hoc operemini in virum”.

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. Nolebant acquiescere sermonibus eius; quod cernens homo apprehendit et eduxit ad eos concubinam suam. Qua cum abusi essent et tota nocte ei illusissent, dimiserunt eam mane.

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. At mulier, recedentibus tenebris, venit ad ostium domus, ubi manebat dominus suus, et ibi corruit.

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. Mane facto surrexit homo et aperuit ostium, ut coeptam expleret viam; et ecce concubina eius iacebat ante ostium, sparsis in limine manibus.

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. Cui ille loquebatur: “Surge, ut ambulemus”. Qua nihil respondente, intellegens quod erat mortua, tulit eam et imposuit asino; reversusque est in domum suam.

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. Quam cum esset ingressus, arripuit gladium et cadaver uxoris secundum ossa sua in duodecim partes ac frusta concidens misit in omnes terminos Israel.

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. Quod cum vidissent singuli, conclamabant: “Numquam res talis facta et visa est in Israel ex eo die, quo ascenderunt patres nostri de Aegypto, usque in praesens tempus!”. Praeceperat enim viris, quos miserat, dicens: “Haec dicite omni viro Israel: Si factum est quidquam tale ex die, quo ascenderunt filii Israel de terra Aegypti, usque ad praesentem diem? Attendite ad hoc, consiliamini et decernite quid facto opus sit!”.

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."