The Man Went to Get His Mistress at His Father-in-Law’s Home |
Judges 19:1-30 The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks] |
It [happened] in those days, when there was no king in Israel & there was a certain Levite [temporarily staying] on the side of Mount Ephraim, who took [a mistress for himself] out of Bethlehem Judah. |
And his [mistress played the unfaithful harlot] against him, & went away from him, to her father’s house in Bethlehem Judah, & was there 4 whole months. And her husband, [got up,] & went after her, [with his servant & a couple of [donkeys,] to speak [kindly] to her & bring her [back] again. |
She brought him into her father’s house, & when her father saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. His father-in-law, the damsel’s father, [delayed] him [from going,] & he [stayed] with him 3 days, & they [ate] & [drank] & lodged there. |
It [happened,] on the 4th day, when they arose early in the morning, & [got up to leave,] & the damsel’s father said to his son-in-law, Comfort your heart with a [bit of] bread, & afterward go [on] your way. |
They both sat down together & [ate] & [drank,] for [her] father had said to the man, I pray [that] you can be content, & let your heart be merry & [stay] all night. And when the man rose up to [leave,] his father-in-law urged him & therefore, he lodged there again. |
[On] the 5th day, he arose early in the morning to [leave;] & [her] father said, I pray [that] you comfort your heart. And they [waited] until afternoon, & they both [ate.] And when the man rose up to [leave] with his [mistress,] & his servant, his father-in-law said to him, [Look, it’s almost] evening. |
I pray [that] you [stay] all night [Look,] the day now [draws] toward evening, lodge here, [so] that your heart may be merry; & tomorrow you [can] get [yourself up] early, [& be] on your way, [so] that you [may] go home. |
But, the man wouldn’t [wait] that night, but he rose up & [left] with his 2 saddled [donkeys,] his [mistress] [& servant] [were] also with him & [headed toward] Jebus, which is Jerusalem. When they were [near] Jebus, the day was [almost over;] & the servant said to his master, I pray [that] you come, & let us turn in to this city of Jebusites & lodge in it. |
His master said to him, We won’t turn aside [here] [to go] into the city of a stranger, [who isn’t from] the children, [a.k.a. people,] of Israel. We will [cross] over to Gibeah. He said to his servant, Come, let us draw [close] to one of these places in Gibeah, or in Ramah, to lodge all night. |
They [continued] on & went [on] their way; & the sun [had gone] down, when they were by Gibeah, which [belongs] to Benjamin. And they turned aside [there,] to go in & lodge in Gibeah. |
And when he went in, he sat [himself] down in a street of the city, [since] there was no man [who] took them into their house to [lodge.] And [saw,] there came an old man there, from his work [in] the field at [evening, who] also was [from] Mount Ephraim. And he [temporarily stayed] in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites. |
And when he lifted up his eyes & saw a [traveler] in the street of the city, the old man said, [Where] [do] you go? [Where do] you [come] [from?] And he said, We are [leaving] from Bethlehem Judah, toward the side of Mount Ephraim. |
I am from [there,] & I went to Bethlehem Judah, but now I am going to the house of the Lord, [since] there is no man, [who receives] me [into his] house. Yet, [we have] both [enough] straw & [feed] for our [donkeys.] |
And there is [enough] bread & wine for me, & also for your handmaid, & the young man, [who] is with your servants. There is [nothing we lack.] [So,] the old man said, Peace be with you. [However,] let all your [needs] lie upon me. |
Only [don’t] lodge in the street. So, he brought him into his house, & gave [feed] to the [donkeys] & they washed their feet, & [ate & drank] & were making their hearts merry. |
Certain sons of Belial, [a.k.a. wicked men,] of the city [surrounded around] the house, & beat [on] the door & [spoke] to the old man, [who] was the master of the house, saying, Bring [out] the man, [who] came into your house, [so] that we may know him, [a.k.a. know him intimately.] |
The master of the house, went out to them & said, [No,] my brethren, [no.] I pray [that] you don’t do so wickedly; seeing this man [has] come into my house. [Don’t] do this [outrageous thing.] |
[Look,] here is my daughter, a maiden & his [mistress.] I will bring them out now & you humble them & do what [seems] good to you, but [don’t] do this vile, [a.k.a. wicked,] thing to this man. |
But the men wouldn’t [listen] to him; so the man took his [mistress,] & brought her [out] to them & they knew her, [a.k.a. intimately,] & abused, [a.k.a. raped,] her all night until the morning, & when the day began to [dawn,] they let her go. |
Then, the woman came at [daybreak,] & fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord, [a.k.a. husband,] was, [until] it was light. And her lord, [a.k.a. husband,] rose up in the morning & opened the doors of the house, to go [on] his way; & [saw,] the woman, [a.k.a. his mistress, had] fallen down [dead,] at the door of the house, & her hands were upon the threshold. |
And he said to her, [Get] up, let’s be going. But [there was no answer.] Then, the man [picked] her up, [& put] her upon [the donkey,] & the man rose up, & [went] to his place. |
And when he [came] into his house, he took a knife & [took] hold [of] his [deceased] [mistress'] [corpse,] & divided her, together with her bones, into 12 pieces, & sent her into all the coasts of Israel. |
And so it was, that all [who] saw it said, There [hasn’t] [been] such [a wicked] deed done, nor seen [like this,] from the day that the children, [a.k.a. people,] of Israel came up, out of the land of Egypt [until] this day. Consider it, & [get] advice, & speak your minds [about this.] |