Episode 97: The Levite's concubine

(Judges 19)

The Levite's concubine

19 ^1-2 There was a certain Levite who had a concubine, who "played the whore" by running away to her father's house.

³ So the Levite traveled to her father's house to retrieve her. When he arrived, her father rejoiced and greeted him warmly.

⁴ The Levite stayed three days, eating and drinking and having a good time.

⁵ On the fourth day, the Levite decided to leave, but his concubine's father talked him out of it, saying, "Stay and eat. Then you can be on your way."

⁶ So they ate and drank. And the concubine's father said to the Levite,

Stay another night. Let your heart be merry.

⁷ The next day, when they Levite rose to depart, his father in law talked him out of it again. So he stayed there another night.

⁸ On the morning of the fifth day, the Levite tried to leave again, but his host insisted he stay a bit longer and eat a bit more.

⁹ Finally, though his host begged him to party with him one more night, the Levite, his two asses, and his concubine departed, passing through Jebus, which is now called Jerusalem.

¹⁴ After a night in Jebus, they traveled to Gibeah, in the land of Benjamin.

¹⁵ When they arrived in Gibeah, the Levite decided to camp out in the street, since there was no room in the inn. ¹⁶ But an old man saw them and said to them,

²⁰ Don't sleep in the street. Stay at my house.

²¹ So they went to the old man's house, where they washed their feet, ate, and drank.

²² As they were making their hearts merry, the men of Gibeah (certain sons of Belial) beat on the door, and said to the old man,

Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him.

²³ The old man said to them,

No, you can't have him.

²⁴ But here is my daughter, who is a virgin, and my guest's concubine.

Do whatever you want to them, but don't do anything to this man.

^25-26 But the men didn't want the host's virgin daughter, so the Levite gave them his concubine instead. The men raped her all night; the next morning, she came back to the house and collapsed at the door.

²⁷ The Levite opened the door, saw the concubine lying there, and said to her,

²⁸ Get up. Let's get going.

But she didn't answer. So he put her on his donkey and went home.

²⁹ When the Levite arrived home, he cut his concubine into twelve pieces and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

³⁰ Nothing like that had ever happened before or since in Israel. Think about it and speak your mind!