1På den tid, da der endnu ingen konge var i Israel, boede der en mand af Levis stamme på et afsides sted i Efraims højland. Han havde hentet sig en medhustru i Betlehem i Juda.2Men hun blev vred på ham og tog derefter tilbage til sin fars hus i Betlehem. Da der var gået fire måneder,3opsøgte manden hende for at få hende med tilbage. Han havde taget sin tjener og et ekstra æsel med. Pigen førte ham ind til sin far, og faderen bød ham velkommen4og bad ham blive nogle dage. Så blev han boende i tre dage. Han både spiste og sov der.5På den fjerde dag stod levitten og hans tjener tidligt op for at begive sig på hjemturen sammen med konen, men svigerfaderen sagde: „I må da ikke tage af sted, før I har fået et godt måltid.”6Så satte de sig ned og spiste et større måltid. „Bliv dog en dag mere!” bad svigerfaderen. „Vi har det jo dejligt sammen.”7Levitten afslog, men hans svigerfar blev ved med at presse ham, indtil han gav efter og blev der natten over.8Næste morgen stod de igen tidligt op for at komme af sted. „Spis nu først,” insisterede svigerfaderen. „Så kan I tage af sted i eftermiddag.”9Samme eftermiddag, da levitten og hans medhustru og tjener gjorde klar til afrejsen, sagde svigerfaderen: „Det er ved at blive sent! Hvad med at blive endnu en nat, så vi kan hygge os sammen denne sidste aften? Så kan I tage af sted i morgen tidlig!”10Men denne gang var levitten fast besluttet på at tage af sted. Så han sadlede sine to æsler og red af sted sammen med sin medhustru i retning af Jebus, som nu hedder Jerusalem.11Det var sent på dagen, da de nåede til byen. „Vi kan ikke nå længere i dag,” sagde tjeneren. „Lad os overnatte i den her jebusitiske by.”12-13„Nej,” svarede hans herre, „vi kan ikke tage ind i en fremmed by, hvor der ikke bor nogen israelitter. Lad os fortsætte til Gibea eller helt til Rama.”14Så fortsatte de, indtil de kort efter solnedgang nåede Gibea, en landsby, som tilhørte Benjamins stamme,15og de standsede for at overnatte der. De satte sig til at vente på torvet, men ingen tilbød dem husly for natten.16Så kom en gammel mand forbi, der var på vej hjem fra arbejdet i marken. Han var efraimit, men boede nu i Gibea, skønt byen tilhørte Benjamins stamme.17Da han fik øje på de fremmede, der sad på torvet, spurgte han dem, hvor de kom fra, og hvor de var på vej hen.18„Vi er på vej hjem fra Betlehem i Juda,” svarede levitten. „Vi bor på et afsides sted i Efraims højland. Men ingen har tilbudt os husly for natten,19skønt vi har foder til æslerne og rigeligt med mad og vin til os selv.”20„Kom dog med mig!” udbrød den gamle mand. „Jeg skal nok sørge godt for jer. I kan da ikke blive siddende her på torvet.”21Så tog han dem med hjem og fodrede deres æsler, og efter at de havde vasket deres fødder, spiste de til aften sammen.22Men bedst som de sad og hyggede sig, blev huset omringet af en flok onde mænd fra byen. De hamrede på døren og råbte til den gamle mand: „Bring din gæst herud til os, så vi kan stille vores lyst på ham!”23Den gamle mand gik ud for at tale dem fra det. „Hør nu her, venner,” sagde han. „I må ikke være så onde ved min gæst.24I huset her er der både hans medhustru og min datter, der endnu er jomfru. Dem kan vi sende ud til jer, så I kan forlyste jer med dem. Men gør ikke noget så skammeligt mod min gæst.”25Men de ville ikke tage imod fornuft. Så tog levitten sin medhustru og skubbede hende ud på gaden, hvor mændene på skift voldtog hende natten igennem, indtil det begyndte at blive lyst.26Da solen stod op, slæbte hun sig hen til den gamle mands hus, hvor hun besvimede på dørtrinet og blev liggende, til det var helt lyst.27Da levitten senere åbnede døren for at gøre sig klar til at tage af sted, fandt han sin medhustru liggende med hænderne på dørtrinet.28„Rejs dig, og lad os komme af sted!” sagde han. Men der kom ikke noget svar, for hun var død. Så lagde han hende op på æslet og bragte hende hjem til sit hus.29Der tog han en kniv og skar hendes lig i 12 stykker, som han sendte ud til Israels 12 stammer.30Alle, som hørte om det, sagde: „Så grusom en forbrydelse er ikke blevet begået siden vi forlod Egypten! Vi har aldrig set noget lignende. Der må gøres noget, men hvad?”
1In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. (Josva 24,33; Dom 17,6; Dom 17,7; Dom 18,1; Dom 21,25)2And his concubine was unfaithful to[1] him, and she went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months.3Then 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 donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house. And when the girl’s father saw him, he came with joy to meet him.4And his father-in-law, the girl’s father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and spent the night there.5And 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.” (1.Mos 18,5; Dom 19,8)6So the two of them 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.” (Dom 16,25; Dom 19,9; Dom 19,22; Ruth 3,7; 2.Sam 13,28)7And when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, till he spent the night there again.8And on the fifth day he arose early in the morning to depart. And the girl’s father said, “Strengthen your heart and wait until the day declines.” So they ate, both of them. (Dom 19,5)9And 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. Please, spend the 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.”10But 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 donkeys, and his concubine was with him. (Josva 15,8; Josva 15,63)11When they were near Jebus, the day was nearly over, and the servant said to his master, “Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.”12And 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 Gibeah.” (Josva 18,28)13And he said to his young man, “Come and let us draw near to one of these places and spend the night at Gibeah or at Ramah.” (Josva 18,25)14So they passed on and went their way. And the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin,15and they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gibeah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night. (Dom 19,18)16And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibeah. The men of the place were Benjaminites. (Josva 24,33; Dom 19,1; Dom 19,14; Dom 20,4)17And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city. And the old man said, “Where are you going? And where do you come from?”18And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, from which I come. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to the house of the Lord,[2] but no one has taken me into his house. (Dom 18,31; Dom 19,15)19We have straw and feed for our donkeys, with bread and wine for me and your female servant and the young man with your servants. There is no lack of anything.” (Dom 18,10)20And the old man said, “Peace be to you; I will care for all your wants. Only, do not spend the night in the square.” (1.Mos 19,2; 1.Mos 43,23)21So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys feed. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank. (1.Mos 18,4; 1.Mos 24,32; 1.Mos 43,24; Joh 13,5)
Gibeah’s Crime
22As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, 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.” (1.Mos 19,4; Dom 19,6; Dom 20,5)23And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not do this vile thing. (1.Mos 19,7; 1.Mos 34,7; 5.Mos 22,21; Josva 7,15; Dom 20,6; 2.Sam 13,12)24Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against this man do not do this outrageous thing.” (1.Mos 19,8; 1.Mos 34,2; 5.Mos 21,14; Dom 19,23)25But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go 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.26And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, until it was light.27And 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.28He said to her, “Get up, let us be going.” But there was no answer. Then he put her on the donkey, and the man rose up and went away to his home. (Dom 20,5)29And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. (Dom 20,6; 1.Sam 11,7)30And 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.” (Dom 20,7; Hos 9,9; Hos 10,9)