1 Naquela época não havia rei em Israel. Aconteceu que um levita que vivia nos montes de Efraim, numa região afastada, tomou para si uma concubina, que era de Belém de Judá.2 Mas ela lhe foi infiel. Deixou-o e voltou para a casa do seu pai, em Belém de Judá. Quatro meses depois,3 seu marido foi convencê-la a voltar. Ele tinha levado o seu servo e dois jumentos. A mulher o levou para dentro da casa do seu pai, e quando seu pai o viu, alegrou-se.4 O sogro dele, pai da moça, o convenceu a ficar ali; e ele permaneceu com eles três dias; todos eles comendo, bebendo e dormindo ali.5 No quarto dia, eles se levantaram cedo, e o levita se preparou para partir, mas o pai da moça disse ao genro: "Coma alguma coisa, e depois vocês poderão partir".6 Os dois se assentaram para comer e beber juntos. Mas o pai da moça disse: "Eu lhe peço que fique esta noite, e que se alegre".7 E, quando o homem se levantou para partir, seu sogro o convenceu a ficar ainda aquela noite.8 Na manhã do quinto dia, quando ele se preparou para partir, o pai da moça disse: "Vamos comer! Espere até a tarde! " E os dois comeram juntos.9 Então, quando o homem, com a sua concubina e com o seu servo, levantaram-se para partir, o seu sogro, pai da moça, disse outra vez: "Veja, o dia está quase acabando, é quase noite; passe a noite aqui. Fique e alegre-se. Amanhã de madrugada vocês poderão levantar-se e ir para casa".10 Não desejando ficar outra noite, o homem partiu rumo a Jebus, isto é, Jerusalém, com dois jumentos selados e com a sua concubina.11 Quando estavam perto de Jebus e já se findava o dia, o servo disse a seu senhor: "Venha. Vamos parar nesta cidade dos jebuseus e passar a noite aqui".12 O seu senhor respondeu: "Não. Não vamos entrar numa cidade estrangeira, cujo povo não seja israelita. Iremos para Gibeá".13 E acrescentou: "Ande! Vamos tentar chegar a Gibeá ou a Ramá e passar a noite num desses lugares".14 Então prosseguiram, e o sol se pôs quando se aproximavam de Gibeá de Benjamim.15 Ali entraram para passar a noite. Foram sentar-se na praça da cidade. E ninguém os convidou para passarem a noite em casa.16 Naquela noite um homem idoso procedente dos montes de Efraim e que estava morando em Gibeá ( os homens do lugar eram benjamitas ), voltou do seu trabalho no campo.17 Quando viu o viajante na praça da cidade, o homem idoso perguntou: "Para onde você está indo? De onde vem? "18 Ele respondeu: "Estamos de viagem, indo de Belém de Judá para uma região afastada, nos montes de Efraim, onde moro. Fui a Belém de Judá, e agora estou indo ao santuário do Senhor. Mas aqui ninguém me recebeu em casa.19 Temos palha e forragem para os nossos jumentos, e para nós mesmos, que somos seus servos temos pão e vinho, para mim, para a sua serva e para o jovem que está conosco. Não temos falta de nada".20 "Você é bem-vindo em minha casa", disse o homem idoso. "Vou atendê-lo no que você precisar. Não passe a noite na praça. "21 E os levou para a sua casa e alimentou os jumentos. Depois de lavarem os pés, comeram e beberam alguma coisa.22 Quando estavam entretidos, alguns vadios da cidade cercaram a casa. Esmurrando a porta, gritaram para o homem idoso, dono da casa: "Traga para fora o homem que entrou na sua casa para que tenhamos relações com ele! "23 O dono da casa saiu e lhes disse: "Não sejam tão perversos, meus amigos. Já que esse homem é meu hóspede, não cometam essa loucura.24 Vejam, aqui está minha filha virgem e a concubina do meu hóspede. Eu as trarei para vocês, e vocês poderão usá-las e fazer com elas o que quiserem. Mas, nada façam com esse homem, não cometam tal loucura! "25 Mas os homens não quiseram ouvi-lo. Então o levita mandou a sua concubina para fora, e eles a violentaram e abusaram dela a noite toda. Ao alvorecer a deixaram.26 Ao romper do dia a mulher voltou para a casa onde o seu senhor estava hospedado, caiu junto à porta e ali ficou até o dia clarear.27 Quando o seu senhor se levantou de manhã, abriu a porta da casa e saiu para prosseguir viagem, lá estava a sua concubina, caída à entrada da casa, com as mãos na soleira da porta.28 Ele lhe disse: "Levante-se, vamos! " Não houve resposta. Então o homem a pôs em seu jumento e foi para casa.29 Quando chegou em casa, apanhou uma faca e cortou o corpo da sua concubina em doze partes, e as enviou a todas as regiões de Israel.30 Todos os que viram isso disseram: "Nunca se viu nem se fez uma coisa dessas desde o dia em que os israelitas saíram do Egito. Pensem! Reflitam! Digam o que se deve fazer! "

1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.2 And his concubine prostituted against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his attendant with him, and a couple of donkeys: and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.4 And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he remained with him three days: so they ate and drank, and lodged there.5 And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you{+} will go your{+} way.6 So they sat down, and ate and drank, both of them together: and the damsel's father said to the man, Be pleased, I pray you, to tarry all night, and let your heart be merry.7 And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel's father said, Strengthen your heart, I pray you, and tarry{+} until the day declines; and they ate, both of them.9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his attendant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said to him, Look, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you{+} tarry all night: see, the day grows to an end, lodge here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow rise{+} early on your{+} way, that you may go home.10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came opposite Jebus (the same is Jerusalem): and there were with him a couple of donkeys saddled; his concubine also was with him.11 When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the attendant said to his master, Come, I pray you, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.12 And his master said to him, We will not turn aside into a city of the foreigner, who is not of the sons of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah.13 And he said to his attendant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.14 So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.15 And they turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat down in the street of the city; for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge.16 And, look, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening: now the man was of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.17 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Where do you go? And where do you come from?18 And he said to him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah to the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim; I am from there, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am going to the house of Yahweh; and there is no man who takes me into his house.19 Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your female slave, and for the attendant who is with your slaves: there is no want of anything.20 And the old man said, Peace be to you; however let all your wants lie on me; only don't lodge in the street.21 So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.22 As they were making their hearts merry, look, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house round about, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man who came into your house, that we may have sex with him.23 And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, No, my brothers, I pray you{+}, don't do so wickedly; seeing that this man has come into my house, don't do this folly.24 Look, here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine; I will bring them out now, and humble{+} them, and do with them what seems good to you{+}: but to this man don't do any such folly.25 But the men would not listen to him: so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.26 Then the woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, until it was light.27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and saw that the woman his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.28 And he said to her, Rise up, and let us be going; but there was no answer: then he took her up on the donkey; and the man rose up, and went to his place.29 And when he came into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.30 And it was so, that all who saw [it] said, [Such a thing] has not happened nor been seen like that from the day the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day. And he commanded the men he sent saying, This is what you will say to every man of Israel, Has such [a thing] ever happened from the day the sons of Israel came up from Egypt until this day? Consider it, take counsel, and speak.