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¹ Also in those dayes, when there was no kyng in Israel, a certayne Leuite soiournyng on the syde of mount Ephraim, toke to wyfe a concubine out of Bethlehem Iuda.

² And his concubine played the whore by him, and went awaye from him vnto her fathers house to Bethlehem Iuda, and there continued foure monethes.

³ And her husbande arose, and went after her, to speake frendly vnto her, and to bryng her agayne, hauyng his lad with him, and a couple of asses: And she brought hym vnto her fathers house, & when the father of the damosell sawe hym, he reioyced of his commyng.

⁴ And his father in lawe, the damosels father, retayned hym, and he abode with hym three dayes: and so they dyd eate and drinke, and lodged there.

⁵ The fourth day whan they arose early in the mornyng, the man stoode vp, to depart. And the damosels father sayde vnto his sonne in lawe: Comfort thyne heart with a morsell of bread, and then go your way.

⁶ And they sate downe, and dyd eate and drincke both of them together. And the damosels father sayde vnto the man: Be content I pray thee, and tary all nyght, and let thyne heart be mery.

⁷ And when the man stoode redy to depart, his father in lawe compelled hym: therfore he returned, and taryed all nyght there.

⁸ And he rose vp early the fyfth day to departe, and the damosels father said: Comforte thyne hearte I pray thee. And they taryed vntyll after mydday: and they dyd eate both of them together.

⁹ And when the man arose to depart with his concubine and his lad, his father in lawe the damosels father, sayd vnto hym: Behold nowe, the day goeth fast away, and draweth towarde euen, I pray you tary all night: Behold the sunne goeth to rest, lodge here, that thyne hearte may be mery: and to morowe get you early vpon your waye, that thou mayest get thee to thy tent.

¹⁰ Neuerthelatere the man woulde not tary, but arose and departed, and came as farre as Iebus (which is Hierusalem) and his two asses laden, and his concubine with hym.

¹¹ And when they were fast by Iebus, the day was sore spent, and the young man sayde vnto his maister: Come I pray thee, and let vs turne in into this citie of the Iebusites, and lodge al night there.

¹² His maister aunswered him: We wyll not turne into a straunge citie that are not of the children of Israel, we will go foorth to Gibea.

¹³ And he sayd vnto his lad: Go forwarde and let vs drawe neare to one of these places to lodge all nyght, either in Gibea, or in Rama

¹⁴ And they went forwarde vpon their way, and the sunne went downe vpon them when they were fast by Gibea, which belongeth to them of Beniamin.

¹⁵ And they turned thytherwarde to go in, and lodge all nyght in Gibea: And when he came, he sat him downe in a streate of the citie, for there was no man that toke them into his house to lodgyng.

¹⁶ And behold, there came an olde man from his worke, out of the fielde at eue, which was also of mount Ephraim, and dwelt as a straunger in Gibea: But the men of the place, were the children of Iemini.

¹⁷ And when he had lyft vp his eyes, he sawe a wayfaryng man in the streate of the citie: And the olde man sayde, Whyther goest thou? and whence commest thou?

¹⁸ He aunswered hym: We come from Bethlehem Iuda towarde the syde of mount Ephraim, from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehem Iuda, and go nowe to the house of the Lorde, and there is no man that receaueth me to house.

¹⁹ We haue strawe and prouender for our asses, and bread and wyne for me and thy handmayde, and for the lad that is with thy seruaunt: & we lacke nothing.

²⁰ The olde man sayd: Peace be with thee, all that thou lackest shalt thou fynde with me: Only abyde not in the streate [all nyght].

²¹ And so he brought him into his house, and gaue fodder vnto the Asses: and they wasshed their feete, and dyd eate and drynke.

²² And as they were makyng their heartes mery, beholde, the men of the citie which were wicked, beset the house rounde about, and thrust at the doore, & spake to the man of the house, the olde man, saying: Bring foorth the man that came into thyne house, that we may knowe him.

²³ And this man the maister of the house went out, and sayd vnto them: Oh, nay my brethren, do not so wickedly, seyng that this man is come into myne house, do not so vnmeete a thyng.

²⁴ Behold, here is my daughter a mayden, and this mans concubine, them I wyll bryng out nowe vnto you, and humble them, & do with them what seemeth you good: but vnto this man do not so abhominable a thing.

²⁵ But the men woulde not hearken to hym: And the man toke his concubine, and brought her out vnto them, whiche knewe her, and abused her al the night, euen vnto the mornyng: and when the day began to spryng, they let her go.

²⁶ And then came the woman in the dawnyng of the day, and fell downe at the doore of the mans house where her lord was, tyll it was day.

²⁷ And her lorde arose vp in the morning, and opened the doores of the house, and went out to go his way: and beholde the woman, euen his concubine, laye along before the doore of the house, and her handes vpon the thresholde.

²⁸ And he sayde vnto her, Up, and let vs be goyng: But she aunswered not. Then the man toke her vp vpo an asse, & stoode vp, & gate hym vnto his place.

²⁹ And whe he was come into his house, he toke a knyfe, and caught his concubine, and deuided her in peeces, with the bones, into twelue partes, and sent her into all quarters of Israel.

³⁰ And all that sawe it, sayde: There was no suche deede done or seene sence the childre of Israel came out of Egypt vnto this day. Consider the matter, take aduisement, and say your myndes.