1 På den tiden, da det ikke var noen konge i Israel, var det en levitt som bodde på den andre siden av Efraims høyland. Han tok seg en medhustru fra Betlehem i Juda.

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 him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

2 Hans medhustru var utro mot ham og dro tilbake til sin fars hus i Betlehem i Juda, hvor hun ble værende i fire måneder.

And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.

3 Da dro mannen hennes for å hente henne hjem, snakke vennlig til henne, og ta henne tilbake, med sin tjener og et par esler. Hun tok ham med til sin fars hus, og da jentas far så ham, ble han glad for å møte ham.

And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly unto her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

4 Hans svigerfar, jentas far, holdt ham igjen; han ble der tre dager, og de spiste og drakk og overnattet der.

And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.

5 På den fjerde dagen sto de tidlig opp for å dra avgårde, men jentas far sa til svigersønnen: Styrk deg med et stykke brød, og så kan dere dra.

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 unto his son-in-law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward ye shall go your way.

6 Så satte de seg ned og spiste og drakk sammen. Da sa jentas far til mannen: Jeg ber deg, bli her over natten, og la hjertet ditt glede seg.

So they sat down, and did eat and drink, both of them together: and the damsel's father said unto the man, Be pleased, I pray thee, to tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry.

7 Mannen sto opp for å dra; men hans svigerfar insisterte, så han ble igjen den natten.

And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.

8 På den femte dagen sto han tidlig opp for å dra; da sa jentas far: Jeg ber deg, styrk deg og bli til dagen heller mot kveld, og så spiste de begge.

And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel's father said, Strengthen thy heart, I pray thee, and tarry ye until the day declineth; and they did eat, both of them.

9 Da mannen reiste seg for å dra, sa hans svigerfar, jentas far, til ham: Se, dagen nærmer seg kveld. Jeg ber deg, bli her over natten; dagen nærmer seg slutten, overnatt her, så dere kan glede dere, og i morgen kan dere dra tidlig og returnere hjem.

And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.

10 Men mannen ville ikke bli der den natten, så han reiste seg og dro, og kom til Jebus (som er Jerusalem). Han hadde med seg et par esler med sadel, og hans medhustru var også med ham.

But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus (the same is Jerusalem): and there were with him a couple of asses saddled; his concubine also was with him.

11 Da de var ved Jebus og dagen var langt på vei, sa tjeneren til sin herre: Kom, jeg ber deg, la oss gå inn i denne byen til jebusittene og overnatte der.

When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

12 Men hans herre sa til ham: Vi skal ikke gå inn i en fremmed by som ikke tilhører Israels barn; la oss dra videre til Gibea.

And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside into the city of a foreigner, that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah.

13 Og han sa til sin tjener: Kom, la oss nærme oss en av disse stedene; vi kan overnatte i Gibea eller Rama.

And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14 Så dro de videre på sin vei; og solen gikk ned over dem nær Gibea, som tilhører Benjamin.

So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

15 De tok av veien for å overnatte i Gibea; han gikk inn og satte seg i byens gate, for det var ingen som tok dem inn i sitt hus for natten.

And they turned aside thither, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.

16 Se, en gammel mann kom fra arbeid på marken om kvelden; mannen var fra Efraims høyland og bodde midlertidig i Gibea, men mennenene der var benjamitter.

And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even: now the man was of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 Han løftet blikket og så den reisende mannen i byens gate, og den gamle mannen sa: Hvor drar du, og hvor kommer du fra?

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

18 Han svarte: Vi er på vei fra Betlehem i Juda til den andre siden av Efraims høyland, hvor jeg er fra. Jeg dro til Betlehem i Juda, og nå er jeg på vei til Herrens hus, men det er ingen som tar meg inn i sitt hus.

And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah unto the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim; from thence am I, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am `now' going to the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that taketh me into his house.

19 Jeg har både halm og fôr til våre esler, og det er brød og vin for meg og din tjenestepike og den unge mannen som er med dine tjenere. Vi mangler ingenting.

Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants: there is no want of anything.

20 Den gamle mannen sa: Fred være med deg. La alle dine behov være på meg, bare ikke overnatt i gaten.

And the old man said, Peace be unto thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.

21 Så tok han dem inn i sitt hus, og ga eslene fôr; de vasket føttene sine og spiste og drakk.

So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses fodder; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

22 Mens de gjorde hjertene sine glade, kom byens menn, noen usle mennesker, omsirklet huset, hamret på døren, og sa til husbonden, den gamle mannen: Bring ut mannen som kom til ditt hus, så vi kan få kjenne ham.

As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house round about, beating at the door; and they spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him.

23 Husbonden gikk ut til dem og sa: Nei, mine brødre, jeg ber dere, gjør ikke så ondt; denne mannen har kommet inn i mitt hus, gjør ikke denne dårskapen.

And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this folly.

24 Se, her er min jomfrudatter og hans medhustru. Jeg fører dem ut til dere nå, gi dem ydmykhet og gjør med dem hva dere synes er godt, men mot denne mannen skal dere ikke gjøre denne dårskapen.

Behold, here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not any such folly.

25 Men mennene ville ikke høre på ham; så mannen tok sin medhustru og brakte henne ut til dem. De voldtok henne og mishandlet henne hele natten til morgenen. Da dagen begynte å gry, lot de henne gå.

But the men would not hearken to him: so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

26 Da kom kvinnen i morgengryet til døren til mannens hus hvor hennes herre var, og hun lå der til det ble lyst.

Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

27 Hennes herre sto opp tidlig om morgenen og åpnet dørene til huset. Da han gikk ut for å dra videre, se, der lå kvinnen, hans medhustru, ved døren til huset, med hendene på terskelen.

And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.

28 Og han sa til henne: Stå opp, la oss gå. Men ingen svarte. Så han løftet henne opp på eselet, og mannen gjorde seg klar og dro hjem.

And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going; but none answered: then he took her up upon the ass; and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.

29 Da han kom hjem, tok han en kniv, grep sin medhustru og delte henne, lem for lem, i tolv deler, og sendte dem ut over alle områdene i Israel.

And when he was come 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 Alle som så det sa: Slik en handling har aldri vært gjort eller sett fra den dagen Israels barn kom opp fra Egypt til denne dag. Tenk over det, ta råd, og tal.

And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider it, take counsel, and speak.