A Levite bringing home his wife, is lodged by an old man at Gabaa in the tribe of Benjamin. His wife is there abused by wicked men, and in the morning found dead. Her husband cutteth her body in pieces, and sendeth to every tribe of Israel, requiring them to revenge the wicked fact.

 1 There was a certain Levite, who dwelt on the side of mount Ephraim, who took a wife of Bethlehem Juda:
Fuit quidam vir Levites habitans in latere montis Ephraim, qui accepit uxorem de Bethlehem Juda :

 2 And she left him and returned to her father's house in Bethlehem, and abode with him four months.
quae reliquit eum, et reversa est in domum patris sui in Bethlehem, mansitque apud eum quatuor mensibus.

 3 And her husband followed her, willing to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to bring her back with him, having with him a servant and two asses: and she received him, and brought him into her father's house. And when his father in law had heard this, and had seen him, he met him with joy,
Secutusque est eam vir suus, volens reconciliari ei, atque blandiri, et secum reducere, habens in comitatu puerum et duos asinos : quae suscepit eum, et introduxit in domum patris sui. Quod cum audisset socer ejus, eumque vidisset, occurrit ei laetus,

 4 And embraced the man. And the son in law tarried in the house of his father in law three days, eating with him and drinking familiarly.
et amplexatus est hominem. Mansitque gener in domo soceri tribus diebus, comedens cum eo et bibens familiariter.

 5 But on the fourth day arising early in the morning he desired to depart. But his father in law kept him, and said to him: Taste first a little bread, and strengthen thy stomach, and so thou shalt depart.
Die autem quarto de nocte consurgens, proficisci voluit : quem tenuit socer, et ait ad eum : Gusta prius pauxillum panis, et conforta stomachum, et sic proficisceris.

 6 And they sat down together, and ate and drank. And the father of the young woman said to his son in law: I beseech thee to stay here today, and let us make merry together.
Sederuntque simul, ac comederunt et biberunt. Dixitque pater puellae ad generum suum : Quaeso te ut hodie hic maneas, pariterque laetemur.

 7 But he rising up began to be for departing. And nevertheless his father in law earnestly pressed him, and made him stay with him.
At ille consurgens, coepit velle proficisci. Et nihilominus obnixe eum socer tenuit, et apud se fecit manere.

 8 But when morning was come, the Levite prepared to go on his journey. And his father in law said to him again: I beseech thee to take a little meat, and strengthening thyself, till the day be farther advanced, afterwards thou mayest depart. And they ate together.
Mane autem facto, parabat Levites iter. Cui socer rursum : Oro te, inquit, ut paululum cibi capias, et assumptis viribus, donec increscat dies, postea proficiscaris. Comederunt ergo simul.

 9 And the young man arose to set forward with his wife and servant. And his father in law spoke to him again: Consider that the day is declining, and draweth toward evening: tarry with me today also, and spend the day in mirth, and tomorrow thou shalt depart, that thou mayest go into thy house.
Surrexitque adolescens, ut pergeret cum uxore sua et puero. Cui rursum locutus est socer : Considera quod dies ad occasum declivior sit, et propinquat ad vesperum : mane apud me etiam hodie, et duc laetum diem, et cras proficisceris ut vadas in domum tuam.

 10 His son in law would not consent to his words: but forthwith went forward and came over against Jebus, which by another name is called Jerusalem, leading with him two asses laden, and his concubine.
Noluit gener acquiescere sermonibus ejus : sed statim perrexit, et venit contra Jebus, quae altero nomine vocatur Jerusalem, ducens secum duos asinos onustos, et concubinam.

 11 And now they were come near Jebus, and the day was far spent: and the servant said to his master: Come, I beseech thee, let us turn into the city of the Jebusites, and lodge there.
Jamque erant juxta Jebus, et dies mutabatur in noctem : dixitque puer ad dominum suum : Veni, obsecro : declinemus ad urbem Jebusaeorum, et maneamus in ea.

 12 His master answered him: I will not go into the town of another nation, who are not of the children of Israel, but I will pass over to Gabaa:
Cui respondit dominus : Non ingrediar oppidum gentis alienae, quae non est de filiis Israel, sed transibo usque Gabaa :

 13 And when I shall come thither, we will lodge there, or at least in the city of Rama.
et cum illuc pervenero, manebimus in ea, aut certe in urbe Rama.

 14 So they passed by Jebus, and went on their journey, and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gabaa, which is in the tribe of Benjamin:
Transierunt ergo Jebus, et coeptum carpebant iter, occubuitque eis sol juxta Gabaa, quae est in tribu Benjamin :

 15 And they turned into it, to lodge there. And when they were come in, they sat in the street of the city, for no man would receive them to lodge.
diverteruntque ad eam, ut manerent ibi. Quo cum intrassent, sedebant in platea civitatis, et nullus eos recipere voluit hospitio.

 16 And behold they saw an old man, returning out of the field and from his work in the evening, and he also was of mount Ephraim, and dwelt as a stranger in Gabaa; but the men of that country were the children of Jemini.
Et ecce, apparuit homo senex, revertens de agro et de opere suo vesperi, qui et ipse de monte erat Ephraim, et peregrinus habitabat in Gabaa : homines autem regionis illius erant filii Jemini.

 17 And the old man lifting up his eyes, saw the man sitting with his bundles in the street of the city, and said to him: Whence comest thou? and whither goest thou?
Elevatisque oculis, vidit senex sedentem hominem cum sarcinulis suis in platea civitatis, et dixit ad eum : Unde venis? et quo vadis?

 18 He answered him: We came out from Bethlehem Juda, and we are going to our home, which is on the side of mount Ephraim, from whence we went to Bethlehem: and now we go to the house of God, and none will receive us under his roof:
Qui respondit ei : Profecti sumus de Bethlehem Juda, et pergimus ad locum nostrum, qui est in latere montis Ephraim, unde ieramus in Bethlehem : et nunc vadimus ad domum Dei, nullusque sub tectum suum nos vult recipere,

 19 We have straw and hay for provender of the asses, and bread and wine for the use of myself and of thy handmaid, and of the servant that is with me: we want nothing but lodging.
habentes paleas et foenum in asinorum pabulum, et panem ac vinum in meos et ancillae tuae usus, et pueri qui mecum est : nulla re indigemus nisi hospitio.

 20 And the old man answered him: Peace be with thee: I will furnish all things that are necessary: only I beseech thee, stay not in the street.
Cui respondit senex : Pax tecum sit, ego praebebo omnia quae necessaria sunt : tantum, quaeso, ne in platea maneas.

 21 And he brought him into his house, and gave provender to his asses: and after they had washed their feet, he entertained them with a feast.
Introduxitque eum in domum suam, et pabulum asinis praebuit : ac postquam laverunt pedes suos, recepit eos in convivium.

 22 While they were making merry, and refreshing their bodies with meat and drink, after the labour of the journey, the men of that city, sons of Belial, (that is, without yoke,) came and beset the old man's house, and began to knock at the door, calling to the master of the house, and saying: Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may abuse him.
Illis epulantibus, et post laborem itineris cibo et potu reficientibus corpora, venerunt viri civitatis illius, filii Belial ( id est, absque jugo), et circumdantes domum senis, fores pulsare coeperunt, clamantes ad dominum domus, atque dicentes : Educ virum, qui ingressus est domum tuam, ut abutamur eo.

 23 And the old man went out to them, and said: Do not so, my brethren, do not so wickedly: because this man is come into my lodging, and cease I pray you from this folly.
Egressusque est ad eos senex, et ait : Nolite, fratres, nolite facere malum hoc, quia ingressus est homo hospitium meum : et cessate ab hac stultitia.

 24 I have a maiden daughter, and this man hath a concubine, I will bring them out to you, and you may humble them, and satisfy your lust: only, I beseech you, commit not this crime against nature on the man.
Habeo filiam virginem, et hic homo habet concubinam : educam eas ad vos, ut humilietis eas, et vestram libidinem compleatis : tantum, obsecro, ne scelus hoc contra naturam operemini in virum.

 25 They would not be satisfied with his words; which the man seeing, brought out his concubine to them, and abandoned her to their wickedness: and when they had abused her all the night, they let her go in the morning.
Nolebant acquiescere sermonibus illius : quod cernens homo, eduxit ad eos concubinam suam, et eis tradidit illudendam : qua cum tota nocte abusi essent, dimiserunt eam mane.

 26 But the woman, at the dawning of the day, came to the door of the house where her lord lodged, and there fell down.
At mulier, recedentibus tenebris, venit ad ostium domus, ubi manebat dominus suus, et ibi corruit.

 27 And in the morning the man arose, and opened the door that he might end the journey he had begun: and behold his concubine lay before the door with her hands spread on the threshold.
Mane facto, surrexit homo, et aperuit ostium, ut coeptam expleret viam : et ecce concubina ejus jacebat ante ostium sparsis in limine manibus.

 28 He thinking she was taking her rest, said to her: Arise, and let us be going. But as she made no answer, perceiving she was dead, he took her up, and laid her upon his ass, and returned to his house.
Cui ille, putans eam quiescere, loquebatur : Surge, et ambulemus. Qua nihil respondente, intelligens quod erat mortua, tulit eam, et imposuit asino, reversusque est in domum suam.

 29 And when he was come home he took a sword, and divided the dead body of his wife with her bones into twelve parts, and sent the pieces into all the borders of Israel.
Quam cum esset ingressus, arripuit gladium, et cadaver uxoris cum ossibus suis in duodecim partes ac frustra concidens, misit in omnes terminos Israel.

 30 And when every one had seen this, they all cried out: There was never such a thing done in Israel from the day that our fathers came up out of Egypt, until this day: give sentence, and decree in common what ought to be done.
Quod cum vidissent singuli, conclamabant : Numquam res talis facta est in Israel ex eo die, quo ascenderunt patres nostri de Aegypto, usque in praesens tempus : ferte sententiam, et in commune decernite quid facto opus sit.