Judges 19:22-30

New Catholic Bible

²² Abuse at Gibeah. While they were enjoying themselves, certain men from the city who were surely sons of Belial^[a] surrounded the house. They beat on the door and spoke to the old man, the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house, so that we can know him.” ²³ The master of the house went out to them and said to them: “No, my brothers, do not do this evil thing. This man is a guest in my house; do not do this disgraceful thing. ^24 [b]Look, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now. You can abuse them, and do whatever you want to them, but do not do such a vile thing to this man.” ²⁵ But the men would not listen to him. The man thrust his concubine outside to them. They raped her and maltreated her all throughout the night, and in the morning they let her go.

²⁶ At daybreak the woman came to the house where her master was staying and fell down in the doorway. She remained there until it was light. ²⁷ Her master got up in the morning and opened the doors to the house to be on his way, and he found his concubine lying in the doorway to the house, her hands upon the threshold. ²⁸ He said to her, “Get up. Let us be on our way,” but there was no answer. The man then put her on his donkey and set out for home.

²⁹ When he arrived home, he picked up a knife, took his concubine, and cut her body into twelve parts. He then sent it into each of the territories of Israel. ³⁰ Everyone who saw it said, “No one has ever done such a thing from the day that the Israelites came up out of Egypt until the present. Think about it. Take counsel. Tell us what to do.”