Lexham English Bible

Judges 19:3-15 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

3. So her husband set out, and he went after her to speak tenderly to her, to bring her back. He took with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him to her father’s house, and the father of the young woman saw him and was glad to meet him.

4. His father-in-law, the young woman’s father, urged him to stay with him three days; and they ate and drank, and they spent the night there.

5. On the fourth day, they rose early in the morning, and he prepared to go, but the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself with a bit of food, and afterward you may go.”

6. So the two of them sat and ate and drank together, and the father of the young woman said to the man, “Please, agree to spend the night and enjoy yourself.”

7. The man got up to go, but his father-in-law urged him, and he returned and spent the night there.

8. On the fifth day he rose early in the morning to go, and the father of the young woman said, “Please, enjoy yourself,” and they lingered until the day declined, and the two of them ate.

9. And the man got up to go—he, his concubine, and his servant—but his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, “Please, the day has worn on to evening; please, spend the night, the day has drawn to a close. Spend the night here and enjoy yourself. You can rise early tomorrow for your journey and go to your home.”

10. But the man was not willing to spend the night, and he got up and went; and he arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.

11. They were near Jebus, and the day was far spent, and the servant said to his master, “Please, come, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites, and let us spend the night in it.”

12. But his master said to him, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, who are not from the Israelites; we will cross over up to Gibeah.”

13. And he said to his servant, “Come, let us approach one of these places; we will spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.”

14. So they crossed over and went their way, and the sun went down on them beside Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.

15. And they turned aside there to enter and to spend the night at Gibeah. And they went and sat in the open square of the city, but no one took them in to spend the night.