9. Then when the husband was ready to go with his concubine and servant, the young woman’s father said to him, “See, the day is wearing on toward evening. Stay for the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Spend the night here and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow you can start your journey home.”
10. The man, however, refused to stay another night; he and his concubine set out with a pair of saddled donkeys, and traveled until they came opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem.
11. Since they were near Jebus with the day far gone, the servant said to his master, “Come, let us turn off to this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.”
12. But his master said to him, “We will not turn off to a foreigner’s city, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.
13. Come,” he said to his servant, “let us make for some other place and spend the night in either Gibeah or Ramah.”
14. So they continued on their way until the sun set on them when they were opposite Gibeah of Benjamin.
15. There they turned off to enter Gibeah for the night. The man went in and sat down in the town square, but no one took them inside to spend the night.
16. In the evening, however, an old man came from his work in the field; he was from the mountain region of Ephraim, though he was living in Gibeah where the local people were Benjaminites.
17. When he noticed the traveler in the town square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where have you come from?”
18. He said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem of Judah far up into the mountain region of Ephraim, where I am from. I have been to Bethlehem of Judah, and now I am going home; but no one has taken me into his house.
19. We have straw and fodder for our donkeys, and bread and wine for myself and for your maidservant and the young man who is with your servant; there is nothing else we need.”
20. “Rest assured,” the old man said to him, “I will provide for all your needs, but do not spend the night in the public square.”
21. So he led them to his house and mixed fodder for the donkeys. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22. While they were enjoying themselves, the men of the city, a bunch of scoundrels, surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man who was the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who has come into your house, so that we may get intimate with him.”
23. The man who was the owner of the house went out to them and said, “No, my brothers; do not be so wicked. This man has come into my house; do not commit this terrible crime.
24. Instead, let me bring out my virgin daughter and this man’s concubine. Humiliate them, or do whatever you want; but against him do not commit such a terrible crime.”
25. But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and thrust her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning, and let her go as the sun was coming up.