9. Then the man got up to leave. His concubine and his servant got up when he did. But his father-in-law, the woman's father, spoke to him again. "Look," he said. "It's almost evening. The day is nearly over. So spend another night here. Please stay. Enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and go back home."
10. But the man didn't want to stay another night. So he left. He went toward Jebus. He had his two donkeys and his concubine with him. The donkeys had saddles on them. Jebus is also called Jerusalem.
11. By the time the travelers came near Jebus, the day was almost over. So the servant said to his master, "Come. Let's stop at this Jebusite city. Let's spend the night here."
12. His master replied, "No. We won't go into a city where strangers live. The people there aren't from Israel. We'll continue on to Gibeah."
13. He added, "Come. Let's try to reach Gibeah or Ramah. We can spend the night in one of those places."
14. So they continued on. As they came near Gibeah in Benjamin, the sun went down.
15. They stopped there to spend the night. They went to the city's main street and sat down. But no one took them home for the night.
16. That evening an old man came into the city. He had been working in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim. But he was living in Gibeah. The people who lived there were from the tribe of Benjamin.
17. The old man saw the traveler in the main street. He asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"
18. The Levite answered, "We've come from Bethlehem in Judah. We're on our way to Ephraim. I live deep in the hill country there. I've been to Bethlehem. Now I'm going to the house of the Lord. But no one has taken me home for the night.
19. We have straw and feed for our donkeys. We have food and wine for ourselves. We have enough for me, my female servant and the young man who is with us. We don't need anything."
20. "You are welcome at my house," the old man said. "I'd be happy to supply anything you might need. But don't spend the night in the street."
21. So the old man took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After the travelers had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.
22. They were inside enjoying themselves. But some of the evil men who lived in the city surrounded the house. They pounded on the door. They shouted to the old man who owned the house. They said, "Bring out the man who came to your house. We want to have sex with him."
23. The owner of the house went outside. He said to them, "No, my friends. Don't do such an evil thing. This man is my guest. So don't do this terrible thing.