The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 158

19:8. 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.

19:9. 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 to day also, and spend the day in mirth, and to morrow thou shalt depart, that thou mayest go into thy house.

19:10. 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 a.s.ses loaden, and his concubine.

Concubine.. She was his lawful wife, but even lawful wives are frequently in scripture called concubines. See above, chap. 8. ver.

31.--Ver. 16. Jemini... That is, Benjamin.

19:11. 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.

19:12. 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 pa.s.s over to Gabaa:

19:13. And when I shall come thither, we will lodge there, or at least in the city of Rama.

19:14. So they pa.s.sed 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:

19:15. 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.

19:16. 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.

19:17. 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?

19:18. 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 G.o.d, and none will receive us under his roof:

19:19. We have straw and hay for provender of the a.s.ses, 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.

19:20. 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.

19:21. And he brought him into his house, and gave provender to his a.s.ses: and after they had washed their feet, he entertained them with a feast.

19:22. While they were making merry, and refres.h.i.+ng 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:

19:23. 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.

19:24. 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 l.u.s.t: only, I beseech you, commit not this crime against nature on the man.

19:25. 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.

19:26. But the woman, at the dawning of the day, came to the door of the house, where her lord lodged, and there fell down.

19:27. 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.

19:28. 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 a.s.s, and returned to his house.

19:29. 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.

19:30. 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.

Judges Chapter 20

The Israelites warring against Benjamin are twice defeated; but in the third battle the Benjamites are all slain, saving six hundred men.

20:1. Then all the children of Israel went out, and gathered together as one man, from Dan to Bersabee, with the land of Galaad, to the Lord in Maspha:

20:2. And all the chiefs of the people, and all the tribes of Israel, met together in the a.s.sembly of the people of G.o.d, four hundred thousand footmen fit for war.

20:3. (Nor were the children of Benjamin ignorant that the children of Israel were come up to Maspha.) And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was killed being asked, how so great a wickedness had been committed,

20:4. Answered: I came into Gabaa, of Benjamin, with my wife, and there I lodged:

20:5. And behold the men of that city, in the night beset the house wherein I was, intending to kill me, and abused my wife with an incredible fury of l.u.s.t, so that at last she died.

20:6. And I took her and cut her in pieces, and sent the parts into all the borders of your possession: because there never was so heinous a crime, and so great an abomination committed in Israel.

20:7. You are all here, O children of Israel, determine what you ought to do.

20:8. And all the people standing, answered as by the voice of one man: We will not return to our tents, neither shall any one of us go into his own house:

20:9. But this we will do in common against Gabaa:

20:10. We will take ten men of a hundred out of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to bring victuals for the army, that we may fight against Gabaa of Benjamin, and render to it for its wickedness, what it deserveth.

20:11. And all Israel were gathered together against the city, as one man, with one mind, and one counsel:

20:12. And they sent messengers to all the tribe of Benjamin, to say to them: Why hath so great an abomination been found among you?

20:13. Deliver up the men of Gabaa, that have committed this heinous crime, that they may die, and the evil may be taken away out of Israel.

But they would not hearken to the proposition of their brethren the children of Israel:

20:14. But out of all the cities which were of their lot, they gathered themselves together into Gabaa, to aid them, and to fight against the whole people of Israel.

20:15. And there were found of Benjamin five and twenty thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa,

20:16. Who were seven hundred most valiant men, fighting with the left hand as well as with the right: and slinging stones so sure that they could hit even a hair, and not miss by the stone's going on either side.

20:17. Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Benjamin, were found four hundred thousand that drew swords and were prepared to fight.

20:18. And they arose and came to the house of G.o.d, that is, to Silo: and they consulted G.o.d, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered them: Let Juda be your leader.

20:19. And forthwith the children of Israel rising in the morning, camped by Gabaa:

20:20. And going out from thence to fight against Benjamin, began to a.s.sault the city.

20:21. And the children of Benjamin coming out of Gabaa slew of the children of Israel that day two and twenty thousand men.