¹It happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.

¹I de Dage, da der ingen Konge var i Israel, var der en Mand, en Levit, der boede som fremmed i Udkanten af Efraims Bjerge. Han tog sig en Kvinde fra Betlehem i Juda til Medhustu.

²His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there the space of four months.

²Men Medhustruen blev vred på ham, forlod ham og tog til sin Faders Hus i Betlehem i Juda. Da hun havde været der en fire Måneders Tid,

³Her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of donkeys: and she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young lady saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

³drog hendes Mand af Sted efter hende for at overtale hende til at vende tilbage. Han havde sin Tjener og et Par Æsler med. Da han kom til hendes Faders Hus, fik den unge Kvindes Fader Øje på ham og kom ham glad i Møde;

⁴His father-in-law, the young lady’s father, retained him; and he stayed with him three days: so they ate and drink, and lodged there.

⁴og hans Svigerfader, den unge Kvindes Fader, holdt på ham, så at han blev hos ham i tre Dage; og de spiste og drak og overnattede der.

⁵It happened on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart: and the young lady’s father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you shall go your way.”

⁵Tidligt om Morgenen den fjerde Dag gjorde han sig rede til at drage bort; men den unge Kvindes Fader sagde til sin Svigersøn: "Styrk dig først med en Bid Brød, så kan I siden drage bort!"

⁶So they sat down, ate, and drank, both of them together: and the young lady’s father said to the man, “Please be pleased to stay all night, and let your heart be merry.”

⁶De blev da og spiste og drak begge to sammen, og den unge Kvindes Fader sagde til Manden: "Bestem dig til at blive Natten over og gør dig til gode!"

⁷The man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.

⁷Men Manden gjorde sig rede til at drage bort. Da nødte hans Svigerfader ham, så han atter overnattede der.

⁸He arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the young lady’s father said, “Please strengthen your heart and stay until the day declines”; and they both ate.

⁸Tidligt om Morgenen den femte Dag vilde han drage bort, men den unge Kvindes Fader sagde til ham: "Styrk dig først!" De ventede da, til Dagen hældede, og spiste og drak begge to.

⁹When the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the young lady’s father, said to him, “Behold, now the day draws toward evening, please stay all night: behold, the day grows to an end, lodge here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow go on your way early, that you may go home.”

⁹Så gjorde Manden sig rede til at drage bort med sin Medhustru og sin Tjener. Men hans Svigerfader, den unge Kvindes Fader, sagde til ham: "Se, det lider mod Aften, overnat dog her; se, Dagen hælder, bliv dog her i Nat og gør dig til gode, så kan I i Morgen tidlig begive eder på Vej og du drage til dit Hjem!"

¹⁰But the man wouldn’t stay that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus (the same is Jerusalem): and there were with him a couple of donkeys saddled; his concubine also was with him.

¹⁰Men Manden vilde ikke blive Natten over; han begav sig på Vej og kom ud for Jebus, det er Jerusalem, fulgt af sine to belæssede Æsler, sin Medhustru og sin Tjener.

¹¹When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, “Please come and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.”

¹¹Da de var i Nærheden af Jebus og Dagen hældede stærkt, sagde Tjeneren til sin Herre: "Kom, lad os tage ind her i Jebusiternes By og blive der Natten over!"

¹²His master said to him, “We won’t turn aside into the city of a foreigner, that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah.”

¹²Men hans Herre svarede: "Vi vil ikke tage ind i en By, der ejes af fremmede, som ikke hører til Israelitterne, men vi vil drage videre til Gibea!"

¹³He said to his servant, “Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.”

¹³Og han sagde til sin Tjener: "Kom, lad os tage hen til et af de andre Steder og overnatte i Gibea eller Rama!"

¹⁴So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.

¹⁴De drog så videre, og Solen gik ned, som de var ved Gibea i Benjamin.

¹⁵They turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge.

¹⁵Så bøjede de af i den Retning for at nå til Gibea og overnatte der. Da han var kommet derind, Blev han på Byens Torv; men der var ingen, som bød dem ind i sit Hus for Natten.

¹⁶Behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening: now the man was of the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.

¹⁶Så kom der om Aftenen en gammel Mand fra sit Arbejde på Marken, og Manden var fra Efraims Bjerge og boede som fremmed i Gibea, medens Stedets Indbyggere var Benjaminiter;

¹⁷He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”

¹⁷og da den gamle Mand så op og fik Øje på den vejfarende Mand på Byens Torv, spurgte han: "Hvorhen gælder Rejsen, og hvorfra kommer du?"

¹⁸He said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to the house of Yahweh; and there is no man who takes me into his house.

¹⁸Han svarede ham: "Vi er på Rejse fra Betlehem i Juda til Udkanten af Efraims Bjerge, hvor jeg har hjemme; jeg har været i Betlehem i Juda og er nu på Vejen hjem; men der er ingen, som byder mig ind i sit Hus,

¹⁹Yet there is both straw and provender for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your handmaid, and for the young man who is with your servants: there is no want of anything.”

¹⁹skønt jeg har både Strå og Foder til vore Æsler og Brød og Vin til mig selv, din Trælkvinde og din Træls Tjener; vi mangler intet!"

²⁰The old man said, “Peace be to you; howsoever let all your wants lie on me; only don’t lodge in the street.”

²⁰Da sagde den gamle Mand: "Vær velkommen! Lad kun alt, hvad du trænger til, være min Sag; men på Torvet må du ikke overnatte!"

²¹So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder; and they washed their feet, and ate and drink.

²¹Så førte han ham ind i sit Hus og sørgede for Foder til Æslerne; og da de havde tvættet deres Fødder, spiste de og drak.

²²As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may have sex with him!”

²²Men medens de gjorde sig til gode, se, da omringede Mændene i Byen, Niddinger som de var, Huset og hamrede på Døren og råbte til den gamle Mand, Husets Ejer: "Før Manden, som er taget ind i dit Hus, herud, så at vi kan stille vor Lyst på ham!"

²³The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, “No, my brothers, please don’t act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, don’t do this folly.

²³Men Manden, der ejede Huset, gik ud til dem og sagde til dem: "Nej, mine Brødre, gør dog ikke noget ondt! Når denne Mand er taget ind i mit Hus, må I ikke øve sådan en Skændselsdåd!

²⁴Behold, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but to this man don’t do any such folly.”

²⁴Se, her er min Datter, som er Jomfru; hende fører jeg herud, så kan I skænde hende og handle med hende, som I finder for godt! Men mod denne Mand må I ikke øve sådan en Skændselsdåd!"

²⁵But the men wouldn’t listen to him: so the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all night until the morning: and when the day began to dawn, they let her go.

²⁵Men Mændene vilde ikke høre ham. Så greb Manden sin Medhustru og førte hende ud på Gaden til dem, og de stillede deres Lyst på hende og mishandlede hende Natten igennem til om Morgenen; først da Morgenen gryede, slap de hende.

²⁶Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, until it was light.

²⁶Ved Morgenens Frembrud kom Kvinden og faldt sammen ved Indgangen til den Mands Hus, hvor hendes Herre var, og lå der, til det blev lyst.

²⁷Her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.

²⁷Og da hendes Herre om Morgenen lukkede Husets Dør op og gjorde sig rede til at drage videre, se, da lå Kvinden, hans Medhustru, ved Indgangen til Huset med Hænderne på Tærskelen.

²⁸He said to her, “Get up, and let us be going!” but no one answered. Then he took her up on the donkey; and the man rose up, and went to his place.

²⁸Han sagde da til hende: "Rejs dig og lad os komme af Sted!" Men der kom intet Svar. Så løftede han hende op på Æselet og rejste til sit Hjem.

²⁹When he had come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.

²⁹Men da han kom hjem, greb han en Kniv, tog sin Medhustru, skar hende i tolv Stykker, Ledemod for Ledemod, og sendte Stykkerne rundt i hele Israels Land;

³⁰It was so, that all who saw it said, “There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day! Consider it, take counsel, and speak.”

³⁰og han gav de Mænd, han udsendte, den Befaling: "Således skal I sige til alle Israels Mænd: Er sligt hidtil hændet, siden Israelitterne drog op fra Ægypten? Overvej Sagen, hold Råd og sig eders Mening!" Og enhver, som så det, sagde: "Sligt er ikke hidtil hændet eller set, siden Israelitterne drog op fra Ægypten!"