القراءة بلغتين

وفي تِلكَ الأَيَّام، لم يَكُنْ في إِسْرائيلَ مَلِك. وكانَ رَجُلٌ لاوِيٌّ مُقيمًا في أَقْصى جَبَلِ أَفْرائيم، فٱتَّخَذَ ٱمرَأَةً سُرِّيَّةً مِن بَيتَ لَحمِ يَهوذا

فغَضِبَت علَيه سُرِّيَّتُه وخَرَجَت مِن عِندِه إِلى بَيتِ أَبيها، إِلى بَيتَ لَحمِ يَهوذا، ومَكَثَت هُناكَ مُدَّةَ أَربَعَةِ أَشهُر

ثُمَّ قامَ زَوجُها وسارَ في طَلَبِها لِيُطَيِّبَ قَلبَها ويَرُدَّها إِلَيه. وأَخَذَ معَه خادِمًا لَه وحِمارَين. فأَدخَلَته بَيتَ أَبيها. فلَمَّا رآه أَبو المَرأَة، فَرِحَ بِلِقائِه

وأَمسَكَه حَموه، أَبو الفَتاة، فمَكَثَ عِندَه ثَلاثَةَ أَيَّام، وأَكَلوا وشَرِبوا وباتوا هُناك

وفي اليَومِ الرَّابِع، بَكَّروا في الصَّباح، وقامَ اللَّاوِيُّ لِيَنْصَرِف. فقالَ أَبو الفَتاةِ لِصِهرِه: «أَسنِدْ قَلبَكَ بِكِسرَةِ خُبْز، ثُمَّ تَنصَرِفان»

فجَلَسا وأَكَلا معًا وشَرِبا. فقالَ أَبو الفَتاةِ لِلرَّجُل: «أَسأَلُكَ أَن تَقبَلَ وتَبيتَ عِندَنا، ولْتَطِبْ نَفْسُكَ»

ولَمَّا نَهَضَ الرَّجُلُ لِيَنْصَرِف، أَلَحَّ علَيه حَموه، فعادَ وباتَ هُناك

وبَكَّرَ في صَباحِ اليَومِ الخامِسِ لِيَنْصَرِف، فقالَ لَه أَبو الفَتاة: «أَسِندْ قَلبَكَ، وأَبطِئا إِلى أَن يَميلَ النَّهار»، فأَكلا كِلاهُما

ونَهَضَ الرَّجُلُ لِيَنْصَرِفَ هو وسُرِّيَّتُه وخادِمُه. فقالَ لَه حَموه، أَبو الفَتاة: «إِنَّ النَّهارَ قد مالَ إِلى الغُروب، فبيتوا هُنا، هُوذا النَّهارُ قد مال، فبِتْ هٰهُنا ولْتَطِبْ نَفْسُكَ. وغَدًا تُبَكِّرونَ في سَيرِكم، وتَمْضي إِلى خَيمَتِكَ»

فلَم يَرضَ الرَّجُلُ أَن يَبيت، بل قامَ وٱنصَرَف، حتَّى ٱنتَهى إِلى مُقابِلِ يَبوسَ الَّتي هي أُورَشَليم، ومعه حِمارانِ مَشْدودانِ وسُرِّيَّتُه

وفيما هم عِندَ يَبوس، وقد مالَ النَّهارُ كَثيرًا، قالَ الخادِمُ لِسَيِّدِه: «هَلُمَّ نَميلُ إِلى مَدينَةِ اليَبوسِيِّينَ هٰذه فنَبيتَ فيها»

فقالَ لَه سَيِّدُه: «لا نَميلُ إِلى مَدينةٍ غَريبَةٍ لَيسَ فيها أَحَدٌ مِن بَني إِسْرائيل، ولٰكِن نَعبُرُ إِلى جَبْعَ»

وقالَ لِخادِمِه: «هَلُمَّ نَتَقَدَّمُ إِلى بَعضِ هٰذه الأَماكِنِ ونَبيتُ في جَبْعَ أَو في الرَّامة»

فعَبَروا وساروا فغابَتِ الشَّمسُ أَمامَهم وهُم عِندَ جَبْعَ الَّتي لِبَنْيامين

فمالوا إِلى هُناكَ ودَخَلوا لِيَبيتوا في جَبْعَ، فجاءَ اللَّاوِيُّ وجَلَسَ في ساحةِ المَدينة، ولم يَستَقبِلْهم أَحَدٌ في مَنزِله لِيَبيتوا

فإِذا بِرَجُلٍ شَيخٍ قادِمٍ مِن عَمَلِه في الحَقلِ مساءً، وكانَ الرَّجُلُ مِن جَبَلِ أَفْرائيم، ولٰكِنَّه نزيلٌ في جَبْعَ، وكانَ أَهلُ المكانِ بَنْيامينِيِّين

فرَفَعَ الشَّيخُ عَينَيه، فأَبصَرَ هٰذا المُسافِرَ في ساحةِ المَدينة. فقالَ لَه الرَّجُلُ الشَّيخ: «إِلى أَينَ ذاهِبٌ ومِن أَينَ أَتَيتَ؟»

فقالَ لَه: «نَحنُ عابِرو طَريقٍ مِن بَيتَ لَحمِ. يَهوذا إِلى أَقْصى جَبَلِ أَفْرائيم، لِأَنِّي مِن هُناك، ولٰكِنِّي كُنتُ قد ذَهَبتُ إِلى بَيتَ لَحمِ يَهوذا، وأَنا خادِمٌ في بَيتِ الرَّبّ، ولَيسَ مَن يَستَقبِلُني في مَنزِلِه

ومَعَنا تِبنٌ وعَلَفٌ لِحَميرِنا، وخُبزٌ وخَمرٌ لي ولِأَمَتِكَ ولِلخادِمِ الَّذي مع عَبيدِكَ، فلا حاجَةَ لَنا إِلى شيءٍ مِنَ الأَشْياء»

فقالَ لَه الرَّجُلُ الشَّيخ: «السَّلامُ علَيكَ، ومَهْما تَحتاجُ إِلَيه فهُو عَلَيَّ، ولا تَبِتْ في السَّاحة»

وجاءَ بِه إِلى بَيتِه، وطَرَحَ لِلحَميرِ عَلَفًا، وغَسَلوا أَقْدامَهم وأَكَلوا وشَرِبوا

فلَمَّا طابَت أَنفُسُهم، إِذا رِجالُ المَدينة، قَومٌ لا خَيرَ فيهم، قد أَحاطوا بِالبَيت وأَخَذوا يَقرَعونَ الباب، وقالوا لِلشَّيخِ صاحِبِ البَيت: «أَخرِجِ الرَّجُلَ الَّذي دَخَلَ بَيتَكَ لِنَعرِفَه»

فخَرَجَ إِلَيهم الرَّجُلُ صاحِبُ البَيتِ وقالَ لَهم: «أَسأَلُكم، يا إِخوَتي، أَلَّا تَفعَلوا شَرًّا، بَعدَما دَخَلَ هٰذا الرَّجُلُ بَيتي، لا تَفعَلوا هٰذه الفاحِشَة

هٰذه ٱبنَتي العَذْراءُ وسُرِّيَّتُه أُخرِجُهما إِلَيكم، فٱغتَصِبوهما وٱصنَعوا بِهما ما حَسُنَ في أَعيُنِكم، ولا تَصنَعوا بِهٰذا الرَّجُلِ هٰذا الأَمرَ الفاحِش»

فأَبى الرِّجالُ أَن يَسمَعوا لَه. فأَخَذَ الرَّجُلُ سُرِّيَّتَه وأَخرَجَها إِلَيهم خارِجًا، فعَرَفوها ونالوا مِنها اللَّيلَ كُلَّه إِلى الصَّباح، وتَرَكوها عِندَ طُلوعِ الفَجْر

فجاءَتِ المَرأَةُ عِندَ إِقْبالِ الصَّباح، ووَقَعَت عِندَ بابِ بَيتِ الرَّجُل، حَيثُ كانَ سَيِّدُها، وبَقِيَت هُناكَ إِلى طُلوعِ النَّهار

فقامَ سَيِّدُها في الصَّباح، وفَتَحَ بابَ البَيت، وخَرَجَ لِيَذهَبَ في سَبيلِه، فإِذا بِالمَرأَةِ سُرِّيَّتِه واقِعَةٌ على بابِ البَيتِ ويَداها على العَتَبَة

فقالَ لَها: «قومي بِنا نَنطَلِق»، فلَم تُجِبْه. فحَمَلَها على حِمارِه وقامَ وٱنطَلَقَ إِلى مَكانِه

وأَتى إِلى بَيتِه وتَناوَلَ سِكِّينًا وأَخَذَ سُرِّيَّتَه فقَطَّعَها مع عِظامِها ٱثنَتَي عَشرَةَ قِطعَةً وأَرسَلَها إِلى جَميعِ أَراضي إِسْرائيل

فكُلُّ مَن رَآها قال: «لم يَكُنْ ولم يُرَ مِثْلُ هٰذا مُنذُ يومَ صَعِدَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ مِن أَرضِ مِصرَ إِلى هٰذا اليَوم». وأَمَرَ الرِّجالَ الَّذينَ أَرسَلَهم قائِلًا: «قولوا هٰذا لِكُلِّ رَجُلٍ مِن إِسْرائيل: هل كانَ مِثْلُ هٰذا مُنذُ يومَ صَعِدَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ مِن أَرضِ مِصرَ إِلى هٰذا اليَوم؟ ففَكِّروا وتَشاوَروا وٱحكُموا»

In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.

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

Her 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. She brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young lady saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

His father-in-law, the young lady’s father, kept him there; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank, and stayed there.

On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning, and he rose up to depart. 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.”

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

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

He 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.

When 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 is ending. Stay here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow go on your way early, that you may go home.”

But the man wouldn’t stay that night, but he rose up and went near Jebus (also called Jerusalem). With him were a couple of saddled donkeys. His concubine also was with him.

When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, “Please come and let’s enter into this city of the Jebusites, and stay in it.”

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

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

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

They went over there, to go in to stay in Gibeah. He went in, and sat down in the street of the city; for there was no one who took them into his house to stay.

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

He 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?”

He 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 LORD’s house; and there is no one who has taken me into his house.

Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.”

The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.”

So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain wicked 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 can have sex with him!”

The 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.

Behold, 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.”

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

Then the woman came 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.

Her 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 had fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.

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

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

It was so, that all who saw it said, “Such a deed has not been done or 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.”