Judges - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 272

19-~1 THE BOOK OF THE PERIOD OF THE ]UDGBS. 19-·—z4 THE CRIME OF GIBEAH: AN HISTORICAL POEM. (The date is uncertain when the crime was committed.~—F. F.) 19 It was also inthe period when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite resided at the back of Mount Ephraim, and he married a. woman of Bethlehemjudah, as a second wife, but this second wife deserted him and went from him to the house of her father at Bethlehemyludah, and was there for a period of four months. Then her husband arose and went after her to speak to her heart, to cause her to return and attend him. S0 he mounted his ass and went to the house of her father, and saw the giri's father, who was glad to meet him. And his father—in—law, the father of the girl, comforted him, and he stayed with him three days, and they ate and drank, and rested there. When the fourth day came, they got up in the morning, and he arose to depart, but the father of the girl, his Refresh your heart with a little bread, and go after II So he stayed and both of them ate together and drank. IT hen the father of the girl said to the man, ‘Be content now, and stay and let But the man arose to go. However his father- in~1aw pressed him, so he sat down and stayed there. However he got upon the morning of the fifth day to go, when the father of the girl said, ‘ Comfort your heart, and delay till So they ate and drank. Then the man arose to go, he and his wife, and servant, but his father-in—law, the father of the girl, See now the day is stretching towards dusk. Lodge now here plea- santly to—day. Rest, then, and enliven your heart, and get up to-morrow morning for your journey and go to your own home.’ The man, however, was unwilling

to stay, but arose and went, and arrived opposite to ]ebus —— that is ]erusalem,—··—where his saddled asses broke down with him and his wife, when they were near jebus, and the clay was nearly ended, so the atten- Let us go, now, and turn into this city of the jebusi, and lodge there} I will not turn to a town of foreigners where there are none of the Children of Israel. Let us pass over to Gibeah. he added to the lad, 13 ‘come, let us enter one of these places, for we will lodge in Gibeah, So they passed on and marched 14 and came to the south side of Gibeah of Benjamin, and they turned towards 15 it to go and lodge in Gibeah, and went and sat in the square of the town, but no person invited them to his house to lodge. At last an old man came from his

work in the fields, at dusk——a man from Mount Ephraim, who was a resident in Gibeah—~·—but his wife was a native of Benjamin. Raising his eyes he saw the man at a distance in the square of the town, and the old Where do you go? and whence do you come We are

crossing from Bethlehem-judah to the back of Mount Ephraim, from where I am, but I came to Bethlehem-judah, and I am returning to the House of the EvsR—r.1v1No. But no man has invited me to his house, although we have straw and provender for our asses, and food and wine for my- self and my waiting woman and lad. We want nothing at all except Peace be

with you ! Bring your asses with you to me! Only do not lodge in the So he took them to his house, and foddered the asses, and washed their feet, and they ate and drank. 16 18 20 21

They were cheering their hearts 22 when the men of the town, sons of Belial, surrounded the house, knocked at the doors, and said to the master of Bring out the man who has come to your house, that we may outrage him l But the master of the house went

No, my friends! Do not inflict wrong upon me, I pray,—-·since this man has come to my house, do not commit this wickedness! I have two maiden daughters, and his servant-wife, I will bring them out to you, and you 27s