Jueces 19
Dios Habla Hoy
El levita y su concubina
19 En los días en que aún no había rey en Israel, un levita que vivía en la parte más lejana de los montes de Efraín tomó como concubina a una mujer de Belén de Judá. 2 Pero ella se enojó con él y se fue a vivir a Belén, con su padre. Después de estar ella cuatro meses allí, 3 el levita fue a buscarla para convencerla de que volviera con él. Llevó un criado y dos asnos, y ella lo recibió en casa de su padre. 4 También el padre lo recibió con alegría, y lo invitó a quedarse con ellos. El levita y su criado se quedaron tres días en casa del padre de ella, comiendo, bebiendo y durmiendo, 5 y al cuarto día por la mañana se levantaron temprano para irse. Pero cuando ya se iban, el padre de la muchacha le dijo a su yerno:
—Come aunque sea un pedazo de pan antes de irte, para que tengas fuerza.
6 Y los dos se sentaron juntos a comer y a beber, y el padre de ella le pidió que se quedara y pasara contento una noche más. 7 Y aunque el levita se levantó para irse, su suegro le insistió tanto que se quedó.
8 Al quinto día, el levita se levantó temprano para irse, pero otra vez el padre de la muchacha le rogó que comiera algo antes de salir, para que recobrara las fuerzas; así que comieron juntos hasta que se hizo tarde. 9 Cuando el levita se levantó para irse con su concubina y su criado, su suegro le hizo ver que ya era muy tarde y que el día se estaba yendo, y lo invitó a quedarse otra noche y pasarla contento, y salir al otro día temprano. 10 Pero el levita no quiso quedarse otra noche más, sino que se fue con su concubina y su criado y sus dos asnos ensillados. Cuando tuvieron ante ellos a Jebús, es decir, Jerusalén, 11 el criado le dijo al levita:
—¿Qué le parece a usted si pasamos la noche en esa ciudad de jebuseos?
12 Y el levita le respondió:
—No vamos a ir a ninguna ciudad que no sea israelita. Sigamos hasta Guibeá, 13 y procuremos pasar la noche ya sea en Guibeá o en Ramá.
14 Así pues, siguieron adelante, y cuando el sol se ponía llegaron a Guibeá, ciudad de la tribu de Benjamín. 15 Entonces se apartaron del camino y entraron en Guibeá para pasar la noche, y el levita fue y se sentó en la plaza de la ciudad porque nadie les ofrecía alojamiento.
16 Por fin, ya de noche, pasó un anciano que regresaba de trabajar en el campo. Este anciano era de los montes de Efraín, y vivía allí como forastero, pues los que vivían en Guibeá eran de la tribu de Benjamín. 17 Cuando el anciano vio en la plaza al viajero, le preguntó:
—¿De dónde vienes, y a dónde vas?
18 Y el levita respondió:
—Estamos de paso. Venimos de Belén de Judá, y vamos a la parte más lejana de los montes de Efraín, donde yo vivo. Estuve en Belén, y ahora voy de regreso a casa, pero no he encontrado aquí a nadie que me dé alojamiento. 19 Tenemos paja y forraje para mis asnos, y pan y vino para nosotros, es decir, para mi mujer, para mi siervo y para mí. No nos hace falta nada.
20 Pero el anciano le respondió:
—Sé bienvenido. Yo me haré cargo de todo lo que necesites. No voy a permitir que pases la noche en la plaza.
21 El anciano los llevó a su casa, y mientras los viajeros se lavaban los pies, y comían y bebían, él dio de comer a los asnos. 22 En el momento en que más contentos estaban, unos hombres pervertidos de la ciudad rodearon la casa y empezaron a golpear la puerta, y a decirle al anciano, dueño de la casa:
—¡Saca al hombre que tienes de visita! ¡Queremos acostarnos con él!
23 Pero el dueño de la casa les rogó:
—¡No, amigos míos, por favor! ¡No cometan tal perversidad, pues este hombre es mi huésped! 24 Miren, ahí está mi hija, que todavía es virgen. Y también está la concubina de este hombre. Voy a sacarlas para que las humillen y hagan con ellas lo que quieran. Pero con este hombre no cometan tal perversidad.
25 Pero ellos no le hicieron caso al anciano, así que el levita tomó a su concubina y la echó a la calle, y aquellos hombres la violaron y abusaron de ella toda la noche, hasta que amaneció. Entonces la dejaron. 26 Ya estaba amaneciendo cuando la mujer regresó a la casa del anciano, donde estaba su marido, y cayó muerta delante de la puerta. 27 Cuando su marido se levantó y abrió la puerta para seguir su camino, se encontró a su concubina tendida ante el umbral de la puerta, con las manos sobre el umbral. 28 Entonces le dijo:
—Levántate y vámonos.
Pero ella no le respondió. Entonces él colocó el cadáver sobre un asno, y se puso en camino hacia su casa. 29 Al llegar, tomó un cuchillo y descuartizó el cadáver de su concubina en doce pedazos, y los mandó por todo el territorio de Israel. 30 Todos los que lo veían, decían:
—Desde que los israelitas salieron de Egipto, nunca se había visto nada semejante. Hay que pensar en esto y decidir lo que haremos al respecto.
Judges 19
English Standard Version
A Levite and His Concubine
19 In those days, (A)when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of (B)the hill country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from (C)Bethlehem in Judah. 2 And his concubine was unfaithful to[a] him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months. 3 Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house. And when the girl's father saw him, he came with joy to meet him. 4 And his father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and spent the night there. 5 And on the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and he prepared to go, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, (D)“Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you may go.” 6 So the two of them sat and ate and drank together. And the girl's father said to the man, “Be pleased to spend the night, and (E)let your heart be merry.” 7 And when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, till he spent the night there again. 8 And on the fifth day he arose early in the morning to depart. And the girl's father said, (F)“Strengthen your heart and wait until the day declines.” So they ate, both of them. 9 And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, “Behold, now the day has waned toward evening. Please, spend the night. Behold, the day draws to its close. Lodge here and let your heart be merry, and tomorrow you shall arise early in the morning for your journey, and go home.”
10 But the man would not spend the night. He rose up and departed and arrived opposite (G)Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a couple of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him. 11 When they were near Jebus, the day was nearly over, and the servant said to his master, “Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.” 12 And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel, but we will pass on to (H)Gibeah.” 13 And he said to his young man, “Come and let us draw near to one of these places and spend the night at Gibeah or at (I)Ramah.” 14 So they passed on and went their way. And the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, 15 and they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gibeah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city, (J)for no one took them into his house to spend the night.
16 And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening. The man was from (K)the hill country of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibeah. (L)The men of the place were Benjaminites. 17 And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city. And the old man said, “Where are you going? And where do you come from?” 18 And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, from which I come. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going (M)to the house of the Lord,[b] (N)but no one has taken me into his house. 19 We have straw and feed for our donkeys, with bread and wine for me and your female servant and the young man with your servants. (O)There is no lack of anything.” 20 And the old man said, (P)“Peace be to you; I will care for all your wants. (Q)Only, do not spend the night in the square.” 21 So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys feed. (R)And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
Gibeah's Crime
22 As they were (S)making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, (T)surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they said to the old man, the master of the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.” 23 And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, (U)do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, (V)do not do this vile thing. 24 (W)Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now. (X)Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against this man (Y)do not do this outrageous thing.” 25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. 26 And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, until it was light.
27 And her master rose up in the morning, and when he opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, behold, there was his concubine lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, let us be going.” (Z)But there was no answer. Then he put her on the donkey, and the man rose up and went away to his home. 29 And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine he (AA)divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. 30 (AB)And all who saw it said, “Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; (AC)consider it, take counsel, and speak.”
Footnotes
- Judges 19:2 Septuagint, Old Latin became angry with
- Judges 19:18 Septuagint my home; compare verse 29
Dios habla hoy ®, © Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas, 1966, 1970, 1979, 1983, 1996.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
