Old/New Testament
19 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no melech in Yisroel, that there was a certain Levi sojourning in the remote har Ephrayim country, who took to him a pilegesh out of Beit-Lechem Yehudah.
2 And his pilegesh played the zonah against him, and went away from him unto her bais av to Beit-Lechem Yehudah, and was there four whole months.
3 And her ish arose, and went after her, to speak unto her lev, and to bring her back, having his na’ar (servant) with him, and a couple of donkeys; and she brought him into her bais av; and when the avi hana’arah saw him, he had simcha to welcome him.
4 And his khoten (father-inlaw), the avi hana’arah, held him fast; and he abode with him shloshet yamim; so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
5 And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the boker, that he rose up to depart; the avi hana’arah said unto his choson (sonin-law), Refresh thine lev with a morsel of lechem, and afterward go your way.
6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together; for the avi hana’arah had said unto the ish, Be pleased, and tarry all night, and let thine lev be content.
7 And when the ish rose up to depart, his khoten (fatherin-law) urged him; therefore he lodged there again.
8 And he arose early in the boker on the yom hachamishi to depart; and the avi hana’arah said, Refresh now thine lev. Tarry till the yom turns [past midday], and they did eat both of them.
9 And when the ish rose up to depart, he, and his pilegesh, and his na’ar, his khoten (father-in-law), the avi hana’arah, said unto him, Hinei, now the yom draweth toward erev, tarry the night now; hinei, the yom groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine lev may be content; and makhar (tomorrow) get you early on your derech, that thou mayest go to your ohel.
10 But the ish would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came to nokhach (straight before, in the direction of) Yevus, which is Yerushalayim; and there were with him two donkeys saddled, his pilegesh also was with him.
11 And when they were near Yevus, the yom was far spent; and the na’ar said unto his adon, Come, now, and let us turn in into ir haYevusi, and lodge in it.
12 And his adon said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the ir nochri, that is not of the Bnei Yisroel; we will pass over to Giv’ah.
13 And he said unto his na’ar, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Giv’ah, or in Ramah.
14 And they passed on and went their way; and the shemesh went down upon them when they were near Giv’ah, which belongeth to Binyamin.
15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge the night in Giv’ah; and when he went in, he sat him down in the rechov of the ir; for there was no ish that took them into his bais to lodge the night [T.N. See Iyov 31:32 regarding the sin here, made more shameful in that it was committed against a Levi].
16 And, hinei, there came an ish zaken from his work out of the sadeh at erev, and the ish was also from har Ephrayim; and he sojourned in Giv’ah; but the anashim of the place were Bnei Yemini (Benjamites).
17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw haish haoreach (the wayfaring man, traveling man) in the rechov haIr; and the ish hazaken said, Whither goest thou? And whence comest thou?
18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Beit-Lechem Yehudah toward the remote har Ephrayim country; from thence am I; and I went to Beit-Lechem Yehudah, but I am now going to the Bais Hashem [see 18:31]; but there is no ish that receiveth me into the bais.
19 Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys; and there is lechem and yayin also for me, and for thy amah (maidservant), and for the na’ar which is with thy avadim; there is no machsor (want, need) of any thing.
20 And the ish hazaken said, Shalom lach; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the rechov.
21 So he brought him into his bais, and mixed fodder for the donkeys; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
22 Now as they were making their hearts content, hinei, the anshei haIr, anshei bnei Beliya’al, surrounded the bais, and pounded incessantly on the delet, and shouted to the ish, the Ba’al HaBayit, the zaken, saying, Bring out the ish that came into thine bais, that we may know him [T.N. a thin line drawn between homosexual rape and murder].
23 And the ish, the Ba’al HaBayit, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, do not so wickedly; seeing that this ish is come into mine bais, do not this nevalah (outrage).
24 Hinei, here is my bat a betulah, and his pilegesh; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth hatov unto your eyes; but unto this ish do not so devar hanevalah (vile, wicked a thing).
25 But the anashim would not pay heed to him; so the ish took his pilegesh, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her kol halailah until the boker; and when the shachar (dawn) came, they let her go.
26 Then came the isha at the break of haboker, and fell down at the petach bais haish where her adon was, ad haohr (until daylight, sunrise).
27 And her adon rose up in the boker, and opened the daletot habais, and stepped out to go on his derech; and, hinei, the isha, his pilegesh, was fallen at the petach habais! And her hands were upon the sahf (threshold).
28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But there was no answer. Then the ish took [the corpse] upon a donkey, and the ish rose up, and set out for his makom (place, home).
29 And when he was come into his bais, he took a ma’akhelet (knife), and laid hold on his pilegesh, and divided her, together with her atzmot, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the territory of Yisroel.
30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the yom that the Bnei Yisroel came up out of Eretz Mitzrayim unto this day; give ye heed unto it, make up your minds [about the punishment], and speak.
20 Then all the Bnei Yisroel came out, and HaEdah was gathered together as ish echad, from Dan even to Beer-Sheva, including Eretz HaGil`ad, unto Hashem at Mitzpah.
2 And the Pinot (Corner pillars, Leaders, Chiefs) kol HaAm, even of kol Shivtei Yisroel, presented themselves in the Kahal Am HaElohim, four hundred thousand foot soldiers armed with cherev.
3 (Now the Bnei Binyamin heard that the Bnei Yisroel were gone up to Mitzpah.) Then said the Bnei Yisroel, Tell us, how this ra’ah came to be?
4 And the Levi, the ish haisha that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Giv’ah that belongeth to Binyamin, I and my pilegesh, to lodge.
5 And the ba’alei haGiv’ah rose against me, and surrounded the bais upon me by lailah, and intended to have murdered me; and my pilegesh have they raped, that she is dead.
6 And I took my pilegesh, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout kol sedeh nachalat Yisroel; for they have committed zimmah (lewdness) and nevalah (wickedness, outrage, disgrace) in Yisroel.
7 Hinei, ye are all Bnei Yisroel; give here your advice and etzah (counsel, verdict).
8 And kol haAm arose as ish echad, saying, We will not any of us go to his ohel, neither will we any of us return into his bais.
9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Giv’ah; we will go up bigoral (by lot) against it;
10 And we will take ten anashim of a hundred throughout kol Shivtei Yisroel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to supply provisions for the troops, that they may do, when they come to Giv’ah of Binyamin, according to all the nevalah that they have wrought in Yisroel.
11 So kol ish Yisroel were gathered against the Ir, k’ish echad chaverim (comrades as one man, united as one).
12 And the Shivtei Yisroel sent anashim through all the shivtei Binyamin, saying, What ra’ah is this that is done among you?
13 Now therefore deliver us the anashim, the Bnei Beliyaal, which are in Giv’ah, that we may put them to death, and purge ra’ah from Yisroel. But the Bnei Binyamin would not pay heed to the voice of their achim the Bnei Yisroel.
14 But the Bnei Binyamin gathered themselves together out of the towns unto Giv’ah, to go out for milchamah against the Bnei Yisroel.
15 And the Bnei Binyamin mustered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men armed with cherev, beside the inhabitants of Giv’ah, which mustered seven hundred ish bachur (chosen men).
16 Among all this people there were seven hundred ish bachur every one could sling stones at the se’ar (the hair), and not miss.
17 And the ish Yisroel, apart from Binyamin, mustered 400,000 men armed with cherev; all these were ish milchamah.
18 And the Bnei Yisroel arose, and went up to Beit-El, and asked counsel of Elohim, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the milchamah against the Bnei Binyamin? And Hashem said, Yehudah shall go up first.
19 And the Bnei Yisroel rose up in the boker, and encamped against Giv’ah.
20 And the Ish Yisroel went out to battle against Binyamin; and the Ish Yisroel put themselves in array to fight against them at Giv’ah.
21 And the Bnei Binyamin came forth out of Giv’ah, and cut down to the ground that day in Yisroel twenty and two thousand men.
22 And the HaAm Ish Yisroel took courage, and formed their battle line again in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
23 (And the Bnei Yisroel went up and wept before Hashem until erev, and asked counsel of Hashem, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the Bnei Binyamin achi? And Hashem said, Go up against him.)
24 And the Bnei Yisroel came near against the Bnei Binyamin the second day.
25 And Binyamin went forth against them from Giv’ah the second day, and cut down to the ground of the Bnei Yisroel another eighteen thousand men; all these were armed with the cherev.
26 Then kol Bnei Yisroel, and kol haAm, went up, and came unto Beit-El, and wept, and sat there before Hashem, and did a tzom that day until erev, and offered olot and shelamim before Hashem.
27 And the Bnei Yisroel inquired of Hashem, (for the Aron Brit HaElohim was there in those days,
28 And Pinchas ben Eleazar ben Aharon stood ministering before it in those yamim,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the Bnei Binyamin achi, or shall I cease? And Hashem said, Go up; for makhar (tomorrow) I will deliver them into thine yad.
29 And Yisroel set an ambush in wait round about Giv’ah.
30 And the Bnei Yisroel went up against the Bnei Binyamin on the Yom HaShelishi, and put themselves in array against Giv’ah, as before.
31 And the Bnei Binyamin went out against HaAm, and were drawn away from the Ir; and they began to inflict casualties on HaAm, as at other times, in the sadeh and on the roads, of which one road goeth up to Beit-El, and the other road to Giv’ah, killing about sheloshim ish b’Yisroel.
32 And the Bnei Binyamin said, They are defeated before us, as at the first. But the Bnei Yisroel said, Let us retreat, and draw them from the Ir unto the roads.
33 And Kol Ish Yisroel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-Tamar; meanwhile the ones of Yisroel waiting in ambush came forth out of their places, at Ma’areh Geva.
34 And there came a frontal assault against Giv’ah by ten thousand ish bachur out of kol Yisroel, and the milchamah was fierce; but they [the Bnei Binyamin] had no da’as that for them ra’ah (evil, disaster) was near.
35 And Hashem defeated Binyamin before Yisroel; and the Bnei Yisroel struck down from Binyamin that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred ish, all these armed with cherev.
36 So the Bnei Binyamin saw that they were defeated; for the Ish Yisroel gave place before Binyamin, because they relied on the ones ambushing which they had positioned against Giv’ah.
37 And the ones ambushing hasted, and rushed upon Giv’ah; and the ones ambushing drew themselves along, and struck kol HaIr with the edge of the cherev.
38 Now there was a mo’ed (appointed agreement) between the Ish Yisroel and the ones ambushing, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the Ir.
39 And when the Ish Yisroel turned in the milchamah, Binyamin began to inflict casualties on the Ish Yisroel about sheloshim ish; for they said, Surely they are defeated before us, as in the milchamah harishonah.
40 But when the smoke cloud began to arise up out of the Ir with an ammud ashan (pillar of smoke), Binyamin looked behind them, and, hinei, the whole Ir ascended up in smoke to Shomayim.
41 And when the Ish Yisroel turned again, the Ish Binyamin were terrified; for they saw that ra’ah was come upon them.
42 Therefore they turned their backs before the Ish Yisroel unto the derech hamidbar; but the milchamah overtook them; and them which came out of the towns [of Binyamin] the ones [the Bnei Yisroel] cutting down him [Binyamin] in the midst of it.
43 Thus surrounding those of Binyamin, they chased them, and trampled them down with ease nokhach Giv’ah (straight before Giv’ah) toward the rising of the shemesh.
44 And there fell of Binyamin eighteen thousand ish; all these were anshei chayil.
45 And they turned and fled toward the midbar unto the Rock of Rimmon; and they cut down of them in the roads five thousand ish; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slaughtered two thousand ish of them.
46 So that all which fell that day of Binyamin were twenty and five thousand ish armed with cherev; all these were anshei chayil.
47 But six hundred ish turned and fled to the midbar unto the Rock of Rimmon, and abode unto the Rock of Rimmon four months.
48 And the Ish Yisroel turned back upon the Bnei Binyamin, and struck them with the edge of the cherev, including every town, the people, the behemah, and all that remained; also they burned with eish all the towns that they came to.
21 Now the Ish Yisroel had taken an oath in Mitzpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his bat unto Binyamin as isha.
2 And HaAm went to Beit-El, and abode there till erev before HaElohim, and lifted up their voices, and wept gadol;
3 And said, Hashem Elohei Yisroel, why is this come to pass in Yisroel, that there should be today shevet echad lacking in Yisroel?
4 And it came to pass on the next day, that HaAm rose early, and built there a Mizbe’ach, and offered olot and shelamim.
5 And the Bnei Yisroel said, Who is there among kol Shivtei Yisroel that came not up with the Kahal unto Hashem? For they had made the shevuah hagedolah concerning him that came not up before Hashem to Mitzpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 And the Bnei Yisroel had compassion for Binyamin their brother, and said, There is shevet echad cut off from Yisroel this day.
7 How shall we do for nashim for them that remain, seeing we have taken an oath by Hashem that we will not give them of our banot as nashim?
8 And they said, What one is there of the Shivtei Yisroel that came not up to Mitzpah to Hashem? And, hinei, there came none to the machaneh from Yavesh-Gilead to the Kahal.
9 For HaAm were numbered, and, hinei, there were none of the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gilead there.
10 And HaEdah sent thither 12,000 ish of the Bnei HeChayil, and commanded them, saying, Go and strike the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gilead with the edge of the cherev, with the women and the children.
11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every zakhar, and every isha that hath da’as of lying with man.
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gilead four hundred na’arah betulah, that had known no man by lying with any zakhar; and they brought them unto the machaneh at Shiloh, which is in Eretz Kena’an.
13 And the kol HaEdah sent some to speak to the Bnei Binyamin that were at the Rock of Rimmon, and to proclaim shalom unto them.
14 And Binyamin came again at that time; and they gave them nashim which they had saved alive of the women of Yavesh-Gilead; but they sufficed not for them.
15 And HaAm had compassion for Binyamin, because Hashem had made a breach in the Shivtei Yisroel.
16 Then the Ziknei HaEdah (Elders of the Congregation) said, How shall we do for nashim for them that remain, seeing the isha are destroyed out of Binyamin?
17 And they said, There must be yerushah (heir) for them that be survivor of Binyamin, that a shevet be not destroyed out of Yisroel.
18 Howbeit we may not give them nashim of our banot; for the Bnei Yisroel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth an isha to Binyamin.
19 Then they said, Hinei, there is chag Hashem (feast of Hashem) in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beit El, on the east side of the road that goeth up from Beit El to Shechem, and on the south of Levonah.
20 Therefore they commanded the Bnei Binyamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the kramim (vineyards);
21 And watch, and, hinei, if the Banot Shiloh come out to join in dances, then come ye out of the kramim (vineyards), and catch you every ish his isha of the Banot Shiloh, and go to Eretz Binyamin.
22 And it shall be, when their avot or their achim come unto us for riv (to complain), we [the Ziknei HaEdah] will say unto them, Give them to us, for we did not receive every ish his isha through the war; for ye have not given them unto them at this time; now would ye be guilty.
23 And the Bnei Binyamin did so and took them nashim, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught; and they went and returned unto their nachalah, and repaired the towns, and dwelt in them.
24 And the Bnei Yisroel departed from there at that time, every ish to his shevet and to his mishpakhah, and they went out from thence every ish to his nachalah.
25 In those days there was no melech in Yisroel; every man did that which was yashar (right) in his own eyes.
31 Therefore, to what will I compare the people of hador hazeh (this generation) and what are they like?
32 They are like yeladim sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another; and they say, We played the chalil (flute) for you and you did not dance; we sang a kina (lament, funeral dirge) and you did not weep.
33 For Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva has come not eating lechem nor drinking yayin, and you say, He has a shed (demon)!
34 The Ben HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13-14] has come eating and drinking, and you say, Hinei, a man who is a zolel (glutton) and a shikkor (drunkard), a re’a (friend) of mochesim and chote’im.
35 Yet chochmah is justified by all of her yeladim.
36 Now a certain one of the Perushim was requesting Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach at tish, and, he, having entered into the bais of the Parush, reclined to eat.
37 And an isha (woman) was in the shtetl, an isha chotet (a woman of sin), and, when she had daas that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach reclines at tish in the bais of the Parush, she brought an alabaster flask of costly perfume.
38 She stood behind him, and then she began weeping at his feet, and with her tears she began to wash the feet of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and she was drying them with her hair, and she was kissing his feet and was anointing them with perfume.
39 But when the Parush who had invited Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach saw this, he said to himself, If this one were a navi, he would have had daas who and what sort of isha is touching him, because she is an isha chotet (woman of sin).
40 And in reply, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to him, Shimon, I have something to say to you. And the Parush said, Speak, Rabbi.
41 Two persons were debtors to a certain creditor; the one owed a choiv (debt) of chamesh meot (five hundred) denarii and the other a choiv (debt) of chamishim (fifty).
42 Not being able to repay, the creditor graciously forgave both debts. Therefore which of them will have more ahavah for him?
43 In reply, Shimon said, I suppose the one whom the creditor forgave more. And Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to him, Your judgment is gantze nachon.
44 And having turned to the isha, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to Shimon, Do you see this isha? I entered your bais, you did not give me mayim for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her rosh. [BERESHIS 18:4; SHOFETIM 19:21]
45 You did not give me neshikah (kiss), but she, from the time I entered, did not stop kissing my feet.
46 With oil my rosh (head) you did not anoint. But she with perfume anointed my feet. [TEHILLIM 23:5; KOHELET 9:8]
47 Oib azoi (consequently), I say to you, her chatta’im, which are many, have been granted selicha (forgiven), for with rabbah ahavah she loved. But he who is mekabel selicha (accepting forgiveness) only a little, has ahavah only a little.
48 And he said to her, Your averos have been granted selicha.
49 And the ones reclining at tish with Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach began to say to themselves, Who is this who even grants selicha to averos?
50 And Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to the isha, Your emunah has gained you Yeshuat Eloheinu. L’chi L’shalom. (Go in shalom!)
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