Judges 19:3-5

19:3 her husband came¹ after her, hoping he could convince her to return.² He brought with him his servant³ and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly.⁴ 19:4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there. 19:5 On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave.⁵ But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy,⁶ then you can go.”

Judges 19:7

19:7 When the man got ready to leave,⁷ his father-in-law convinced him to stay another night.⁸

Judges 19:9

19:9 When the man got ready to leave⁹ with his concubine and his servant,¹⁰ his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! The day is almost over!¹¹ Stay another night! Since the day is over,¹² stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.”¹³

Judges 19:26-27

19:26 The woman arrived back at daybreak and was sprawled out on the doorstep of the house where her master¹⁴ was staying until it became light.¹⁵ 19:27 When her master¹⁶ got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went outside to start on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, sprawled out on the doorstep of the house with her hands on the threshold.

¹tn Heb “arose and came.”

²tn Heb “to speak to her heart to bring her back.”

³tn Or “young man.”

⁴tn Heb “he was happy to meet him.”

⁵tn Heb “and he arose to go.”

⁶tn Heb “Sustain your heart [with] a bit of food.”

⁹tn Heb “and the man arose to go.”

¹⁰tn Heb “his father-in-law persuaded him and he again spent the night there.”

¹³tn Heb “the man arose to go.”

¹⁴tn Or “young man.”

¹⁵tn Heb “the day is sinking to become evening.”

¹⁶tn Or “declining.”

¹⁷tn Heb “for your way and go to your tent.”

¹⁷tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman.

¹⁸tn Heb “The woman came at the turning of the morning and fell at the door of the house of the man where her master was until the light.”

²¹tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman.