19. We already have straw and food for our donkeys. There is also bread and wine for me, the young woman, and my servant. We don’t need anything.”
20. The old man said, “You are welcome to stay at my house. I will give you anything you need, but don’t stay the night in the public square.”
21. Then the old man took the Levite and the people with him to his house. He fed their donkeys. They washed their feet and then had something to eat and drink.
22. While the Levite and those who were with him were enjoying themselves, some very bad men from the city surrounded the house. They began beating on the door. They shouted at the old man who owned the house. They said, “Bring out the man who came to your house. We want to have sex with him.”
23. The old man went outside and said to them, “My friends, don’t do such an evil thing! This man is a guest in my house. Don’t commit this terrible sin.
24. Look, here is my daughter. She has never had sex before. I will bring her out to you now. This man also has a slave woman. You can use them any way you want, but don’t do such a terrible sin against this man.”
25. But those evil men would not listen to the old man. So the Levite took his slave woman and put her outside with them. They hurt her and raped her all night long. Then, at dawn, they let her go.
26. At dawn, the woman came back to the house where her master was staying. She fell down at the front door and lay there until it was daylight.
27. The Levite got up early the next morning. He wanted to go home. He opened the door to go outside, and a hand fell across the threshold of the door. There was his slave woman. She had fallen down against the door.
28. The Levite said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. The Levite put her body on his donkey and went home.