Judges · Chapter 19

[ edit] In þo days was no kyng in Yrael. A maner man Leuyte was dwellinge in þe ſide of þe hil of Effraym, þe which took a wijf in Beþlem Juda. Þe which lafte hym, and is turned aȝen into hir fader hows of Beþlem, and ſhe dwellide anentis hym foure moneþis. And hir man folwede hyr, wolnynge to be recounſeild to hir, and to ſoftli treten, and to brynge aȝen wiþ hym; hauynge in ledynge a child, and two aſſis. Þe which took hym, and brouȝte hym into þe hows of hyr fader; þat whanne his fader in lawe hadde herd him, and ſeen, glad he aȝens cam to hym, and clepide þe man. And þe ſone in lawe dwellide in þe hows of þe fader in lawe þre days, etynge and drynkynge wiþ hym homeli.

Forſoþe þe ferþe day fro nyȝt ryſynge wold goo forþ; whom wiþ heelde þe fader in lawe, and ſeiþ to hym, Taſt raþer a litil of breed, and comfort þe ſtomak, and ſo þow ſhalt goo. And þei ſeten, and eten to gidir, and dronken. And þe fader of þe womman ſeide to his ſone in lawe, Y biſeche þee, þat þis day here þou dwelle, and to gider we gladen. And he ryſyn ganne to wiln to goo forþ; and neuerþelater þe fader in lawe biſily heelde hym aȝen, and anentis hym he made hym to dwelle. Forſoþe erely bigunne þe Leuyte made redi þe weye; to whom þe fader in lawe eft, I biſeche, he ſeiþ, þat a litil of meet þou take, and ſtrengþis nomen to þe tyme þat ful ſprynge þe day, and after go þow forþ.

Þei eten þanne to gider. And þe ȝonglynge roos for to goo wiþ his wijf and child; to whom eft ſpak þe fader in lawe, Behoold, þat þe day is more bowid to þe ſunne goynge doun, and neiȝeþ to þe euen; dwel anentis me alſo þis day, and lede a myrye day, and to morwe þou ſhalt goo forþ, þat þou goo into þin hows. Þe ſone in lawe wolde not aſſente to his wordis; but anoon wente, and cam aȝens Jebuſe, þat bi anoþer name is clepid Jeruſalem, ledynge wiþ hym two aſſis chargid, and a ſecoundarie wijf. And nowe þei camen nyȝ biſide Jebus, and þe day was turned into nyȝt. And þe child ſeide to his lord, Com, I biſeche, and bowe we down to þe citee of Jebuſees, and dwelle we in it.

To whom anſwerde þe lord, I ſhal not goo into þe burgh toun of an alien folk, þat is not of þe ſones of Yrael, but I ſhal paſſe to Gaba; and whanne þider I ſhal come, we ſhulen dwelle in it, oþir certeyn in þe citee of Rama. Þanne þei paſſiden Jebus, and þe bigunnen weie þei wenten. And þe ſunne wente doun to hem biſide Gaba, þat is in þe lynage of Beniamyn; and þei turneden biſide to it, þat þei myȝten dwelle þere. Whider whanne þei entreden, þei ſeeten in þe ſtrete of þe cytee, and no man hym wold reſſeyue in hows. And, loo! an oold man aperyde to hem turnynge aȝen fro þe feeld, and fro his werk at euen, þe which and he was of þe hil of Effraym, and a pilgrime dwellide in Gaba.

Forſoþe þe men of þat regioun weren þe ſones of Gemyny. And areryd vp þe eyen, þe oold man ſawȝ a man ſittynge wiþ his litil chargis in þe ſtrete of þe cytee, and ſeide to hym, Whens comeſt þow? and whidre goſt þow? Þe which anſwerde to hym, We ben comen fro Beþlem Juda, and we goon to oure place, þat is in þe ſide of þe hil of Effraim, fro whennus we ȝeden to Beþlem; and nowe we goon to þe hows of God, and no man vndur his roof reſſeyue vs, hauynge chaf and hay into þe fodre of aſſis, and breed and wyn into myn, and of þin handmaydenys vſis, and of þe child þat is wiþ me; no þing we neden, but hows.

To whom anſwerde þe oold man, Pees be wiþ þee; I ſhal make redi alle þingis, þat ben neceſſarye; oonli, I biſeche, ne bide þow in þe ſtrete. And he brouȝte hym into his hows, and fodre to aſſis he ȝaf; and after þat þei weſſhen her feet, he took hem into metſhip. Hem etynge, and after þe traueyl of þe weye wiþ meet and drynke fillinge þe bodies, camen men of þat cytee, þe ſones of Belial, þat is, wiþ outen ȝok, and enuyrownynge þe hows of þe oold man þei bigunnen to knoke þe ȝatis; criynge to þe lord of þe hows, and ſeiynge, Bryng out þe man þat is goon into þin hows, þat we myſuſen hym.

And þe oold man wente oute to hem, and ſeiþ, Woliþ not, breþeren, woliþ not doon þis yuel; for a man is goo into myn hows; and cees ȝe fro þis foly. I haue a douȝter mayden, and þis man haþ a ſecoundarie wijf; I ſhal brynge hem out to ȝow, þat ȝe lowen hem, and ȝoure luſt ȝe fulfil; oonli, I byſeche, ne þis hidows gilt aȝens kynde ȝe worchen in þe man. Þei wolden not aſſente to his wordis; þe which þing biholdynge þe man broute out to hem his ſecoundarie wijf, and to hem he took hir to be ſcorned. Þe which whanne al nyȝt þei hadden myſuſid, þei laften hir eerly. And þe womman, goynge aweie þe derkneſſis, came to þe dore of þe hows, where dwellide hir lord, and þere ſhe felle down.

Þe morwe tide doon, þe man roos, and openede þe dore for to fulfil þe bigunne weye; and, loo! his ſecoundarie wijf lay at þe dore, ſpred þe hoondis in þe þreſwold. To whom he wenynge hir to riſte ſpak, Ryſe, and goo we. Þe which no þing anſwerynge, vndurſtondynge þat ſhe was deed, took hir, and putte on þe aſſe; and he is turnyd aȝen into his hows. Þe which whanne he was goon yn, he cauȝte a ſwerd, and þe careyn of þe wijf wiþ hir bonys in twelue parties and gobetis hewynge, he ſente into alle þe teermys of Yrael.

Þe which þing whanne alle þei hadden ſeen, þei crieden to gidre, Neuer ſiche þing is don in Iſrael, fro þat dai þat oure faders ſtieden vp fro Egipt vnto þe tyme þat is nowe; ȝyueþ ſentens, and in comoun deme ȝe, what is nede to þe deed.