Saturday 27 May 2017

THE LEVITE AND HIS CONCUBINE:A BIBLE STORY, HUSBAND KILLED WIFE AND SHARED HER BODY-BY EVANS TUBONAH

The Holy Bible
A man in Israel, a Levite many years ago took a concubine to himself of Bethlehemjudah, because he was doing business in the territory of Ephraim.
The love was very strong, between them but for an undisclosed reason, the concubine one day left the man to her father's house in Bethlehem in four months, and after waiting for that much, he decided to visit her there.
And the man whom the Bible called her husband accompanied by his servant went there to persuade her to return with him.
On their arrival the woman received them and took her husband to the father who received him with joy, and he stayed with the woman's father, his father-in-law three days: eating, drinking and making merry.When the man wanted to leave early on the fourth day, his father in-law said to him, NO! don't go, rise eat bread and drink some wine, and he spent that day also eating, drinking and making merry, because of the word of his father in-law, that he should stay and enjoy with him and they drank together, and he spent that night also to break the 5th day.
And in the early morning of the 5th day when he wanted to leave, the father in-law said to him again, No!, don't go! stay with me and enjoy yourself, and he obeyed the words of his father in-law and stayed till the afternoon eating and drinking.
And when the man wanted to leave with his wife and his servant, the father-in-law said it was too late to leave,and prayed him to spend the night with him because the night was closeby, the father in-law wanted him  to stay the night and leave in the morning so that they will arrive safely.
But the man said, he could not stay that night, he must leave at once, and he left with his concubine and the servant upon their asses.They passed through a community called Jebus which is Jerusalem and the servant suggested to the master that they enter the "city of the jebusites and lodge in it."
The master declined saying NO! we will not lodge in the cities of strangers, we must go to a community of israel and lodge, and they  moved on, aiming to get at Gibeah or in Ramah so as to lodge in.
But as they arrived at Gibeah the night was far spent and they found no one in the streets, and did not know where to find a lodging place, hence he played himself down in the street, but suddenly an elderly man appeared to him, a man of Ephraim who lived in Gibeah, while the men of the place were Benjamites.
And when the old man saw them he asked the man where do you come from and where are you going? After the man had explained to the old man how they were moving, the old man said to him, come into my home and stay the night with me and i will provide all your needs, including the needs of your concubine, your servant and your asses.
And they went with the old man into his house, and he took care of them his according to his words
But while they were making merry in the house something strange happened, "the men of the city, certain sons of belial....." surrounded the house of the old man and said he should open the house so that they would know the man in his house.
And knowing their evil intent the old man said NO! don't do anything to the man, instead he shouted they should take his daughter and the man's concubine and do with them whatever they pleased, and they took the concubine with them and abused her all the night until the morning and when the day began to spring they let her go."
And the woman so abused by the men managed herself to the door of the house in which her husband was, and fell down till the dawn of day.
When the husband woke up in the morning and opened the door, he saw his concubine on the ground and told her to get up so that they could go, but there was no answer
Then the man took her up and put her body upon an ass, and took her along to his place, and when he had entered his house, he took a knife and cut his concubine's body flesh and bones apart and shared to twelve places and sent to all the coast of Israel.
The remark by the people is that, from the time Israel  left Egypt to Canaan nothing like that had happened .
READ BOOK OF JUDGES, CHAPTER 19:1-30

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