JUDGES 19:9 — KING JAMES VERSION 0 0
“And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.”
And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him: 'Behold, now the day has waned toward evening; please spend the night. Behold, the day is drawing to a close; lodge here and let your heart be merry, and tomorrow you shall arise early in your journey' (וַיִּשְׁכֵּם הָאִישׁ הַלִּוִי וְקַח אֶת־פִּילַגְשׁוֹ וְאֶת־נַעֲרוֹ וַיָּקׁם לָלֶכֶת וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו חֲמִיו אֲבִי־הַנַּעֲרָה הִנֵּה־נָא נִשְׁמַר־הַיּוֹם לַעֶרֶב שִׁמְרוּ־נָא הַלַּיְלָה הִנֵּה קְרוֹב הַעֶרֶב לִנְקוֹת־הַיּוֹם שִׁמְרוּ בְכָאן וְיִיטַב לְבָבְךָ וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּם מָחָר לְדַרְכְכֶם) — the final day's delay is the most elaborate: the father points out that evening approaches, making travel dangerous, and urges one more night's lodging. His appeal to the Levite to ``let your heart be merry'' (וְיִיטַב לְבָבְךָ) suggests that hospitality itself has become the shared purpose. The father's rhetoric implicitly acknowledges the late hour and attendant dangers of night travel; yet his real motivation remains keeping the family group together. The Levite finally refuses this final invitation, demonstrating that departure has become unavoidable.
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