Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible recap.

We finished our eighth book of the Bible today, and since we're reading an entire book tomorrow,

that means we're about to be at nine books total.

Don't worry, the book we're reading tomorrow is super short, just four chapters.

Also, I mentioned this at the beginning of the book of Judges and hopefully you've already

read the text from today and know this is a tough section, but just a heads up that if

there are little ears nearby, you may want to listen later.

This is one of my least favorite sections in all of scripture, but there are still things

to be learned about God in these chapters, even though he seems mostly absent.

We open with a reminder that Israel is living in anarchy at this point, which sets us

up for everything that happens in today's reading.

We start with a Levite, the tribe appointed to work for God, who had a concubine, which

is basically a household servant with fewer rights and less permanency than a wife,

and whose main job is to sleep with the boss and have his babies.

She decides she wants to leave this arrangement, but he goes after her to win her back.

He meets with her dad and things are going smoothly.

Her father keeps inviting them to stay day after day with him, but on the fifth day, the

Levite is ready to move on, so they head out for the long journey home.

His servant suggests they spend the night in a canonite area, but the Levite really

prefers to keep moving until they hit an Israelite area.

They stop in the city of Gbeia, which is in the land allotted to the Benjamin's.

They're planning to sleep in the town square, but an old man comes by and urges them to

...