It happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.
"He went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again"  (Judges 19:3).  Whatever the reason for the concubine's leaving, the Levite decided to go to her residence and persuade her to return.  This favors the rendition in the RSV, because it seems that the Levite himself was to blame for the break-up, as indicated by these words.