士師記 18

1 那時，以色列中沒有王。但支派的人仍是尋地居住；因為到那日子，他們還沒有在以色列支派中得地為業。

In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was looking for an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.

2 但人從瑣拉和以實陶打發本族中的五個勇士，去仔細窺探那地，吩咐他們說：「你們去窺探那地。」他們來到以法蓮山地，進了米迦的住宅，就在那裏住宿。

The people of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, "Go, explore the land." They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and stayed there.

3 他們臨近米迦的住宅，聽出那少年利未人的口音來，就進去問他說：「誰領你到這裏來？你在這裏做甚麼？你在這裏得甚麼？」

When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned in that direction, and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? And what is your business here?"

4 他回答說：「米迦待我如此如此，請我作祭司。」

He said to them, "Thus and so has Micah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I have become his priest."

5 他們對他說：「請你求問上帝，使我們知道所行的道路通達不通達。」

They said to him, "Please ask counsel of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous."

6 祭司對他們說：「你們可以平平安安地去，你們所行的道路是在耶和華面前的。」

The priest said to them, "Go in peace. Jehovah will watch over you on your journey."

7 五人就走了，來到拉億，見那裏的民安居無慮，如同西頓人安居一樣。在那地沒有人掌權擾亂他們；他們離西頓人也遠，與別人沒有來往。

Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people who were there, and how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one in the land possessing authority that might trouble them in anyway, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with Aram.

8 五人回到瑣拉和以實陶，見他們的弟兄；弟兄問他們說：「你們有甚麼話？」

They came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, "What do you say?"

9 他們回答說：「起來，我們上去攻擊他們吧！我們已經窺探那地，見那地甚好。你們為何靜坐不動呢？要急速前往得那地為業，不可遲延。

They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have entered and journeyed in the land as far as Laish, and we saw the people how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, and they were far from the Sidonians, and they had no dealings with Aram. But arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and look, it is very good. Will you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go and to enter in to possess the land.

10 你們到了那裏，必看見安居無慮的民，地也寬闊。上帝已將那地交在你們手中；那地百物俱全，一無所缺。」

When you go, you shall come to a secure people, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth."

11 於是但族中的六百人，各帶兵器，從瑣拉和以實陶前往，

Then the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war, set forth from there.

12 上到猶大的基列‧耶琳，在基列‧耶琳後邊安營。因此那地方名叫瑪哈尼‧但，直到今日。

They went up, and camped in Kiriath Jearim, in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh Dan to this day; look, it is behind Kiriath Jearim.

13 他們從那裏往以法蓮山地去，來到米迦的住宅。

They passed there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

14 從前窺探拉億地的五個人對他們的弟兄說：「這宅子裏有以弗得和家中的神像，並雕刻的像與鑄成的像，你們知道嗎？現在你們要想一想當怎樣行。」

Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered, and said to their brothers, "Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and an engraved image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have to do."

15 五人就進入米迦的住宅，到了那少年利未人的房內問他好。

They turned aside there, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.

16 那六百但人各帶兵器，站在門口。

The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the people of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

17 窺探地的五個人走進去，將雕刻的像、以弗得、家中的神像，並鑄成的像，都拿了去。祭司和帶兵器的六百人，一同站在門口。

The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

18 那五個人進入米迦的住宅，拿出雕刻的像、以弗得、家中的神像，並鑄成的像，祭司就問他們說：「你們做甚麼呢？」

And these went into Micah's house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

19 他們回答說：「不要作聲，用手摀口，跟我們去吧！我們必以你為父、為祭司。你作一家的祭司好呢？還是作以色列一族一支派的祭司好呢？」

They said to him, "Hold your peace, lay your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?"

20 祭司心裏喜悅，便拿着以弗得和家中的神像，並雕刻的像，進入他們中間。

The priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the engraved image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.

21 他們就轉身離開那裏，妻子、兒女、牲畜、財物都在前頭。

So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the goods before them.

22 離米迦的住宅已遠，米迦的近鄰都聚集來，追趕但人，

They were some distance from the house of Micah, and look, Micah and the men who were in the houses near Micah's house gathered together and overtook the people of Dan.

23 呼叫但人。但人回頭問米迦說：「你聚集這許多人來做甚麼呢？」

They cried to the people of Dan. They turned their faces, and said to Micah, "What's wrong with you, that you come with such a company?"

24 米迦說：「你們將我所做的神像和祭司都帶了去，我還有所剩的嗎？怎麼還問我說『做甚麼』呢？」

He said, "You have taken away my gods which I made for myself, and the priest, and have gone away, and what more do I have? How then do you say to me, 'What's wrong with you?'"

25 但人對米迦說：「你不要使我們聽見你的聲音，恐怕有性暴的人攻擊你，以致你和你的全家盡都喪命。」

The people of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, or angry men will attack you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household."

26 但人還是走他們的路。米迦見他們的勢力比自己強盛，就轉身回家去了。

The people of Dan went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

27 但人將米迦所做的神像和他的祭司都帶到拉億，見安居無慮的民，就用刀殺了那民，又放火燒了那城，

They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.

28 並無人搭救；因為離西頓遠，他們又與別人沒有來往。城在平原，那平原靠近伯‧利合。但人又在那裏修城居住，

There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. They built the city, and lived there.

29 照着他們始祖以色列之子但的名字，給那城起名叫但；原先那城名叫拉億。

They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel. However the name of the city was originally Laish.

30 但人就為自己設立那雕刻的像。摩西的孫子、革舜的兒子約拿單，和他的子孫作但支派的祭司，直到那地遭擄掠的日子。

The people of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the exile from the land.

31 上帝的殿在示羅多少日子，但人為自己設立米迦所雕刻的像也在 但多少日子。

So they set up for themselves Micah's engraved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.