Dommer 18

1 I de Dage var der ingen Konge i Israel, og i de Dage var Daniternes Stamme i Færd med at søge sig en Arvelod, hvor de kunde bo, thi hidindtil var der ikke tilfaldet dem nogen Arvelod blandt Israels Stammer.

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 Daniterne udtog da af deres Slægt fem stærke Mænd fra Zor'a og Esjtaol og udsendte dem for at udspejde og undersøge Landet, og de sagde til dem: »Drag hen og undersøg Landet!« De kom da til Mikas Hus i Efraims Bjerge og overnattede der.

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 Da de kom i Nærheden af Mikas Hus og kendte den unge Levits Stemme, tog de derind og spurgte ham: »Hvem har ført dig herhen, hvad tager du dig for paa dette Sted, og hvorfor er du her?«

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 Han svarede dem: »Det og det har Mika gjort for mig; han har lejet mig til Præst.«

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

5 Da sagde de til ham: »Adspørg da Gud, at vi kan faa at vide, om vor Færd skal lykkes!«

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

6 Præsten sagde da til dem: »Far med Fred, HERREN vaager over eders Færd!«

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

7 Saa drog de fem Mænd videre og kom til Lajisj; og de saa, at Byen levede trygt paa Zidoniernes Vis, at Folket der levede sorgløst og trygt og ikke manglede nogen Verdens Ting, men var rigt, og at de boede langt fra Zidonierne og intet havde med Aramæerne at gøre.

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 Da de kom tilbage til deres Brødre i Zor'a og Esjtaol, spurgte disse dem: »Hvad har I at melde?«

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

9 De svarede: »Kom, lad os drage op til Lajisj, thi vi har set Landet, og se, det er saare godt! Hvorfor holder I eder uvirksomme? Nøl ikke med at drage hen og underlægge eder Landet!

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 Thi Gud har givet det i eders Haand — et Sted, hvor der ikke er Mangel paa nogen Verdens Ting! Naar I kommer derhen, kommer I til et Folk, der lever i Tryghed, og det er et vidtstrakt Land!«

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 Saa brød 600 væbnede Mænd af Daniternes Slægt op fra Zor'a og Esjtaol,

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 og de drog op og slog Lejr i Kirjat-Jearim i Juda; derfor kalder man endnu den Dag i Dag dette Sted hans Lejr; det ligger vesten for Kirjat-Jearim.

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 Derfra drog de over til Efraims Bjerge; og da de kom til Mikas Hus,

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

14 tog de fem Mænd, der havde været henne at udspejde Landet, til Orde og sagde til deres Brødre: »Ved I, at der i Husene her findes en Efod, en Husgud og et udskaaret og støbt Billede? Saa indser I vel, hvad I har at gøre!«

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 De begav sig derhen og kom til den unge Levits Hus, Mikas Hus, og hilste paa ham,

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 medens de 600 væbnede danitiske Mænd stod ved Porten.

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 Og de fem Mænd, der havde været henne at udspejde Landet, gik op og tog det udskaarne og støbte Billede, Efoden og Husguden, medens Præsten og de 600 væbnede Mænd stod ved Porten.

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 Hine gik ind i Mikas Hus og tog det udskaarne og støbte Billede, Efoden og Husguden. Præsten sagde til dem: »Hvad er det, I gør?«

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 Og de svarede ham: »Stille, læg Fingeren paa Munden og følg med os og bliv vor Fader og Præst! Hvad baader dig vel bedst, at være Præst for een Mands Hus eller for en Stamme og Slægt i Israel?«

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 Da blev Præsten glad, tog Efoden, Husguden og Gudebilledet og sluttede sig til Krigsfolkene.

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 Derpaa vendte de om og drog bort, idet de stillede Kvinderne og Børnene, Kvæget og Trosset forrest i Toget.

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

22 Da de var kommet et Stykke fra Mikas Hus, stævnedes Mændene i de Huse, der laa ved Mikas Hus, sammen, og de indhentede Daniterne.

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 Da de raabte efter Daniterne, vendte disse sig om og sagde til Mika: »Hvad er der i Vejen, siden du har kaldt Folk til Hjælp?«

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 Han svarede: »I har taget min Gud, som jeg havde lavet mig, tillige med Præsten og er rejst eders Vej! Hvad har jeg nu tilbage? Hvor kan I spørge mig, hvad der er i Vejen?«

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 Men Daniterne svarede ham: »Lad os ikke høre et Ord mere fra dig, ellers kunde det hænde, at nogle Mænd, som er bitre i Hu, faldt over eder, og at du satte baade dit eget og dine Husfolks Liv paa Spil!«

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 Dermed drog Daniterne deres Vej, og da Mika saa, at de var ham for stærke, vendte han om og begav sig tilbage til sit Hus.

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 De tog saa Guden, som Mika havde lavet, tillige med hans Præst og drog mod Lajisj, mod et Folk, der levede sorgløst og trygt, huggede dem ned med Sværdet og stak Ild paa Byen,

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 uden at nogen kunde komme den til Hjælp, thi den laa langt fra Zidon, og de havde intet med Aramæerne at gøre. Den ligger i Bet-Rehobs Dal. Saa byggede de Byen op igen og bosatte sig der;

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 og de gav den Navnet Dan efter deres Stamfader Dan, Israels Søn; men før var Byens Navn Lajisj.

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 Derpaa stillede Daniterne Gudebilledet op hos sig; og Jonatan, en Søn af Moses's Søn Gersom, og hans Efterkommere var Præster for Daniternes Stamme, indtil Landets Indbyggere førtes i Landflygtighed.

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 Og det Gudebillede, Mika havde lavet sig, stillede de op hos sig, og det stod der, al den Tid Guds Hus var i Silo.

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