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 seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in for there had not fallen to them, unto that day, in the midst of the tribes of Israel, enough for an inheritance.

2 Daniterne udtog da af deres Slægt fem stærke Mænd fra Zora 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.

So then the sons of Dan sent, out of their family, five men out of their bounds—men who were sons of valour—out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol—to spy out the land, and to explore it, and they said unto them, Go! explore the land. And they came into the hill country of Ephraim, as far as the house of Micah, and lodged 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 på dette Sted, og hvorfor er du her?"

They, being by the house of Micah, knew the voice of the young man, the Levite, —so they turned aside there, and said to him—Who brought thee in hither? and what art thou doing in this place, and what hast thou here?

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

And he said unto them, Thus and so, hath Micah dealt with me, and hath hired me, and I am become his priest.

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

So they said unto him—Ask of God, we pray thee, —that we may know whether the journey on which we are going shall have good success.

6 Præsten sagde da til dem: "Far med Fred, HERREN våger over eders Færd!"

And the priest said unto them—Go! and prosper, —before Yahweh, is your journey on which ye go.

7 Så drog de fem Mænd videre og kom til Lajisj; og de så, at Byen levede trygt på 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.

So the five men went their way, and entered Laish, —and saw the people who were therein, dwelling securely, after the manner of the Zidonians, quietly and securely, and there was no one to reproach them with anything in the land, none to possess himself of dominion, they being, far away, from the Zidonians, and having no dealings with any one.

8 Da de kom tilbage til deres Brødre i Zora og Esjtaol, spurgte disse dem: "Hvad har I at melde?"

So they came unto their brethren, in Zorah and Eshtaol, —and their brethren said unto them—Why are ye minded to do nothing?

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

And they said—Arise! and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and lo! it is very good, —are, ye, then, minded to do nothing? do not be too slothful to go, and enter, and take possession of the land.

10 Thi Gud bar givet det i eders Hånd et Sted, hvor der ikke er Mangel på nogen Verdens Ting! Når l kommer derhen, kommer I til et Folk, der lever i Tryghed, og det er et vidtstrakt Land!"

When ye do enter, ye will enter amongst a people secure, and, the land, is of ample bounds, —yea God hath delivered it into your hands, —a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.

11 Så brød 600 væbnede Mænd af Daniternes Slægt op fra Zora og Esjtaol,

So there brake up from thence, out of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war.

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.

And they went up and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah, —wherefore they have called that place, Mahaneh-dan—unto this day, lo! it is behind Kiriath-jearim.

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

And they passed on from thence unto the hill country of Ephraim, —and came as far as 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 udskåret og støbt Billede? Så indser I vel, hvad I har at gøre!"

Then responded the five men who had been to spy out the land of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Know ye that there are in these houses, an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image, —now, therefore, know what ye will do!

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

So they turned aside thither, and entered into the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, —and asked him of his welfare.

16 medens de 600 væbnede danitiske Mænd stod ved Porten.

Now, the six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war, were standing at the entrance of the gate, —they being of the sons of Dan.

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

Then went up the five men who had been to spy out the land, they came in thither, they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, —now, the priest, was standing at the entrance of the gate, with the six hundred men who were begirt with weapons of war.

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

But, when, these, had entered the house of Micah, and taken the graven image and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What are ye doing?

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

And they said unto him—Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and become to us a father and a priest, —is it better that thou be priest to the house of one man, or that thou be priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?

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

Then was the heart of the priest glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, —and came into the midst of the people.

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

So they turned, and went their way, —and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the goods, before them.

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

They, had gone a good way from the house of Micah, when, the men that were in the houses near to the house of Micah, were called out and overtook the sons of Dan.

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

And they called unto the sons of Dan, who turned their faces, —and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou hast called out thy neighbours?

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?"

And he said—My gods which I had made, ye have taken away, and the priest, and have departed, and what have I more? How then is it that ye can say unto me, What aileth thee?

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 både dit eget og dine Husfolks Liv på Spil!"

And the sons of Dan said unto him, Do not let thy voice be heard among us, —lest men embittered in soul fall upon you, and thou gather in thy life and the lives of thy household.

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

And the sons of Dan went on their journey, —and, when Micah saw that they were, too strong, for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

27 De tog så 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 på Byen,

They, therefore, took what Micah had made, and the priest that he had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword, —the city also, burned they with fire.

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

And there was no one to rescue, because it was, far, from Zidon, and they had no, dealings, with any one, it, being in the vale that pertaineth to Beth-rehob. Then built they the city, and dwelt therein,

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

and called the name of the city, Dan, by the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel, —howbeit, Laish, was the name of the city, at the first.

30 Derpå 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.

And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image, —and, Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons, became priests to the tribe of the Danites, until the day of the captivity of 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 the graven image of Micah, which he had made, —[and let it remain] all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh.