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. In those days the tribe of the Danites sought 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 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.

The children of Dan sent five men of their family from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land!” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to 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?"

When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; so they went over there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What do you do in this place? What do you have 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 thus 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 få 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 våger over eders Færd!"

The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Your way in which you go is before the LORD.”

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.

Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in safety, in the way of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one in the land possessing authority, that might put them to shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with anyone else.

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

They came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers asked them, “What do you say?”

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!

They said, “Arise, and let’s go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. Do you stand still? Don’t be slothful to go and to enter in to possess 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 you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, 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,

The family of the Danites set out from Zorah and Eshtaol with six hundred men armed 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.

They went up and encamped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. Behold, it is behind Kiriath Jearim.

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

They passed from 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 udskåret og støbt Billede? Så 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 a carved 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 på ham,

They went over there and came to the house of the young Levite man, even to the house of Micah, and asked him how he was doing.

16 medens de 600 væbnede danitiske Mænd stod ved Porten.

The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children 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 udskårne 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, the ephod, 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 udskårne og støbte Billede, Efoden og Husguden. Præsten sagde til dem: "Hvad er det, I gør?"

When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you 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?"

They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. 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, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with 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 departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, 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.

When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children 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?"

As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails 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, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails 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 både dit eget og dine Husfolks Liv på Spil!"

The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your 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.

The children 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 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 took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; then they burned the city 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;

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

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 father, who was born to Israel; however the name of the city used to be Laish.

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.

The children 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 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 Micah’s engraved image which he made, and it remained all the time that God’s house was in Shiloh.