Judges 18

1 In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day [their lot] had not fallen to them for inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

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.

2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men of their whole number, men of valour, from Zoreah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to examine it; and they said to them, Go, examine the land. And they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

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.

3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned in thither, and said to him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this [place]? and what hast thou here?

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?«

4 And he said to them, Thus and thus has Micah done to me; and he has hired me, and I am his priest.

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

5 And they said to him, Inquire, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way on which we go shall be prosperous.

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

6 And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before Jehovah is your way on which ye go.

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

7 And the five men departed, and came to Laish; and they saw the people that were therein, dwelling securely, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and no one was in the land who possessed authority, that might put [them] to shame in anything; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had nothing to do with [any] man.

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.

8 — And they came to their brethren at Zoreah and Eshtaol. And their brethren said to them, What [say] ye?

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

9 And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good; and ye are still! Be not slothful to go, to enter to take possession of the land.

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!

10 When ye go in, ye shall come to a people secure, and the land is spacious in every direction; for God has given it into your hands; [it is] a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth.

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!«

11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zoreah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girded with weapons of war.

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

12 And they went up and encamped in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah; therefore they call that place Mahaneh-Dan to this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.

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.

13 And they passed thence to mount Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

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

14 Then the five men that had gone to spy out the country of Laish spoke and said to their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? And now ye know what to do.

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!«

15 And they turned thither, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, and inquired after his welfare.

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

16 And the six hundred men of the children of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, stood at the entrance of the gate.

medens de 600 væbnede danitiske Mænd stod ved Porten.

17 And the five men that had gone to spy out the land went up, entered in thither, [and] took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were girded with weapons of war.

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.

18 And these came into Micah's house, and took the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest said to them, What do ye?

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?«

19 And they said to him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be a priest for the house of one man, or to be priest for a tribe and a family in Israel?

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?«

20 Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

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

21 And they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the baggage before them.

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

22 They were already far from the house of Micah, when the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

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

23 And they cried to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

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?«

24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away; and what have I more? and what is this that ye say to me, What aileth thee?

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?«

25 And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest men of exasperated spirit run upon you, and thou lose thy life and the lives of thy household.

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!«

26 And the children of Dan went their way; and Micah saw that they were too strong for him, and he turned and went back to his house.

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.

27 And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest that he had had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire.

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,

28 And there was no deliverer, for it was far from Zidon, and they had nothing to do with [any] man; and it [lay] in the valley that is by Beth-rehob. And they built the city and dwelt therein.

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;

29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; howbeit Laish was the name of the city at the first.

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

30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image; and Jehonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses; he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

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.

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

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