اَلْقُضَاة 18

١ 1 وَفِي تِلْكَ ٱلْأَيَّامِ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَلِكٌ فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَفِي تِلْكَ ٱلْأَيَّامِ كَانَ سِبْطُ ٱلدَّانِيِّينَ يَطْلُبُ لَهُ مُلْكًا لِلسُّكْنَى لِأَنَّهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ لَمْ يَقَعْ لَهُ نَصِيبٌ فِي وَسَطِ أَسْبَاطِ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

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.

٢ 2 فَأَرْسَلَ بَنُو دَانَ مِنْ عَشِيرَتِهِمْ خَمْسَةَ رِجَالٍ مِنْهُمْ، رِجَالًا بَنِي بَأْسٍ مِنْ صُرْعَةَ وَمِنْ أَشْتَأُولَ لِتَجَسُّسِ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَفَحْصِهَا. وَقَالُوا لَهُمُ: «ٱذْهَبُوا ٱفْحَصُوا ٱلْأَرْضَ». فَجَاءُوا إِلَى جَبَلِ أَفْرَايِمَ إِلَى بَيْتِ مِيخَا وَبَاتُوا هُنَاكَ.

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.

٣ 3 وَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ عِنْدَ بَيْتِ مِيخَا عَرَفُوا صَوْتَ ٱلْغُلَامِ ٱللَّاوِيِّ، فَمَالُوا إِلَى هُنَاكَ وَقَالُوا لَهُ: «مَنْ جَاءَ بِكَ إِلَى هُنَا؟ وَمَاذَا أَنْتَ عَامِلٌ فِي هَذَا ٱلْمَكَانِ؟ وَمَا لَكَ هُنَا؟»

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?”

٤ 4 فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «كَذَا وَكَذَا عَمِلَ لِي مِيخَا، وَقَدِ ٱسْتَأْجَرَنِي فَصِرْتُ لَهُ كَاهِنًا».

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

٥ 5 فَقَالُوا لَهُ: «ٱسْأَلْ إِذَنْ مِنَ ٱللهِ لِنَعْلَمَ: هَلْ يَنْجَحُ طَرِيقُنَا ٱلَّذِي نَحْنُ سَائِرُونَ فِيهِ؟»

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

٦ 6 فَقَالَ لَهُمُ ٱلْكَاهِنُ: «ٱذْهَبُوا بِسَلَامٍ. أَمَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ طَرِيقُكُمُ ٱلَّذِي تَسِيرُونَ فِيهِ».

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

٧ 7 فَذَهَبَ ٱلْخَمْسَةُ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَجَاءُوا إِلَى لَايِشَ. وَرَأَوْا ٱلشَّعْبَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِيهَا سَاكِنِينَ بِطَمَأَنِينَةٍ كَعَادَةِ ٱلصِّيْدُونِيِّينَ مُسْتَرِيحِينَ مُطْمَئِنِّينَ، وَلَيْسَ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ مُؤْذٍ بِأَمْرٍ وَارِثٌ رِيَاسَةً. وَهُمْ بَعِيدُونَ عَنِ ٱلصِّيْدُونِيِّينَ وَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ أَمْرٌ مَعَ إِنْسَانٍ.

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.

٨ 8 وَجَاءُوا إِلَى إِخْوَتِهِمْ إِلَى صُرْعَةَ وَأَشْتَأُولَ. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ إِخْوَتُهُمْ: «مَا أَنْتُمْ؟»

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

٩ 9 فَقَالُوا: «قُومُوا نَصْعَدْ إِلَيْهِمْ، لِأَنَّنَا رَأَيْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ وَهُوَذَا هِيَ جَيِّدَةٌ جِدًّا وَأَنْتُمْ سَاكِتُونَ. لَا تَتَكَاسَلُوا عَنِ ٱلذَّهَابِ لِتَدْخُلُوا وَتَمْلِكُوا ٱلْأَرْضَ.

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? Do not be slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land.

١٠ 10 عِنْدَ مَجِيئِكُمْ تَأْتُونَ إِلَى شَعْبٍ مُطْمَئِنٍّ، وَٱلْأَرْضُ وَاسِعَةُ ٱلطَّرَفَيْنِ. إِنَّ ٱللهَ قَدْ دَفَعَهَا لِيَدِكُمْ. مَكَانٌ لَيْسَ فِيهِ عَوَزٌ لِشَيْءٍ مِمَّا فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ».

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.”

١١ 11 فَٱرْتَحَلَ مِنْ هُنَاكَ مِنْ عَشِيرَةِ ٱلدَّانِيِّينَ مِنْ صُرْعَةَ وَمِنْ أَشْتَأُولَ سِتُّ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ مُتَسَلِّحِينَ بِعُدَّةِ ٱلْحَرْبِ.

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

١٢ 12 وَصَعِدُوا وَحَلُّوا فِي قَرْيَةِ يَعَارِيمَ فِي يَهُوذَا. لِذَلِكَ دَعَوْا ذَلِكَ ٱلْمَكَانَ «مَحَلَّةَ دَانٍ» إِلَى هَذَا ٱلْيَوْمِ. هُوَذَا هِيَ وَرَاءَ قَرْيَةِ يَعَارِيمَ.

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.

١٣ 13 وَعَبَرُوا مِنْ هُنَاكَ إِلَى جَبَلِ أَفْرَايِمَ وَجَاءُوا إِلَى بَيْتِ مِيخَا.

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

١٤ 14 فَأَجَابَ ٱلْخَمْسَةُ ٱلرِّجَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ ذَهَبُوا لِتَجَسُّسِ أَرْضِ لَايِشَ وَقَالُوا لِإِخْوَتِهِمْ: «أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ فِي هَذِهِ ٱلْبُيُوتِ أَفُودًا وَتَرَافِيمَ وَتِمْثَالًا مَنْحُوتًا وَتِمْثَالًا مَسْبُوكًا. فَٱلْآنَ ٱعْلَمُوا مَا تَفْعَلُونَ».

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.”

١٥ 15 فَمَالُوا إِلَى هُنَاكَ وَجَاءُوا إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْغُلَامِ ٱللَّاوِيِّ، بَيْتِ مِيخَا، وَسَلَّمُوا عَلَيْهِ.

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.

١٦ 16 وَٱلسِّتُّ مِئَةِ ٱلرَّجُلِ ٱلْمُتَسَلِّحُونَ بِعُدَّتِهِمْ لِلْحَرْبِ وَاقِفُونَ عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ ٱلْبَابِ، هَؤُلَاءِ مِنْ بَنِي دَانٍ.

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

١٧ 17 فَصَعِدَ ٱلْخَمْسَةُ ٱلرِّجَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ ذَهَبُوا لِتَجَسُّسِ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَدَخَلُوا إِلَى هُنَاكَ، وَأَخَذُوا ٱلتِّمْثَالَ ٱلْمَنْحُوتَ وَٱلْأَفُودَ وَٱلتَّرَافِيمَ وَٱلتِّمْثَالَ ٱلْمَسْبُوكَ، وَٱلْكَاهِنُ وَاقِفٌ عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ ٱلْبَابِ مَعَ ٱلسِّتِّ مِئَةِ ٱلرَّجُلِ ٱلْمُتَسَلِّحِينَ بِعُدَّةِ ٱلْحَرْبِ.

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.

١٨ 18 وَهَؤُلَاءِ دَخَلُوا بَيْتَ مِيخَا وَأَخَذُوا ٱلتِّمْثَالَ ٱلْمَنْحُوتَ وَٱلْأَفُودَ وَٱلتَّرَافِيمَ وَٱلتِّمْثَالَ ٱلْمَسْبُوكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُمُ ٱلْكَاهِنُ: «مَاذَا تَفْعَلُونَ؟»

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?”

١٩ 19 فَقَالُوا لَهُ: «ٱخْرَسْ! ضَعْ يَدَكَ عَلَى فَمِكَ وَٱذْهَبْ مَعَنَا وَكُنْ لَنَا أَبًا وَكَاهِنًا. أَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ كَاهِنًا لِبَيْتِ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ، أَمْ أَنْ تَكُونَ كَاهِنًا لِسِبْطٍ وَلِعَشِيرَةٍ فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ؟»

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?”

٢٠ 20 فَطَابَ قَلْبُ ٱلْكَاهِنِ، وَأَخَذَ ٱلْأَفُودَ وَٱلتَّرَافِيمَ وَٱلتِّمْثَالَ ٱلْمَنْحُوتَ وَدَخَلَ فِي وَسَطِ ٱلشَّعْبِ.

The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.

٢١ 21 ثُمَّ ٱنْصَرَفُوا وَذَهَبُوا وَوَضَعُوا ٱلْأَطْفَالَ وَٱلْمَاشِيَةَ وَٱلثَّقَلَ قُدَّامَهُمْ.

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

٢٢ 22 وَلَمَّا ٱبْتَعَدُوا عَنْ بَيْتِ مِيخَا ٱجْتَمَعَ ٱلرِّجَالُ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي ٱلْبُيُوتِ ٱلَّتِي عِنْدَ بَيْتِ مِيخَا وَأَدْرَكُوا بَنِي دَانٍ،

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.

٢٣ 23 وَصَاحُوا إِلَى بَنِي دَانٍ فَٱلْتَفَتُوا، وَقَالُوا لِمِيخَا: «مَا لَكَ صَرَخْتَ؟»

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?”

٢٤ 24 فَقَالَ: «آلِهَتِي ٱلَّتِي عَمِلْتُ قَدْ أَخَذْتُمُوهَا مَعَ ٱلْكَاهِنِ وَذَهَبْتُمْ، فَمَاذَا لِي بَعْدُ؟ وَمَا هَذَا تَقُولُونَ لِي: مَالَكَ؟»

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?’”

٢٥ 25 فَقَالَ لَهُ بَنُو دَانٍ: «لَا تُسَمِّعْ صَوْتَكَ بَيْنَنَا لِئَلَّا يَقَعَ بِكُمْ رِجَالٌ أَنْفُسُهُمْ مُرَّةٌ، فَتَنْزِعَ نَفْسَكَ وَأَنْفُسَ بَيْتِكَ».

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

٢٦ 26 وَسَارَ بَنُو دَانٍ فِي طَرِيقِهِمْ. وَلَمَّا رَأَى مِيخَا أَنَّهُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ ٱنْصَرَفَ وَرَجَعَ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ.

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.

٢٧ 27 وَأَمَّا هُمْ فَأَخَذُوا مَا صَنَعَ مِيخَا، وَٱلْكَاهِنَ ٱلَّذِي كَانَ لَهُ، وَجَاءُوا إِلَى لَايِشَ إِلَى شَعْبٍ مُسْتَرِيحٍ مُطْمَئِنٍّ، وَضَرَبُوهُمْ بِحَدِّ ٱلسَّيْفِ وَأَحْرَقُوا ٱلْمَدِينَةَ بِٱلنَّارِ.

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.

٢٨ 28 وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مَنْ يُنْقِذُ لِأَنَّهَا بَعِيدَةٌ عَنْ صِيْدُونَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ أَمْرٌ مَعَ إِنْسَانٍ، وَهِيَ فِي ٱلْوَادِي ٱلَّذِي لِبَيْتِ رَحُوبَ. فَبَنَوْا ٱلْمَدِينَةَ وَسَكَنُوا بِهَا.

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.

٢٩ 29 وَدَعَوْا ٱسْمَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ «دَانَ» بِٱسْمِ دَانٍ أَبِيهِمِ ٱلَّذِي وُلِدَ لِإِسْرَائِيلَ. وَلَكِنَّ ٱسْمَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ أَوَّلًا «لَايِشُ».

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.

٣٠ 30 وَأَقَامَ بَنُو دَانٍ لِأَنْفُسِهِمِ ٱلتِّمْثَالَ ٱلْمَنْحُوتَ. وَكَانَ يَهُونَاثَانُ ٱبْنُ جَرْشُومَ بْنِ مَنَسَّى هُوَ وَبَنُوهُ كَهَنَةً لِسِبْطِ ٱلدَّانِيِّينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ سَبْيِ ٱلْأَرْضِ.

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.

٣١ 31 وَوَضَعُوا لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ تِمْثَالَ مِيخَا ٱلْمَنْحُوتَ ٱلَّذِي عَمِلَهُ، كُلَّ ٱلْأَيَّامِ ٱلَّتِي كَانَ فِيهَا بَيْتُ ٱللهِ فِي شِيلُوهَ.

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.