士師記 18
1 那時在以色列沒有君王，同時丹支派仍在尋找居住的基地，因為直到那一天在以色列支派中，丹支派尚未得到基地。
In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
2 於是丹子孫從祚辣和厄市陶耳，由全家族中，派了五個勇敢的人去窺探偵察那地方，對他們說：「你們去偵察那地方! 」他們到了厄弗辣因山地，來到米加的住宅，就在那裏過夜。
So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
3 他們在米加家附近，認出那少年肋末的聲音，就過去向他說：「誰領你來這裏﹖你在這裏作甚麼﹖你在這裏有甚麼職務﹖」
And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4 他回答說：「米加待我如此如此! 他聘了我作他的司祭。」
“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
5 他們對他說：「你求問天主，使我們知道，我們將走的路順利嗎﹖」
Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
6 司祭回答他們說：「你們平安去罷! 上主必使你們所走的路順遂。」
And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
7 於是那五個人就去了，來到拉依士，在那裏看見城中的人民安居樂業，一如漆冬人一樣，平安無慮，地產豐富，一無所缺；並且他們離漆冬又遠，與阿蘭也沒有往來。
So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.
8 當他們回到祚辣和厄市陶耳自己弟兄那裏時，弟兄們問他們說：「你們帶來什麼消息﹖」
When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
9 他們回答說：「起來，讓我們上到拉依士去，因為我們已察看過，那地真肥美，你們還等什麼﹖不要再遲延，趕快去佔領!
They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!
10 到那裏去，是到一個不設防的人民那裏去，地面寬廣遼闊；天主已把那地交在你們手中；那地方物產豐富，一無所缺。」
When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”
11 於是有六百丹支派的人，帶著武器，從酢辣和厄市陶耳出發，
So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
12 經過山路，在猶大克黎雅特耶阿陵安營；因此，那地方直到今日叫作「丹營；」這地是在克黎雅特耶阿陵西面。
They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.
13 他們又從那裏經過厄弗辣因山地，來到米加的住處。丹人搶去米加的神像
And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
14 當時先去窺探那地的五個人，告訴弟兄們說：「你們知不知道，在此家內有「厄弗得、」「忒辣芬」和一尊神像﹖現在你們要決定當作什麼。」
Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”
15 於是他們轉入米加的住宅，來到少年肋末人的屋裏，向他請安問好。
So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16 同時那六百丹人帶著兵器站在門口，
The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.
17 先去探地的那五個人就上去，進到裏面，要拿那尊神像並「厄弗得」和「忑辣芬，」此時司祭和那六百個帶武器的人站在門口。
And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18 當那些人進入米加家裏，拿那尊神像、「厄弗得」和「忑辣芬」時，司祭問他們說：「你們做什麼﹖」
When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 他們回答說：「不要作聲，用手掩住你的口，跟我們去，作我們的師傅和司祭；你作一個人家的司祭好呢﹖還是在以色列中間作一個支派，一個家族的司祭好呢﹖」
“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”
20 司祭滿懷高興，遂帶了「厄弗得、」「忑辣芬」和神像，到了那些人中間。
So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.
21 他們遂轉身回去，把婦孺、牲口以及輜重放在前方。
Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
22 當他們離開米加的住宅相當遠的時候，米加和米加家附近的人，都聚集起來，去追趕丹的子孫。
After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.
23 他們向丹的子孫呼喊，丹的子孫回過臉來對米加說：「你叫喊什麼﹖」
When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”
24 米加回答說：「你們把我所製的神像和司祭都帶走，我還有什麼呢﹖」怎麼你們還向我說：你作什麼﹖」
He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”
25 丹的子孫對他說：「不要再讓我們聽見你的聲音，免得我們中間有暴燥的人打擊你們，使你和你全家都喪失性命! 」
The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
26 此後，丹的子孫繼續前行，米加見他們比自己強大，就轉身回了家。丹族佔據拉依士
So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.
27 丹的子孫帶著米加所做的神像和他私有的司祭，來到拉依士，到了一個平安無慮的人民那裏，用刀劍殺戮了他們，放火燒了那城，
After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.
28 沒有人來援救，因為拉依士離漆冬很遠，與阿蘭又沒有往來。這城位於貝特勒曷布山谷中；丹的子孫重建這城，住在那裏，
There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
29 按他們的祖宗，以色列所生的兒子丹的名字，給這城起名叫丹；其實這城原先名叫拉依士。
They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
30 丹的子孫把那尊神像立起來，梅瑟的後裔，革爾雄的子孫約納堂和他的子孫作丹支派的司祭，直到該地被擄掠的時日。
The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 天主的殿在史羅多少時日，米加所作的神像在丹支派中也立了多少時日。
So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
