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 in those days the tribe of the Danites was looking for an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them 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。
The people of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, "Go, explore the land." They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and stayed there.
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﹖」
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned in that direction, and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? And what is your business here?"
4 他回答說：「米加待我如此如此! 他聘了我作他的司祭。」
He said to them, "Thus and so has Micah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I have become 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﹖」
They said to him, "Please ask counsel of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous."
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。」
The priest said to them, "Go in peace. YHWH will watch over you on 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。
Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people who were there, and how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one in the land possessing authority that might trouble them in anyway, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with Aram.
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﹖」
They came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, "What do you say?"
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 said, "Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have entered and journeyed in the land as far as Laish, and we saw the people how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, and they were far from the Sidonians, and they had no dealings with Aram. But arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and look, it is very good. Will you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go and to enter in to possess 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 go, you shall come to a secure people, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth."
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，
Then the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war, set forth from there.
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 in Kiriath Jearim, in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh Dan to this day; look, it is behind Kiriath Jearim.
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
They passed there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
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 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 an engraved image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have to 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。
They turned aside there, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.
16 同時那六百丹人帶著兵器站在門口，
The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the people of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.
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。
The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, and the ephod, and 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 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﹖」
And these went into Micah's house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And 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﹖」
They said to him, "Hold your peace, lay your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. 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 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。
The priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the engraved image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.
21 他們遂轉身回去，把婦孺、牲口以及輜重放在前方。
So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the goods before them.
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。
They were some distance from the house of Micah, and look, Micah and the men who were in the houses near Micah's house gathered together and overtook the people of Dan.
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﹖」
They cried to the people of Dan. They turned their faces, and said to Micah, "What's wrong with you, that you come with 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 said, "You have taken away my gods which I made for myself, and the priest, and have gone away, and what more do I have? How then do you say to me, 'What's wrong 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 people of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, or angry men will attack you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household."
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
The people 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 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，
They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.
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 deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. They built 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 called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel. However the name of the city was originally 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 people 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 exile from 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 engraved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
