Dommer 18

1 I de samme Dage var ingen Konge i Israel, og i de samme Dage søgte Daniternes Stamme sig en Lod, hvor de kunde bo; thi der var indtil den Dag ikke tilfaldet dem nogen Arv iblandt Israels Stammer.

In those days, there was no king in Israel, —and, in those days, the tribe of the Danites was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in for there had not fallen to them, unto that day, in the midst of the tribes of Israel, enough for an inheritance.

2 Og Dans Børn udsendte af deres Slægt fem Mænd af deres hele Tal, stridbare Mænd fra Zora og fra Esthaol for at bespejde Landet og at udforske det, og de sagde til dem: Gaar hen, udforsker Landet; og de kom paa Efraims Bjerg, til Mikas Hus, og bleve der om Natten.

So then the sons of Dan sent, out of their family, five men out of their bounds—men who were sons of valour—out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol—to spy out the land, and to explore it, and they said unto them, Go! explore the land. And they came into the hill country of Ephraim, as far as the house of Micah, and lodged there.

3 Disse vare ved Mikas Hus, og disse kendte den unge Karls, Levitens Bøst, og de toge derind og sagde til ham: Hvo har ført dig herhid? og hvad gør du paa dette Sted? og hvad har du her?

They, being by the house of Micah, knew the voice of the young man, the Levite, —so they turned aside there, and said to him—Who brought thee in hither? and what art thou doing in this place, and what hast thou here?

4 Og han sagde til dem: Paa den og den Maade har Mika gjort imod mig, og han har lejet mig, og jeg er bleven hans Præst.

And he said unto them, Thus and so, hath Micah dealt with me, and hath hired me, and I am become his priest.

5 Og de sagde til ham: Kære, spørg Gud ad, at vi maa vide, om vor Vej, som vi vandre paa, skal blive lykkelig.

So they said unto him—Ask of God, we pray thee, —that we may know whether the journey on which we are going shall have good success.

6 Og Præsten sagde til dem: Gaar med Fred! eders Vej, som I vandre paa, er for Herren.

And the priest said unto them—Go! and prosper, —before Yahweh, is your journey on which ye go.

7 Da gik de fem Mænd og kom til Lais; og de saa, at det Folk, som der var, boede tryggeligen, efter Zidoniernes Vis, roligt og trygt; og der var ingen, som lastede nogen Ting i Landet, eller som havde arvelig Magt; og de vare langt fra Zidonierne og havde intet at gøre med noget Menneske.

So the five men went their way, and entered Laish, —and saw the people who were therein, dwelling securely, after the manner of the Zidonians, quietly and securely, and there was no one to reproach them with anything in the land, none to possess himself of dominion, they being, far away, from the Zidonians, and having no dealings with any one.

8 Og de kom til deres Brødre i Zora og Esthaol, og deres Brødre sagde til dem: Hvad sige I?

So they came unto their brethren, in Zorah and Eshtaol, —and their brethren said unto them—Why are ye minded to do nothing?

9 Og de sagde: Staar op og lader os drage op imod dem; thi vi have set Landet; og se, det er saare godt; og I tie? værer ikke lade til at gaa hen til at komme til at tage Landet til Eje.

And they said—Arise! and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and lo! it is very good, —are, ye, then, minded to do nothing? do not be too slothful to go, and enter, and take possession of the land.

10 Naar I komme, da skulle I komme til et trygt Folk, og Landet er vidt og bredt; thi Gud har givet det i eders Haand, et Sted, hvor der ikke er Mangel paa nogen Verdens Ting.

When ye do enter, ye will enter amongst a people secure, and, the land, is of ample bounds, —yea God hath delivered it into your hands, —a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.

11 Da rejste derfra af Daniternes Slægt, fra Zora og Esthaol, seks Hundrede Mænd omgjordede med Krigsvaaben.

So there brake up from thence, out of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war.

12 Og de droge op og lejrede sig i Kirjath-Jearim i Juda; derfor kaldte de det samme Sted Dans Lejr indtil denne Dag, se, den er bag Kirjath-Jearim.

And they went up and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah, —wherefore they have called that place, Mahaneh-dan—unto this day, lo! it is behind Kiriath-jearim.

13 Og de gik derfra over paa Efraims Bjerg, og de kom til Mikas Hus.

And they passed on from thence unto the hill country of Ephraim, —and came as far as the house of Micah.

14 Da talte de fem Mænd, som vare gangne til at bespejde Landet Lais, og sagde til deres Brødre: Vide I, at i disse Huse er en Livkjortel og Husguder og et udskaaret og støbt Billede? derfor skønner nu, hvad I skulle gøre.

Then responded the five men who had been to spy out the land of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Know ye that there are in these houses, an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image, —now, therefore, know what ye will do!

15 Og de toge derind og kom til den unge Karls, Levitens Hus, i Mikas Hus, og de hilsede ham.

So they turned aside thither, and entered into the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, —and asked him of his welfare.

16 Men de seks Hundrede Mænd, som vare omgjordede med deres Krigsvaaben, og som vare af Dans Børn, stode for Indgangen til Porten.

Now, the six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war, were standing at the entrance of the gate, —they being of the sons of Dan.

17 Og de fem Mænd, som vare udgangne til at bespejde Landet, gik op, de kom derhen, de toge det udskaarne Billede og Livkjortlen og Husguderne og det støbte Billede; og Præsten stod for Indgangen til Porten og de seks Hundrede Mænd, som vare omgjordede med Krigsvaaben.

Then went up the five men who had been to spy out the land, they came in thither, they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, —now, the priest, was standing at the entrance of the gate, with the six hundred men who were begirt with weapons of war.

18 Og der disse vare komne i Mikas Hus og havde taget det udskaarne Billede, Livkjortlen og Husguderne og det støbte Billede, da sagde Præsten til dem: Hvad gøre I?

But, when, these, had entered the house of Micah, and taken the graven image and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What are ye doing?

19 Og de svarede ham: Ti, læg din Haand paa din Mund og gak med os, og vær vor Fader og Præst; er det bedre, at du er Præst for een Mands Hus, eller at du er Præst for en Stamme og for en Slægt i Israel?

And they said unto him—Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and become to us a father and a priest, —is it better that thou be priest to the house of one man, or that thou be priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?

20 Og Præstens Hjerte blev vel til Mode, og han tog Livkjortlen og Husguderne og det udskaarne Billede, og han kom midt iblandt Folket.

Then was the heart of the priest glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, —and came into the midst of the people.

21 Og de vendte sig og gik bort; og de satte de smaa Børn og Kvæget, og hvad de havde at føre, foran.

So they turned, and went their way, —and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the goods, before them.

22 Der de vare langt fra Mikas Hus, da bleve de Mænd, som vare i Husene ved Mikas Hus, sammenkaldte, og de indhentede Dans Børn.

They, had gone a good way from the house of Micah, when, the men that were in the houses near to the house of Micah, were called out and overtook the sons of Dan.

23 Og de raabte til Dans Børn, og de vendte sig om, og de sagde til Mika: Hvad fattes dig, at du og de andre ere sammenkaldte?

And they called unto the sons of Dan, who turned their faces, —and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou hast called out thy neighbours?

24 Og han sagde: I have taget mine Guder, som jeg havde gjort, og Præsten, og I gaa bort; og hvad har jeg ydermere? hvi sige I da til mig: Hvad fattes dig?

And he said—My gods which I had made, ye have taken away, and the priest, and have departed, and what have I more? How then is it that ye can say unto me, What aileth thee?

25 Da sagde Dans Børn til ham: Lad din Røst ikke høres hos os, at de Mænd, som ere bitre i Sindet, ikke skulle anfalde eder, og du forspilde dit Liv og dit Folks Liv.

And the sons of Dan said unto him, Do not let thy voice be heard among us, —lest men embittered in soul fall upon you, and thou gather in thy life and the lives of thy household.

26 Saa gik Dans Børn deres Vej; og Mika saa, at de vare stærkere end han, og han vendte sig og kom tilbage til sit Hus.

And the sons of Dan went on their journey, —and, when Micah saw that they were, too strong, for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

27 Men de toge det, som Mika havde gjort, og Præsten, som han havde haft, og kom over Lais, over et roligt og trygt Folk, og sloge dem med skarpe Sværd; og de opbrændte Staden med Ild.

They, therefore, took what Micah had made, and the priest that he had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword, —the city also, burned they with fire.

28 Og der var ingen, som friede den, thi den var langt fra Zidon, og de havde intet at gøre med noget Menneske; og den laa i Dalen, som er ved Beth-Rekob; saa byggede de Staden og boede derudi.

And there was no one to rescue, because it was, far, from Zidon, and they had no, dealings, with any one, it, being in the vale that pertaineth to Beth-rehob. Then built they the city, and dwelt therein,

29 Og de kaldte Stadens Navn Dan, efter deres Fader Dans Navn, denne var en Søn af Israel; dog fra Begyndelsen var Stadens Navn Lais.

and called the name of the city, Dan, by the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel, —howbeit, Laish, was the name of the city, at the first.

30 Og Dans Børn oprejste sig det udskaarne Billede; og Jonathan, en Søn af Gerson, Manasse Søn, var med sine Børn Præster for Daniternes Stamme, indtil den Dag, de flyttedes ud af Landet.

And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image, —and, Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons, became priests to the tribe of the Danites, until the day of the captivity of the land.

31 Saa satte de iblandt sig Mikas udskaarne Billede, som han havde gjort, alle de Dage, Guds Hus var i Silo.

So they set up for themselves the graven image of Micah, which he had made, —[and let it remain] all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh.