Dommer 18

1 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.

In those days, there was no king in Israel. And the tribe of Dan sought a possession for themselves, so that they might live in it. For even to that day, they had not received their lot among the other tribes.

2 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.

Therefore, the sons of Dan sent five very strong men, of their stock and family, from Zorah and Eshtaol, so that they might explore the land and diligently inspect it. And they said to them, “Go, and consider the land.” And after traveling, they arrived at mount Ephraim, and they entered into the house of Micah. There they rested.

3 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?«

And they recognized the speech of the youth who was a Levite. And while making use of an inn with him, they said to him: “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? For what reason did you want to come here?”

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

And he answered them, “Micah has offered me one thing and another, and he has paid me wages, so that I may be his priest.”

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

Then they begged him to consult the Lord, so that they might be able to know whether the journey they undertook would be prosperous, and whether the matter would have success.

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

And he responded to them, “Go in peace. The Lord looks with favor on your path, and on the journey that you have undertaken.”

7 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.

And so the five men, going on, arrived at Laish. And they saw the people, living in it without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and peaceful, having hardly anyone to oppose them, and with great wealth, and living separately, far from Sidon and from all men.

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

And they returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, who questioned them as to what they had done. And they responded:

9 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!

“Rise up. Let us ascend to them. For we have seen that the land is very wealthy and fruitful. Do not delay; do not refrain. Let us go out and possess it. There will be no difficulty.

10 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!«

We shall enter to those who dwell securely, in a very wide region, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, a place in which there is no lack of anything that grows upon the earth.”

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

And so, those of the kindred of Dan set out, that is, six hundred men from Zorah and Eshtaol, girded with the weapons of warfare.

12 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.

And going up, they stayed at Kiriath-jearim of Judah. And so the place, from that time, received the name the Camp of Dan, and it is behind the back of Kiriath-jearim.

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

From there, they crossed over to mount Ephraim. And when they had arrived at the house of Micah,

14 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!«

the five men, who before had been sent to consider the land of Laish, said to the rest of their brothers: “You know that in these houses there is an ephod and theraphim, and a molten idol and a graven image. Consider what it may please you to do.”

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

And when they had turned aside a little, they entered the house of the Levite youth, who was in the house of Micah. And they greeted him with peaceful words.

16 medens de 600 væbnede danitiske Mænd stod ved Porten.

Now the six hundred men, who were all armed, were standing before the door.

17 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.

But those who had entered the house of the youth strove to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. But the priest was standing in front of the door, with the six hundred very strong men waiting not far away.

18 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?«

And so, those who had entered took away the graven image, the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. And the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

19 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?«

And they responded to him: “Be silent and place your finger over your mouth. And come with us, so that we may have you as a father as well as a priest. For which is better for you: to be a priest in the house of one man, or in one tribe and family in Israel?”

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

And when he had heard this, he agreed to their words. And he took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven image, and he set out with them.

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

And while traveling, they had also sent the children, and the cattle, and all that was valuable to go ahead of them.

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

And when they were far from the house of Micah, the men who were living in the houses of Micah, crying out together, followed them.

23 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?«

And they began to shout behind their backs. And when they had looked back, they said to Micah: “What do you want? Why are you crying out?”

24 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?«

And he responded: “You have taken away my gods, which I made for myself, and the priest, and all that I have. And do you say, ‘What is it that you want?’”

25 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!«

And the sons of Dan said to him, “Take care that you no longer speak to us, otherwise men with a mind for violence may overwhelm you, and you yourself would perish with all your house.”

26 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.

And so, they continued on the journey that they had begun. But Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he was, returned to his house.

27 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,

Now the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we stated above, and they went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and they struck them down with the edge of the sword. And they burned the city with fire.

28 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;

For no one at all sent reinforcements, because they lived far away from Sidon, and they had no association or business with any man. Now the city was situated in the region of Rehob. And building it up again, they lived in it,

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

calling the name of the city Dan, according to the name of their father, who had been born of Israel, though before it was called Laish.

30 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.

And they established for themselves the graven image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, with his sons, were priests in the tribe of Dan, even until the day of their captivity.

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

And the idol of Micah remained with them during the entire time that the house of God was in Shiloh. In those days, there was no king in Israel.