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 in those days the Danites were looking for a heritage for themselves, to be their living-place; for up to that time no distribution of land had been made to them among the tribes of Israel.

2 Daniterne udtog da af deres Slægt fem stærke Mænd fra Zora 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.

So the children of Dan sent five men from among their number, strong men, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to take a look at the land and make a search through it; and they said to them, Go and make a search through the land; and they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, where they made a stop for the night.

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 på dette Sted, og hvorfor er du her?"

When they were near the house of Micah, hearing a voice which was not strange to them, that of the young Levite, they went out of their road to his place, and said to him, How did you come here? and what are you doing in this place? and why are you here?

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

And he said to them, This is what Micah did for me, and he gave me payment and I became his priest.

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

Then they said, Do get directions from God for us, to see if the journey on which we are going will have a good outcome.

6 Præsten sagde da til dem: "Far med Fred, HERREN våger over eders Færd!"

And the priest said to them, Go in peace: your way is guided by the Lord.

7 Så drog de fem Mænd videre og kom til Lajisj; og de så, at Byen levede trygt på 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.

Then the five men went on their way and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, living without thought of danger, like the Zidonians, quiet and safe; for they had everything on earth for their needs, and they were far from the Zidonians and had no business with Aram.

8 Da de kom tilbage til deres Brødre i Zora og Esjtaol, spurgte disse dem: "Hvad har I at melde?"

So they came back to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, What news have you?

9 De svarede: "Kom, lad os drage op til Lajisj, thi vi har set Landet, og se, det er såre godt! Hvorfor holder I eder uvirksomme? Nøl ikke med at drage hen og underlægge eder Landet!

And they said, Up! and let us go against Laish; for we have seen the land, and it is very good: why are you doing nothing? Do not be slow to go in and take the land for your heritage.

10 Thi Gud bar givet det i eders Hånd et Sted, hvor der ikke er Mangel på nogen Verdens Ting! Når l kommer derhen, kommer I til et Folk, der lever i Tryghed, og det er et vidtstrakt Land!"

When you come there you will come to a people living without thought of danger; and the land is wide, and God has given it into your hands: a place where there is everything on earth for man's needs.

11 Så brød 600 væbnede Mænd af Daniternes Slægt op fra Zora og Esjtaol,

So six hundred men of the Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol went out armed with instruments of war.

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 they went up and put up their tents in Kiriath-jearim in Judah: so that place is named Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is to the west of Kiriath-jearim.

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

From there they went on to the hill-country of Ephraim and came to 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 udskåret og støbt Billede? Så indser I vel, hvad I har at gøre!"

Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the country of Laish, said to their brothers, Have you knowledge that in these houses there is an ephod and family gods and a pictured image and a metal image? So now you see what to do.

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

And turning from their road they came to the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and said to him, Is it well with you?

16 medens de 600 væbnede danitiske Mænd stod ved Porten.

And the six hundred armed men of the Danites took their places by the doorway.

17 Og de fem Mænd, der havde været henne at udspejde Landet, gik op og tog det udskårne og støbte Billede, Efoden og Husguden, medens Præsten og de 600 væbnede Mænd stod ved Porten.

Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the land, went in and took the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image; and the priest was by the doorway with the six hundred armed men.

18 Hine gik ind i Mikas Hus og tog det udskårne og støbte Billede, Efoden og Husguden. Præsten sagde til dem: "Hvad er det, I gør?"

And when they went into Micah's house and took out the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?

19 Og de svarede ham: "Stille, læg Fingeren på Munden og følg med os og bliv vor Fader og Præst! Hvad båder dig vel bedst, at være Præst for een Mands Hus eller for en Stamme og Slægt i Israel?"

And they said to him, Be quiet; say nothing, and come with us and be our father and priest; is it better for you to be priest to one man's house or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?

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

Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the family gods and the pictured image and went with the people.

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

So they went on their way again, putting the little ones and the oxen and the goods in front of them.

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

When they had gone some way from the house of Micah, the men from the houses near Micah's house came together and overtook the children of Dan,

23 Da de råbte efter Daniterne, vendte disse sig om og sagde til Mika: "Hvad er der i Vejen, siden du har kaldt Folk til Hjælp?"

Crying out to them. And the Danites, turning round, said to Micah, What is your trouble, that you have taken up arms?

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 said, You have taken my gods which I made, and my priest, and have gone away; what is there for me now? Why then do you say to me, What is your trouble?

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 både dit eget og dine Husfolks Liv på Spil!"

And the children of Dan said to him, Say no more, or men of bitter spirit may make an attack on you, causing loss of your life and the lives of your people.

26 Dermed drog Daniterne deres Vej, og da Mika så, at de var ham for stærke, vendte han om og begav sig tilbage til sit Hus.

Then the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were stronger than he, he went back to his house.

27 De tog så 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 på Byen,

And they took that which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people living quietly and without thought of danger, and they put them to the sword without mercy, burning down their town.

28 uden at nogen kunde komme den til Hjælp, thi den lå langt fra Zidon, og de havde intet med Aramæerne at gøre. Den ligger i Bet Rehobs Dal. Så byggede de Byen op igen og bosatte sig der;

And they had no saviour, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with Aram; and it was in the valley which is the property of Beth-rehob. And building up the town again they took it for their living-place.

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

And they gave the town the name of Dan, after Dan their father, who was the son of Israel: though the town had been named Laish at first.

30 Derpå 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 the children of Dan put up the pictured image for themselves; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites till the day when the ark was taken prisoner.)

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 they put up for themselves the image which Micah had made, and it was there all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.