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 tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day all their inheritance had not fallen 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.

And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their land, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

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 by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in there, and said to him, Who brought thee here? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

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

And he said to them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.

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

And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

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

And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way in which ye go.

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 departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were in it, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.

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

And they came to their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said to them, What say ye?

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, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.

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 ye go, ye shall come to a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is on the earth.

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

And there went from there of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons 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 encamped in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: therefore they called that place Mahanehdan to this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.

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

And they passed from there to mount 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 answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said to their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.

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

And they turned aside there, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Micah, and greeted him.

16 medens de 600 væbnede danitiske Mænd stod ved Porten.

And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

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.

And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.

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 these went into Micah’s house, and brought the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest to them, What do ye?

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, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest to the house of one man, or that thou shouldest be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?

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

And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

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

So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the possessions before 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.

And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah’s house were gathered 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?"

And they cried to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

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, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye have gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say to me, What aileth thee?

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, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows rush upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

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.

And the children of Dan departed: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and 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 the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came to Laish, to a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

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 there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt in it.

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

And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel: but the name of the city was Laish at the 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 set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

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 set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.