Judges 18

1 In those days [there was] no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day [all their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

١ وَفِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ عِنْدَمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ مَلِكٌ، شَرَعَ أَبْنَاءُ سِبْطِ دَانٍ يَبْحَثُونَ عَنْ مَكَانٍ يَسْتَوْطِنُونَ فِيهِ، لأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَكُونُوا قَدْ وَرِثُوا نَصِيبَهُمْ مِنَ الأَرْضِ بَعْدُ وَسَطَ أَسْبَاطِ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

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

٢ فَأَرْسَلَ الدَّانِيُّونَ خَمْسَةَ رِجَالٍ مِنْ سِبْطِهِمْ مِنْ ذَوِي الْبَأْسِ فِي مَدِينَتَيْ صُرْعَةَ وَأَشْتَأُولَ، لِتَجَسُّسِ الأَرْضِ وَاسْتِكْشَافِهَا، وَقَالُوا لَهُمْ: «انْطَلِقُوا وَاسْتَطْلِعُوا لَنَا الأَرْضَ» فَجَاءُوا إِلَى جَبَلِ أَفْرَايِمَ إِلَى بَيْتِ مِيخَا وَقَضَوْا لَيْلَتَهُمْ هُنَاكَ.

3 When they [were] by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this [place]? and what hast thou here?

٣ وَعَرَفُوا مِنْ لَهْجَةِ كَاهِنِ مِيخَا أَنَّهُ مِنْ سِبْطِ لاوِي، فَانْتَحَوْا بِهِ جَانِباً وَسَأَلُوهُ: «مَنْ جَاءَ بِكَ إِلَى هُنَا، وَمَاذَا تَفْعَلُ فِي هَذَا الْمَكَانِ؟ وَلِمَاذَا أَنْتَ هُنَا؟»

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

٤ فَأَجَابَهُمْ: «كَذَا وَكَذَا صَنَعَ لِي مِيخَا، وَقَدِ اسْتَأْجَرَنِي فَأَصْبَحْتُ لَهُ كَاهِناً».

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

٥ فَقَالُوا لَهُ: «اسْأَلْ إِذَنِ اللهَ لِنَعْلَمَ إِنْ كَانَتْ مُهِمَّتُنَا سَتُكَلَّلُ بِالنَّجَاحِ أَمْ لا».

6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD [is] your way wherein ye go.

٦ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ الْكَاهِنُ: «اذْهَبُوا بِسَلامٍ فَطَرِيقُكُمُ الَّتِي تَسْلُكُونَهَا تَنْعَمُ بِرِعَايَةِ الرَّبِّ».

7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that [were] therein, 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.

٧ فَمَضَى الرِّجَالُ الْخَمْسَةُ حَتَّى وَصَلُوا إِلَى لايِشَ، فَوَجَدُوا أَهْلَهَا الْصَّيْدُونِيِّينَ مُقِيمِينَ فِيهَا مُطْمَئِنِّينَ كَعَادَةِ الصَّيْدُونِيِّينَ، آمِنِينَ، لَا يُؤْذِيهِمْ أَحَدٌ فِي أَرْضِهِمْ، أَثْرِيَاءَ وَيَتَمَتَّعُونَ بِالاكْتِفَاءِ الذَّاتِيِّ، وَكَانُوا بَعِيدِينَ عَنِ الصَّيْدُونِيِّينَ، وَلَمْ يَعْقِدُوا أَحْلافاً مَعَ أَحَدٍ.

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

٨ فَعَادَ الرِّجَالُ الْخَمْسَةُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ فِي صُرْعَةَ وَأَشْتَأُولَ، فَسَأَلُوهُمْ: «مَاذَا وَجَدْتُمْ؟»

9 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.

٩ فَأَجَابُوهُمْ: «هَيَّا بِنَا نَهْجُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ لايِشَ فَأَرْضُهُمْ خَصِيبَةٌ، فَمَا بَالُكُمْ مُتَقَاعِسُونَ؟ لَا تَتَكَاسَلُوا عَنِ الْهُجُومِ لامْتِلاكِ الأَرْضِ.

10 When ye go, ye shall come unto 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] in the earth.

١٠ فَأَنْتُمْ عِنْدَمَا تُقْدِمُونَ عَلَيْهَا سَتَجِدُونَ قَوْماً مُطْمَئِنِّينَ فِي أَرْضٍ شَاسِعَةٍ. إِنَّ الرَّبَّ قَدْ وَهَبَهَا لَكُمْ وَهِيَ أَرْضٌ خَصِيبَةٌ لَا تَفْتَقِرُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ».

11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

١١ فَارْتَحَلَ مِنْ صُرْعَةَ وَأَشْتَأُولَ سِتُّ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ مُدَجَّجِينَ بِالسِّلاحِ مِنْ سِبْطِ دَانٍ.

12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, [it is] behind Kirjath-jearim.

١٢ وَعَسْكَرُوا فِي قَرْيَةِ يَعَارِيمَ فِي يَهُوذَا، فَدُعِيَ ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعُ مُخَيَّمَ دَانٍ إِلَى هَذَا الْيَوْمِ، وَهُوَ يَقَعُ وَرَاءَ قَرْيَةِ يَعَارِيمَ.

13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.

١٣ وَاجْتَازُوا مِنْ هُنَاكَ إِلَى جَبَلِ أَفْرَايِمَ وَجَاءُوا إِلَى بَيْتِ مِيخَا.

14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto 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.

١٤ فَقَالَ الرِّجَالُ الْخَمْسَةُ الَّذِينَ ذَهَبُوا لاِسْتِكْشَافِ أَرْضِ لايِشَ لِقَوْمِهِمْ: «أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ فِي هَذِهِ الْبُيُوتِ أَفُوداً وَتَرَافِيمَ وَتِمْثَالاً مَنْحُوتاً وَآخَرَ مَسْبُوكاً، فَانْظُرُوا مَاذَا تَفْعَلُونَ».

15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, [even] unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.

١٥ فَاتَّجَهُوا نَحْوَ الْبُيُوتِ وَجَاءُوا إِلَى مَنْزِلِ الشَّابِّ اللّاوِيِّ فِي بَيْتِ مِيخَا وَسَلَّمُوا عَلَيْهِ.

16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which [were] of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.

١٦ وَبَقِيَ الرِّجَالُ الدَّانِيُّونَ الْمُسَلَّحُونَ السِّتُّ مِئَةٍ وَاقِفِينَ عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ الْبَابِ

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

١٧ فَدَخَلَ الرِّجَالُ الْخَمْسَةُ الَّذِينَ ذَهَبُوا لاِسْتِكْشَافِ الأَرْضِ إِلَى مَوْضِعِ الْمَعْبَدِ، وَأَخَذُوا التِّمْثَالَيْنِ الْمَنْحُوتَ وَالْمَسْبُوكَ وَالأَفُودَ وَالتَّرَافِيمَ، بَيْنَمَا كَانَ الْكَاهِنُ وَاقِفاً عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ الْبَابِ مَعَ السِّتِّ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ الْمُدَجَّجِينَ بِالسِّلاحِ.

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

١٨ وَإِذْ رَآهُمُ الْكَاهِنُ قَدْ دَخَلُوا بَيْتَ مِيخَا وَأَخَذُوا التِّمْثَالَيْنِ الْمَنْحُوتَ وَالْمَسْبُوكَ وَالأَفُودَ وَالتَّرَافِيمَ، سَأَلَهُمْ: «مَاذَا تَفْعَلُونَ؟»

19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine 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 unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

١٩ فَقَالُوا لَهُ: «اصْمُتْ. لَا تَنْطِقْ بِكَلِمَةٍ. تَعَالَ مَعَنَا وَكُنْ لَنَا مُرْشِداً وَكَاهِناً. أَيُّهُمَا خَيْرٌ لَكَ: أَنْ تَكُونَ كَاهِناً لِبَيْتِ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ، أَمْ تَكُونَ كَاهِناً لِسِبْطٍ وَعَشِيرَةٍ فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ؟»

20 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.

٢٠ فَاغْتَبَطَ قَلْبُ الْكَاهِنِ لِلأَمْرِ، وَأَخَذَ الأَفُودَ وَالتَّرَافِيمَ وَالتِّمْثَالَ الْمَنْحُوتَ وَانْضَمَّ إِلَى الْقَوْمِ.

21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.

٢١ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقُوا فِي طَرِيقِهِمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ جَعَلُوا أَطْفَالَهُمْ وَمَوَاشِيَهُمْ وَمَؤُونَتَهُمْ فِي الطَّلِيعَةِ.

22 [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.

٢٢ وَلَمَّا ابْتَعَدُوا عَنْ بَيْتِ مِيخَا تَجَمَّعَ رِجَالُ الْحَيِّ الَّذِي فِيهِ بَيْتُ مِيخَا وَتَعَقَّبُوا أَبْنَاءَ دَانٍ حَتَّى أَدْرَكُوهُمْ.

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

٢٣ وَصَاحُوا بِهِمْ، فَسَأَلَ الدَّانِيُّونَ مِيخَا: «مَالَكَ تَصْرُخُ؟ وَمَاذَا يُزْعِجُكَ حَتَّى تَعَقَّبْتَنَا بِهَذِهِ الشِّرْذِمَةِ مِنَ الْمُحَارِبِينَ؟»

24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what [is] this [that] ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

٢٤ فَأَجَابَ: «لَقَدْ أَخَذْتُمْ آلِهَتِي الَّتِي صَنَعْتُهَا، وَكَذَلِكَ الْكَاهِنَ، وَمَضَيْتُمْ. فَمَاذَا بَقِيَ لِي؟ فَكَيْفَ تَسْأَلُونَنِي: مَالَكَ؟»

25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

٢٥ فَقَالَ لَهُ الدَّانِيُّونَ: «لا تَرْفَعْ صَوْتَكَ بَيْنَنَا لِئَلّا تُثِيرَ غَضَبَ رِجَالٍ أَفْظَاظِ الطِّبَاعِ فَيُهَاجِمُوكَ وَيَقْتُلُوكَ مَعَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِكَ».

26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they [were] too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

٢٦ وَانْطَلَقَ الدَّانِيُّونَ فِي طَرِيقِهِمْ. وَلَمَّا رَأَى مِيخَا أَنَّهُمْ أَقْوَى مِنْ أَنْ يَتَغَلَّبَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجَعَ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ.

27 And they took [the things] which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people [that were] at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

٢٧ أَمَّا الدَّانِيُّونَ فَقَدْ أَقْبَلُوا إِلَى لايِشَ وَمَعَهُمْ أَصْنَامُ مِيخَا وَالْكَاهِنُ، فَوَجَدُوا شَعْبَهَا آمِناً مُطْمَئِنّاً مُسَالِماً، فَهَاجَمُوهَا وَقَتَلُوا أَهْلَهَا بِحَدِّ السَّيْفِ وَأَحْرَقُوهَا.

28 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 Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

٢٨ وَلَمْ يَهُبَّ أَحَدٌ لِإِنْقَاذِهَا لأَنَّهَا كَانَتْ بَعِيدَةً عَنْ صِيدُونَ، وَلَمْ يَعْقِدْ أَهْلُهَا أَحْلافاً مَعَ أَحَدٍ. وَكَانَتِ الْمَدِينَةُ تَقَعُ فِي الْوَادِي الَّذِي فِيهِ بَيْتُ رَحُوبَ. وَأَعَادَ الدَّانِيُّونَ بِنَاءَ الْمَدِينَةِ وَأَقَامُوا فِيهَا،

29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city [was] Laish at the first.

٢٩ وَدَعَوْهَا دَاناً بِاسْمِ دَانٍ أَبِيهِمْ الَّذِي أَنْجَبَهُ إِسْرَائِيلُ، أَمَّا اسْمُهَا الْقَدِيمُ فَكَانَ لايِشَ.

30 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.

٣٠ وَنَصَبَ أَبْنَاءُ دَانٍ لأَنْفُسِهِمِ التِّمْثَالَ الْمَنْحُوتَ، وَظَلَّ يَهُونَاثَانُ ابْنُ جَرْشُومَ بْنِ مَنَسَّى وَبَنُوهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ كَهَنَةً لِسِبْطِ الدَّانِيِّينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ سَبْيِ الْبِلادِ.

31 And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

٣١ وَنَصَبُوا تِمْثَالَ مِيخَا الْمَنْحُوتَ الَّذِي صَنَعَهُ، طَوَالَ الْحِقْبَةِ الَّتِي كَانَ فِيهَا بَيْتُ اللهِ فِي شِيلُوهَ.