< 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 [their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
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.
2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, 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: and they came to the hill country of Ephraim, unto the house of Micah, and lodged there.
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.
3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned aside thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
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?"
4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus hath Micah dealt with me, and he hath hired me, and I am become his priest.
Han svarede dem: "Det og det har Mika gjort for mig; han har lejet mig til Præst."
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.
Da sagde de til ham: "Adspørg da Gud, at vi kan få at vide, om vor Færd skal lykkes!"
6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.
Præsten sagde da til dem: "Far med Fred, HERREN våger over eders Færd!"
7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put [them] to shame in any thing, and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no dealings with any man.
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.
8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What [say] ye?
Da de kom tilbage til deres Brødre i Zora og Esjtaol, spurgte disse dem: "Hvad har I at melde?"
9 And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slofthful to go and to enter in to possess the land.
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!
10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and the land is large: for God hath given it into your hand; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
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!"
11 And there set forth from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girt with weapons of war.
Så brød 600 væbnede Mænd af Daniternes Slægt op fra Zora og Esjtaol,
12 And they went up, and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.
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.
13 And they passed thence unto the hill country of Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.
Derfra drog de over til Efraims Bjerge; og da de kom til Mikas Hus,
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.
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!"
15 And they turned aside thither, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.
De begav sig derhen og kom til den unge Levits Hus, Mikas Hus, og hilste på ham,
16 And the six hundred men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
medens de 600 væbnede danitiske Mænd stod ved Porten.
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 by the entering of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.
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.
18 And when these went into Micah’s house and fetched the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What do ye?
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?"
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 priest unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
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?"
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.
Da blev Præsten glad, tog Efoden, Husguden og Gudebilledet og sluttede sig til Krigsfolkene.
21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the goods before them.
Derpå vendte de om og drog bort, idet de stillede Kvinderne og Børnene, Kvæget og Trosset forrest i Toget.
22 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.
Da de var kommet et Stykke fra Mikas Hus, stævnedes Mændene i de Huse, der lå ved Mikas Hus, sammen, og de indhentede Daniterne.
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?
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?"
24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? and how then say ye unto me, What aileth thee?
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?"
25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.
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!"
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.
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.
27 And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.
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,
28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built the city, and dwelt therein.
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;
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.
og de gav den Navnet Dan efter deres Stamfader Dan, Israels Søn; men før var Byens Navn Lajisj.
30 And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
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.
31 So they set them up Micah’s graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Og det Gudebillede, Mika havde lavet sig, stillede de op hos sig, og det stod der, al den Tid Guds Hus var i Silo.

< Judges 18 >