< Judges 18 >

1 In those days, there was no king in Israel, —and, in those days, the tribe of the Danites was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in for there had not fallen to them, unto that day, in the midst of the tribes of Israel, enough for an inheritance.
Pada waktu itu Israel tidak punya raja. Lagipula suku Dan masih mencari tanah warisanuntuk mereka tempati, karena sampai saat itu mereka belum mendapat tanah warisan di antara suku-suku Israel lainnya.
2 So then the sons of Dan sent, out of their family, five men out of their bounds—men who were sons of valour—out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol—to spy out the land, and to explore it, and they said unto them, Go! explore the land. And they came into the hill country of Ephraim, as far as the house of Micah, and lodged there.
Karena itu mereka membentuk satu regu yang terdiri dari lima orang laki-laki suku Dan. Semuanya kuat dan pemberani. Orang-orang pilihan itu berasal dari kota Zora dan Estaol. Kepada regu itu diperintahkan, “Pergi dan selidikilah di daerah mana kita bisa menetap.” Regu itu pun berangkat. Sesampainya di perbukitan Efraim, mereka bermalam di rumah Mika.
3 They, being by the house of Micah, knew the voice of the young man, the Levite, —so they turned aside there, and said to him—Who brought thee in hither? and what art thou doing in this place, and what hast thou here?
Ketika berada di situ, mereka mendengar seorang pemuda berbicara dengan logat dari daerah Israel sebelah selatan. Maka mereka menghampiri pemuda itu dan bertanya, “Mengapa kamu ada di sini? Siapa yang mengajakmu ke sini, dan apa yang kamu lakukan di sini?”
4 And he said unto them, Thus and so, hath Micah dealt with me, and hath hired me, and I am become his priest.
Jawab pemuda itu, “Saya di sini karena Mika mempekerjakan saya sebagai imamnya.”
5 So they said unto him—Ask of God, we pray thee, —that we may know whether the journey on which we are going shall have good success.
Lalu mereka meminta kepadanya, “Kalau begitu, tolong tanyakan kepada Allah, apakah perjalanan kami ini akan berhasil atau tidak.”
6 And the priest said unto them—Go! and prosper, —before Yahweh, is your journey on which ye go.
Jawab imam itu, “Pergilah dengan selamat. TUHAN menyertai perjalananmu.”
7 So the five men went their way, and entered Laish, —and saw the people who were therein, dwelling securely, after the manner of the Zidonians, quietly and securely, and there was no one to reproach them with anything in the land, none to possess himself of dominion, they being, far away, from the Zidonians, and having no dealings with any one.
Kemudian regu itu melanjutkan perjalanan dan sampai di kota Lais. Di sana mereka melihat bahwa rakyat Lais hidup dengan tenteram sehingga tidak berjaga-jaga terhadap musuh, mirip cara hidup orang Sidon, tenang dan aman. Tidak ada yang menjajah mereka, dan kalau kota itu diserang, mereka terlalu jauh untuk mendapat pertolongan dari orang Sidon. Selain itu, Lais tidak menjalin hubungan dengan kota-kota lain.
8 So they came unto their brethren, in Zorah and Eshtaol, —and their brethren said unto them—Why are ye minded to do nothing?
Sesudah regu itu kembali ke Zora dan Estaol, saudara-saudara sesuku mereka bertanya, “Apa yang kalian lihat di sana?”
9 And they said—Arise! and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and lo! it is very good, —are, ye, then, minded to do nothing? do not be too slothful to go, and enter, and take possession of the land.
Jawab mereka, “Kami melihat tanah Lais yang sangat sejahtera. Ayo kita serang mereka! Jangan diam saja! Kita harus cepat-cepat masuk merebut wilayah itu!
10 When ye do enter, ye will enter amongst a people secure, and, the land, is of ample bounds, —yea God hath delivered it into your hands, —a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.
Waktu kita ke sana, kita akan mendapati mereka tidak berjaga-jaga. Allah sudah memberi kita tanah yang luas dan tidak kekurangan apa pun!”
11 So there brake up from thence, out of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war.
Maka berangkatlah pasukan suku Dan yang terdiri dari 600 warga kota Zora dan Estaol. Mereka diperlengkapi dengan senjata perang.
12 And they went up and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah, —wherefore they have called that place, Mahaneh-dan—unto this day, lo! it is behind Kiriath-jearim.
Mereka mendaki ke sebelah barat Kiryat Yearim di Yehuda dan berkemah di sana. Karena itu, sampai waktu kitab ini ditulis, tempat itu disebut Mahane Dan, yang artinya Perkemahan Dan.
13 And they passed on from thence unto the hill country of Ephraim, —and came as far as the house of Micah.
Dari sana, mereka terus naik ke perbukitan Efraim dan sampai di dekat rumah Mika.
14 Then responded the five men who had been to spy out the land of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Know ye that there are in these houses, an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image, —now, therefore, know what ye will do!
Kelima orang yang mengintai Lais berkata kepada saudara-saudara mereka, “Di rumah-rumah itu ada efod, patung-patung berhala pelindung keluarga, dan sebuah patung dewa yang berlapis perak. Nah, kita tahu apa yang harus kita lakukan. Ayo!”
15 So they turned aside thither, and entered into the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, —and asked him of his welfare.
Maka kelima orang itu menyimpang ke rumah Mika dan menyapa pemuda Lewi itu.
16 Now, the six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war, were standing at the entrance of the gate, —they being of the sons of Dan.
Sementara itu, 600 orang pasukan Dan yang bersenjata berdiri di pintu gerbang.
17 Then went up the five men who had been to spy out the land, they came in thither, they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, —now, the priest, was standing at the entrance of the gate, with the six hundred men who were begirt with weapons of war.
Ketika imam itu keluar menemui 600 tentara suku Dan di pintu gerbang, kelima orang itu masuk ke dalam rumah dan mengambil patung yang berlapis perak, efod, serta patung-patung berhala pelindung keluarga.
18 But, when, these, had entered the house of Micah, and taken the graven image and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What are ye doing?
Ketika imam itu melihat bahwa mereka mengambil efod dan patung-patung itu, dia berseru kepada mereka, “Apa-apaan ini!”
19 And they said unto him—Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and become to us a father and a priest, —is it better that thou be priest to the house of one man, or that thou be priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?
Jawab mereka, “Diam! Tutup mulutmu! Ikutlah kami menjadi penasihat dan imam bagi kami. Mana yang lebih baik? Menjadi imam bagi satu orang atau menjadi imam bagi satu suku?”
20 Then was the heart of the priest glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, —and came into the midst of the people.
Imam itu senang mendengarnya. Dia pun ikut bersama mereka dengan membawa efod, patung yang berlapis perak, dan patung-patung berhala pelindung keluarga.
21 So they turned, and went their way, —and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the goods, before them.
Pasukan Dan melanjutkan perjalanan. Mereka menempatkan anak-anak, ternak, serta barang-barang berharga di rombongan terdepan.
22 They, had gone a good way from the house of Micah, when, the men that were in the houses near to the house of Micah, were called out and overtook the sons of Dan.
Ketika pasukan Dan sudah jauh dari rumah Mika, Mika memanggil tetangga-tetangganya dan mereka mengejar rombongan itu.
23 And they called unto the sons of Dan, who turned their faces, —and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou hast called out thy neighbours?
Sewaktu mereka sudah dekat, mereka berteriak memanggil pasukan itu. Pasukan Dan menoleh dan bertanya kepada Mika, “Mau apa kamu? Buat apa ramai-ramai mengejar kami?”
24 And he said—My gods which I had made, ye have taken away, and the priest, and have departed, and what have I more? How then is it that ye can say unto me, What aileth thee?
Jawab Mika, “Enak saja kalian bertanya, ‘Mau apa kamu!’ Kalian sudah merebut semua milik saya! Kalian pergi membawa patung-patung dewa buatan saya. Imam saya juga kalian ambil!”
25 And the sons of Dan said unto him, Do not let thy voice be heard among us, —lest men embittered in soul fall upon you, and thou gather in thy life and the lives of thy household.
Orang-orang Dan mengancamnya, “Tidak usah banyak mulut! Awas, orang-orang kami bisa marah mendengarnya. Kamu sekeluarga belum mau mati, bukan?”
26 And the sons of Dan went on their journey, —and, when Micah saw that they were, too strong, for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
Ketika Mika menyadari bahwa pasukan Dan jauh lebih kuat daripadanya, dia pun kembali ke rumah, sementara pasukan itu melanjutkan perjalanan.
27 They, therefore, took what Micah had made, and the priest that he had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword, —the city also, burned they with fire.
Pasukan Dan membawa patung-patung buatan Mika beserta imamnya ke kota Lais, yang penduduknya hidup aman dan tenteram. Mereka membunuh semua penduduknya dan membakar kota itu.
28 And there was no one to rescue, because it was, far, from Zidon, and they had no, dealings, with any one, it, being in the vale that pertaineth to Beth-rehob. Then built they the city, and dwelt therein,
Tidak ada yang datang menolong penduduk Lais, karena kota itu jauh dari kota Sidon, lagipula mereka tidak menjalin hubungan dengan kota-kota lain. Lais berada di lembah dekat kota Bet Rehob. Kemudian suku Dan membangun kembali kota itu dan tinggal di sana.
29 and called the name of the city, Dan, by the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel, —howbeit, Laish, was the name of the city, at the first.
Mereka mengganti nama kota Lais menjadi kota Dan, menurut nama nenek moyang mereka, yaitu Dan anak Yakub.
30 And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image, —and, Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons, became priests to the tribe of the Danites, until the day of the captivity of the land.
Mereka mendirikan patung buatan Mika itu dan menahbiskan imam Mika tadi menjadi imam mereka. Namanya Yonatan anak Gersom, cucu Musa. Anak-cucu Yonatan turun-temurun menjadi imam bagi suku Dan sampai masa orang Israel ditawan ke negeri lain.
31 So they set up for themselves the graven image of Micah, which he had made, —[and let it remain] all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Patung yang dibuat Mika itu tetap di sana selama kemah Tuhan berada di Silo.

< Judges 18 >