< Judges 18 >

1 At that time the Israelis had no king. Also at that time, the tribe of Dan was still searching for some land where they could live. The other Israeli tribes had [been able to] ([capture/take possession of]) [the] land that had been allotted to them, but the tribe of Dan had not been able to do that.
當時イスラエルには王なかりしがダン人の支派其頃住むべき地を求めたり是は彼らイスラエルの支派の中にありて其日まで未だ産業の地を得ざりしが故なり
2 So they chose five soldiers from their clans, men who lived in Zorah and Eshtaol [cities], to go through the land and explore it [and try to find some land where their tribe could live]. They came to Micah’s house in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lived, and they stayed there that night.
ダンの子孫すなはちゾラとエシタオルよりして自己の族の勇者五人を遣はしその境を出て土地を窺ひ探らしむ即ち彼等に言ふ往て土地を探れと彼等エフライムの山にいたりミカの家につきて其處に宿れり
3 While they were in his house and they heard the young man who had become Micah’s priest talking, they recognized from (his accent/the way that he talked) [that he was from the southern part of Israel]. So they went to him and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? Why did you come here?”
かれらミカの家の傍にある時レビ人なる少者の聲を聞認たれば身をめぐらして其處にいりて之に言ふ誰が汝を此に携きたりしや汝此處にて何をなすや此に何の用あるや
4 He told them the things that Micah had done for him. And he said, “Micah (has hired me/is paying me to work for him), and I have become his priest.”
其人かれらに言けるはミカ斯々我を待ひ我を雇ひて我その祭司となれりと
5 So they said to him, “Please ask God if we will succeed [in what we are trying to do] on this journey.”
彼等これに言ふ請ふ神に問ひ我等が往くところの途に利逹あるや否を我等にしらしめよ
6 The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this journey.”
その祭司かれらに言けるは安んじて往よ汝らが往ところの途はヱホバの前にあるなりと
7 [The next day] the five men left. When they came to Laish [city], they saw that the people there lived safely, like the people in Sidon [city] did. The people there thought that they were safe/protected [from any enemies], and they had plenty of [good fertile] land. They lived very far from the people of Sidon, [so the people of Sidon would not be able to help defend/protect them]. They had no other (allies/groups nearby that would help them in battles).
是に於て五人の者往てライシに至り其處に住る人民を視るに顧慮なく住ひをり其安穩にして安固なることシドン人のごとし此國には政權を握りて人を煩はす者絶てあらず其シドン人と隔たること遠くまた他の人民と交ることなし
8 When those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”
斯て彼等ゾラとエシタオルに返りてその兄弟等にいたるに兄弟等如何なりしやと彼等に問ければ
9 They replied, “We have found some land, and it is very good. We should go and attack the people [who live there]. Why are you staying here and doing nothing [RHQ]? Do not wait any longer! We should go immediately and take possession of that land!
答て言ふ起よ彼等の所に攻のぼらん我等その地を見るに甚だ善し汝等は安んじをるなり進みいたりてその地を取ることを怠るなかれ
10 When you go there, you will see that there is plenty of land, and it has everything [that we will need]. The people there are not expecting anyone to attack them. Surely God is giving that land to us.”
汝等往ば安固なる人民の所に至らんその地は堅横ともに廣し神これを汝らの手に與へたまふなり此處には世にある物一箇も缺ることあらず
11 So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.
是に於てダン人の族の者六百人武器を帶てゾラとエシタオルより出ゆき
12 On their way they set up their tents near Kiriath-Jearim [city] in [the area where the tribe of] Judah [lives]. That is why the area west of Kiriath-Jearim was named ‘Camp of Dan’, and that is still its name.
上りてユダのキリヤテヤリムに陣を張り是をもてその處をマハネダンと名けしがその名今日に存る是はキリヤテヤリムの後にあり
13 From there, they went to the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. And they arrived at Micah’s house.
彼等其處よりエフライム山に進みミカの家に至りけるに
14 The five men who had explored the land near Laish said to their fellow Israelis, “Do you know that in one of these houses there is a sacred vest, several idols, and a statue? [We think that] you know what you should do.” [RHQ]
夫のライシの國を窺ひに往たりし五人の者その兄弟等に告て言けるは是等の家にはエポデ、テラピムおよび雕める像と鑄たる像あるを汝等知や然ば汝ら今その爲べきことを考へよと
15 So they went to the house where the man from the tribe of Levi lived, which was the house where Micah lived, and they greeted the young man from the tribe of Levi [who had become Micah’s priest].
乃ち其方に身をめぐらして夫のレビ人の少者の家なるミカの家に至りてその安否を問けるが
16 The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.
武器を帶たる六百人のダンの子孫は門の入口に立り
17 The five men who had explored the land went into Micah’s house, and took all the idols, the sacred vest, and the statue. While they did that, the 600 men stood outside the gate, [talking] with the priest.
夫の土地を窺ひに往たりし五人の者上りて其處にいりその雕める像とエポデとテラピムおよび鑄たる像を取けるが祭司は武器を帶たる六百人の者とともに門の入口に立ゐたり
18 When the priest saw them bringing out the idols and the sacred vest and the statue, he said to them, “What are you doing?”
此人々ミカの家にいりて其雕める像とエポデとテラピムと鑄たる像とを取しかば祭司かれらに汝ら何をなすやと言ふに
19 They replied, “Be quiet! Do not say anything! You come with us and be [like] a father to us and a priest for us. Is it better for you to [stay here and] be a priest for the people in the house of one man, or to be a priest for a clan, and a priest for a whole tribe of Israelis?” [RHQ]
彼等これに言けるは汝默せよ汝手を口にあてて我らとともに來り我らの父とも祭司ともなれよかし一人の家の祭司たるとイスラエルの一の支派一の族の祭司たるとは何か好や
20 The priest liked what they were suggesting. So he took the sacred vest and the idols, and he [prepared to] go with the men from the tribe of Dan.
祭司すなはち心に悦びてエポデとテラピムと雕める像とを取て民の中に入る
21 They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.
斯てかれら身をめぐらしその子女と家畜と財寳を前にたてて進みしが
22 After they had gone a little distance from Micah’s house, Micah [saw what was happening. He] quickly summoned the men who lived near him, and they ran and caught up with the men from the tribe of Dan.
ミカの家を遙かに離れし時ミカの家に近きところの家の人々呼はり集てダンの子孫に追ひつき
23 They shouted at them. The men of the tribe of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What is the problem? Why have you gathered these men [to pursue us]?”
ダンの子孫を呼たれば彼等回顧てミカに言ふ汝何事ありて集りしや
24 Micah shouted, “You took the silver idols that were made for me! You also took my priest! I do not have anything left [RHQ]! So why do you ask me, ‘What is the problem?’”
かれら言けるは汝らはわが造れる神々および祭司を奪ひさりたれば我尚何かあらん然るに汝等何ぞ我にむかひて何事ぞやと言や
25 The men from the tribe of Dan replied, “You should not shout loudly like that! One of our angry men might attack you and kill you and your family!”
ダンの子孫かれに言けるは汝の聲を我らの中に聞えしむるなかれ恐くは心の荒き人々汝に撃かかるありて汝おのれの生命と家族の生命とを失ふにいたらんと
26 Then the men from the tribe of Dan continued walking. Micah realized that there was a very large group of them, [so that it would be useless for him to try to fight them]. So he turned around and went home.
而してダンの子孫進みゆきけるがミカは彼らが己よりも強きを見て身をめぐらして家に返れり
27 The men of the tribe of Dan were carrying the things that had been made for Micah, and they also took his priest, and they continued traveling to Laish. They attacked the people who were peacefully living there, and killed them with their swords, and then they burned everything in the city.
彼等ミカが造りし者とその有し祭司をとりてライシにおもむき平穩にして安樂なる民の所にいたり刃をもて之を撃ち火をもてその邑を燬たりしが
28 Laish was far from [the city of] Sidon, [so the people of Sidon could not rescue the people of Laish]. And the people of Laish had no other allies. Laish was in a valley near Beth-Rehob [town]. The people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the city and started to live there.
其シドンと隔たること遠きが上に他の人民と交際ざりしによりて之を救ふ者なかりきその邑はベテレホブの邊の谷にあり彼ら邑を建なほして其處に住み
29 They gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.
イスラエルの生たるその先祖ダンの名にしたがひて其邑の名をダンと名けたりその邑の名は本はライシなりき
30 The people of the tribe of Dan set up [in the city] the idols [that had been made for Micah]. Jonathan, who was the son of Gershom and the grandson of Moses, was appointed to be their priest. His descendants continued to be priests until the Israelis were captured and taken [to Assyria].
斯てダンの子孫その雕める像を安置りモーセの子なるゲルシヨムの子ヨナタンとその子孫ダンの支派の祭司となりて國の奪はるる時にまでおよべり
31 After the people of the tribe of Dan set up the idols that had been made for Micah, [they worshiped those idols, even though] the Sacred Tent [where they had been commanded to worship] God, was at Shiloh.
神の家のシロにありし間恒に彼等はミカが造りしかの雕める像を安置おきぬ

< Judges 18 >