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.
En aquellos días no había rey en Israel. Y la tribu de Dan buscaba una heredad donde vivir, porque hasta aquel momento no le había caído heredad entre las tribus de Israel.
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.
Los hijos de Dan enviaron a cinco hombres valientes de sus familias, de los más nobles entre ellos, desde Zora y Estaol para explorar y reconocer la tierra, y les dijeron: ¡Vayan y exploren la tierra! Ellos llegaron a la región montañosa de Efraín, hasta la casa de Micaía para pasar allí la noche.
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?”
Cuando se acercaban a la casa de Micaía, reconocieron la voz del joven levita. Al llegar allá, le preguntaron: ¿Quién te trajo aquí? ¿Qué haces en este lugar? ¿Qué tienes aquí?
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.”
Y él les respondió: Micaía hizo conmigo de esta y de aquella manera, y me tomó a sueldo para que sea su sacerdote.
5 So they said to him, “Please ask God if we will succeed [in what we are trying to do] on this journey.”
Ellos le dijeron: Te rogamos que consultes a ʼElohim para que sepamos si será próspero el viaje que hacemos.
6 The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this journey.”
El sacerdote les respondió: ¡Vayan en paz! El camino por el cual andan está en presencia de Yavé.
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).
Los cinco hombres salieron y llegaron a Lais. Vieron que la población que estaba en ella vivía con seguridad, a la manera de los sidonios, tranquilos y seguros, porque nadie estaba en aquella tierra que los perturbara en alguna cosa, ni quien se enseñoreara de ellos. Estaban lejos de los sidonios y con nadie tenían trato.
8 When those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”
Regresaron a sus hermanos en Zora y Estaol, y sus hermanos les preguntaron: ¿Qué informan?
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!
Ellos dijeron: Levántense y marchemos contra ellos, porque vimos la tierra y ciertamente es muy buena. ¿Y ustedes se quedarán tranquilos? No sean perezosos para marchar allá y tomar posesión de esa tierra.
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.”
Cuando lleguen, entrarán a un pueblo seguro y a una tierra espaciosa. Ciertamente, ʼElohim la entregó en su mano. Es un lugar donde no falta alguna cosa de las que hay en la tierra.
11 So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.
Entonces 600 hombres equipados con armas de guerra salieron de Zora y Estaol, de la familia de los danitas.
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.
Subieron y acamparon en Quiriat-jearim, en Judá, por lo cual el lugar se llama hasta el día de hoy Campamento de Dan, el cual está detrás de Quiriat-jearim.
13 From there, they went to the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. And they arrived at Micah’s house.
De allí avanzaron hacia la región montañosa de Efraín, y llegaron a la casa de Micaía.
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]
Aquellos cinco hombres que fueron a reconocer la tierra de Lais, tomaron la palabra y dijeron a sus hermanos: ¿Saben que en esas casas hay efod, ídolos domésticos, una imagen tallada y una fundida? Por tanto, miren lo que van a hacer.
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].
Se desviaron hacia allá y saludaron pacíficamente al entrar en la casa de Micaía, donde vivía el joven levita,
16 The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.
pero permanecían en la entrada del portón los 600 hombres de los hijos de Dan que tenían atadas sus armas de guerra.
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.
Los cinco hombres que habían ido a reconocer la tierra, subieron, entraron y tomaron la imagen tallada, el efod, los ídolos domésticos y la imagen fundida, mientras el sacerdote permanecía en la entrada del portón con los 600 hombres armados para la guerra.
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?”
Aquellos, pues, entraron en la casa de Micaía y tomaron la imagen tallada, el efod, los ídolos domésticos y la imagen fundida. Entonces el sacerdote les preguntó: ¿Qué hacen?
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]
Ellos le respondieron: Calla, pon la mano sobre tu boca y ven con nosotros. Sé para nosotros padre y sacerdote. ¿Te es mejor ser sacerdote de la casa de un solo hombre, que para una tribu y una familia de Israel?
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.
Entonces el corazón del sacerdote se alegró y tomó el efod, los ídolos domésticos y la imagen tallada, y fue con aquella gente.
21 They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.
Luego, tras colocar a los pequeños, el ganado y el equipaje delante de ellos, dieron la vuelta y salieron.
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.
Ya se habían alejado de la casa de Micaía cuando los vecinos de esa casa fueron convocados. Siguieron tras los hijos de Dan y
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]?”
les gritaron. Pero los hijos de Dan, al volver su rostro, dijeron a Micaía: ¿Qué pasó que te hizo reunir gente?
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?’”
Él contestó: Tomaron al sacerdote y mis ʼelohim que hice, y se marcharon, ¿y qué me queda? Aún me preguntan: ¿Qué pasó?
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!”
Pero los hijos de Dan le respondieron: Que tu voz no se oiga entre nosotros, no sea que los de ánimo colérico te ataquen, y pierdas tu vida y las vidas de tu familia.
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.
Los danitas prosiguieron su camino, y al ver Micaía que eran más fuertes que él, regresó a su casa.
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.
Los danitas tomaron lo que Micaía hizo y al sacerdote que él tenía, cayeron sobre Lais, pueblo tranquilo y seguro. Los mataron a filo de espada e incendiaron la ciudad.
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.
No hubo quien la librara, porque estaba lejos de Sidón, y no tenían trato con algún hombre. Estaba en el valle de Bet-rehob. Luego reedificaron la ciudad y vivieron en ella.
29 They gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.
Llamaron a la ciudad Dan, según el nombre de su antepasado e hijo de Israel, aunque antes la ciudad se llamaba Lais.
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].
Los hijos de Dan erigieron para ellos la imagen de talla, y Jonatán, hijo de Gersón, hijo de Manasés, y sus hijos, fueron sacerdotes en la tribu de Dan hasta el día del cautiverio de la tierra.
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.
Así mantuvieron erigida para ellos la imagen tallada que Micaía hizo, todo el tiempo que la Casa de ʼElohim estuvo en Silo.
