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 en esos días los danitas buscaban una herencia para sí mismos, para ser su lugar de vida; durante ese tiempo no se les había distribuido tierra 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.
Entonces los hijos de Dan enviaron a cinco hombres de entre ellos, hombres fuertes, desde Zora y desde Estaol, para espiar y que explorarán la tierra; Y ellos les dijeron: Vayan a espiar y explorar la tierra; y llegaron a la región montañosa de Efraín, a la casa de Micaías, donde hicieron una parada para pasar 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 estaban cerca de la casa de Micaías, oyendo una voz que no era extraña para ellos, la del joven levita, salieron de su camino a su casa y le dijeron: ¿Cómo has venido aquí? y qué haces en este lugar y porque estas aqui.
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 dijo: Esto es lo que Micaias hizo por mí, y él me pagó y me convertí en 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.”
Luego dijeron: Pregunta dirección de Dios para nosotros, para ver si el viaje en el que vamos tendrá un buen resultado.
6 The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this journey.”
Y el sacerdote les dijo: Vayan en paz; su camino es guiado por el Señor.
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).
Luego los cinco hombres siguieron su camino y fueron a Lais y vieron a las personas que estaban allí, viviendo sin pensar en el peligro, como los sidonios, tranquilos y seguros; porque tenían todo en la tierra para sus necesidades, y estaban lejos de los sidonios y no tenían ningún negocio con nadie.
8 When those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”
Entonces volvieron a sus hermanos en Zora y Estaol, y sus hermanos les dijeron: ¿Qué noticias tienes?
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!
Y ellos respondieron: ¡Arriba! Y vayamos contra Lais; Porque hemos visto la tierra, y es muy buena: ¿Que esperas, por qué no haces nada? No te demores en entrar y tomar la tierra por tu herencia.
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 vayan allí, llegarán a un pueblo que vive sin pensar en el peligro; y la tierra es amplia, y Dios la ha entregado en sus manos: un lugar donde hay toda en la tierra para las necesidades del hombre.
11 So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.
Entonces, seiscientos hombres de los danitas de Zora y Estaol salieron armados con instrumentos de guerra.
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.
Y subieron y pusieron sus campamentos en Quiriat-jearim en Judá; por eso ese lugar se llama Mahane-dan hasta hoy. Está al oeste 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 se dirigieron a la región montañosa de Efraín y llegaron a la casa de Micaías.
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]
Entonces los cinco hombres que habían ido a hacer una búsqueda por el país de Lais dijeron a sus hermanos: ¿Saben que en estas casas hay un efod y dioses de la familia, una imagen tallada y una imagen de metal? Así que ahora considera qué 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].
Y saliendo de su camino, vinieron a la casa del joven levita, la casa de Micaías, y le dijeron: ¿Te parece bien?
16 The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.
Y los seiscientos hombres armados de los daneses tomaron sus lugares junto a la puerta.
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.
Luego, los cinco hombres que habían ido a hacer una búsqueda por la tierra, entraron y tomaron la imagen tallada y el efod y los dioses de la familia y la imagen fundida; y el sacerdote estaba junto a la puerta con los seiscientos hombres armados.
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?”
Y cuando entraron en la casa de Micaías y sacaron la imagen tallada y el efod y los dioses de la familia y la imagen fundida, el sacerdote les dijo: ¿Qué están haciendo?
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]
Y ellos le dijeron: Cállate; no digas nada, ven con nosotros y sé nuestro padre y sacerdote; ¿Es mejor para ti ser sacerdote de la casa de un hombre o ser sacerdote de una tribu y una familia en 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 se alegró el corazón del sacerdote, y tomó el efod y los dioses de la familia y la imagen tallada y se fue con la gente.
21 They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.
Volvieron a emprender el camino y pusieron delante de ellos a los pequeños, a los bueyes y a los bienes.
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.
Cuando se habían alejado de la casa de Micaías, los hombres de las casas cercanas a la casa de Miquea se reunieron y tomaron a los hijos de Dan.
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]?”
Gritándoles. Y los daneses, volviéndose, dijeron a Micaías: ¿Cuál es tu problema, que has tomado las armas?
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?’”
Y él dijo: Tú tomaste los dioses que yo hice, y mi sacerdote, y te fuiste; ¿Qué hay para mí ahora? ¿Por qué entonces me dices, ¿cuál es tu problema?
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!”
Y los hijos de Dan le dijeron: No digas más, o uno de los nuestros se enfurezca y pueda atacarte, causando la pérdida de tu vida y la de tu gente.
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.
Entonces los hijos de Dan siguieron su camino; y cuando Micaias vio que eran más fuertes que él, volvió 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.
Y tomaron lo que Micaías había hecho, y su sacerdote, y fueron a Lais, a un pueblo que vivía en silencio y sin pensar en el peligro, y los metieron a la espada sin piedad, quemando su 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.
Y no tenían salvador, porque estaba lejos de Sidón, y no tenían negocios con Aram; y estaba en el valle que es propiedad de Bet-rehob. Y reconstruyendo la ciudad, la tomaron para vivir.
29 They gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.
Y le dieron a la ciudad el nombre de Dan, así como Dan su padre, que era hijo de Israel: aunque la ciudad había sido nombrada Lais al principio.
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].
Y los hijos de Dan levantaron para sí la imagen de talla; y Jonatán, el hijo de Gersón, el hijo de Moisés, y sus hijos, fueron sacerdotes de la tribu de los danitas, hasta el día en que el arca fue tomada prisionera.
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.
Y tuvieron levantada la imagen de talla que Micaías había hecho, y fue allí todo el tiempo que la casa de Dios estuvo en Silo.
