Κριταί 18
1 Κατ' εκείνας τας ημέρας δεν ήτο βασιλεύς εν τω Ισραήλ· και κατ' εκείνας τας ημέρας η φυλή Δαν εζήτει εις εαυτήν κληρονομίαν διά να κατοικήση· διότι έως εκείνης της ημέρας δεν είχε πέσει κληρονομία εις αυτούς μεταξύ των φυλών του Ισραήλ.
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.
2 Και απέστειλαν οι υιοί Δαν εκ της συγγενείας αυτών πέντε άνδρας εκ των ορίων αυτών, άνδρας ισχυρούς, εκ Σαραά και εξ Εσθαόλ, διά να κατασκοπεύσωσι τον τόπον, και να εξιχνιάσωσιν αυτόν· και είπον προς αυτούς, Υπάγετε, εξιχνιάσατε τον τόπον. Και ήλθον εις το όρος Εφραΐμ, έως του οίκου του Μιχαία, και διενυκτέρευσαν εκεί.
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.
3 Διότι καθώς επλησίασαν εις τον οίκον του Μιχαία, εγνώρισαν την φωνήν του νέου του Λευΐτου· και εστράφησαν εκεί και είπον προς αυτόν, Τις σε έφερεν ενταύθα; και συ τι κάμνεις εν τω τόπω τούτω; και διά τι είσαι ενταύθα;
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?”
4 Ο δε είπε προς αυτούς, Ούτω και ούτως έκαμεν εις εμέ ο Μιχαίας, και με εμίσθωσε, και είμαι ιερεύς αυτού.
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.”
5 Και είπαν προς αυτόν, Ερώτησον, παρακαλούμεν, τον Θεόν, διά να γνωρίσωμεν εάν έχη να ευοδωθή η οδός ημών την οποίαν υπάγομεν.
So they said to him, “Please ask God if we will succeed [in what we are trying to do] on this journey.”
6 Ο δε ιερεύς είπε προς αυτούς, Υπάγετε εν ειρήνη· αρεστή εις τον Κύριον είναι η οδός σας, την οποίαν υπάγετε.
The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this journey.”
7 Τότε ανεχώρησαν οι πέντε άνδρες και ήλθον εις Λαϊσά, και είδον τον λαόν τον κατοικούντα εν αυτή αμέριμνον, κατά τον τρόπον των Σιδωνίων, ησυχάζοντα και ζώντα εν αφοβία· και δεν ήτο ουδείς άρχων εν τω τόπω, όστις να περιστέλλη αυτούς εις ουδέν· και αυτοί ήσαν μακράν των Σιδωνίων, και δεν είχον συγκοινωνίαν με ουδένα.
[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).
8 Και επανήλθον προς τους αδελφούς αυτών εις Σαραά και Εσθαόλ· και είπαν προς αυτούς οι αδελφοί αυτών, Τι λέγετε σεις;
When those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”
9 Οι δε είπον, Σηκώθητε, και ας αναβώμεν εναντίον αυτών· διότι είδομεν τον τόπον, και ιδού, είναι καλός σφόδρα· και σεις κάθησθε; μη οκνήσητε να υπάγωμεν, να εισέλθωμεν διά να κληρονομήσωμεν τον τόπον·
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!
10 αφού υπάγητε, θέλετε ελθεί εις λαόν ζώντα εν αφοβία και εις τόπον ευρύχωρον· διότι ο Θεός έδωκεν αυτόν εις την χείρα σας· τόπον, εις τον οποίον δεν είναι έλλειψις ουδενός πράγματος των εν τη γη.
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.”
11 Και εκίνησαν εκείθεν εκ της συγγενείας του Δαν, εκ Σαραά και εξ Εσθαόλ, εξακόσιοι άνδρες περιεζωσμένοι όπλα πολεμικά.
So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.
12 Και ανέβησαν και εστρατοπέδευσαν εν Κιριάθ-ιαρείμ, εν Ιούδα· διά τούτο ωνόμασαν τον τόπον εκείνον Μαχανέ-δαν, έως της ημέρας ταύτης· κείται δε όπισθεν της Κιριάθ-ιαρείμ.
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.
13 Και εκείθεν επέρασαν εις το όρος Εφραΐμ και ήλθον έως του οίκου του Μιχαία.
From there, they went to the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. And they arrived at Micah’s house.
14 Τότε οι πέντε άνδρες, οίτινες είχον υπάγει διά να κατασκοπεύσωσι τον τόπον της Λαϊσά, ανήγγειλαν και είπον προς τους αδελφούς αυτών, Εξεύρετε ότι είναι εν τούτοις τοις οίκοις εφόδ και θεραφείμ και γλυπτόν και χωνευτόν; τώρα λοιπόν σκέφθητε τι έχετε να κάμητε.
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]
15 Και εστράφησαν εκεί και υπήγαν εις τον οίκον του νέου του Λευΐτου, εις τον οίκον του Μιχαία, και εχαιρέτησαν αυτόν.
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].
16 Και οι εξακόσιοι άνδρες οι περιεζωσμένοι τα πολεμικά όπλα αυτών οίτινες ήσαν εκ των υιών Δαν, εστάθησαν εις την θύραν του πυλώνος.
The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.
17 Και ανέβησαν οι πέντε άνδρες, οίτινες είχον υπάγει διά να κατασκοπεύσωσι τον τόπον, και εισήλθον εκεί και έλαβον το γλυπτόν και το εφόδ και το θεραφείμ και το χωνευτόν· ο δε ιερεύς ίστατο εις την θύραν του πυλώνος μετά των εξακοσίων ανδρών των περιεζωσμένων τα πολεμικά όπλα.
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.
18 Και καθώς ούτοι εισήλθον εις τον οίκον του Μιχαία, και έλαβον το γλυπτόν, το εφόδ και το θεραφείμ και το χωνευτόν, ο ιερεύς είπε προς αυτούς, Τι κάμνετε σεις;
When the priest saw them bringing out the idols and the sacred vest and the statue, he said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 Και είπαν προς αυτόν, Σιώπα, βάλε την χείρα σου εις το στόμα σου, και ελθέ μεθ' ημών και γίνου εις ημάς πατήρ και ιερεύς· είναι καλήτερον εις σε να ήσαι ιερεύς εν τω οίκω ενός ανθρώπου, ή να ήσαι ιερεύς φυλής και οικογενείας εν τω Ισραήλ;
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]
20 Και εχάρη η καρδία του ιερέως· και έλαβε το εφόδ και το θεραφείμ και το γλυπτόν και υπήγε μεταξύ του λαού.
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.
21 Και στραφέντες ανεχώρησαν και έβαλον τα παιδία και τα κτήνη και την αποσκευήν έμπροσθεν αυτών.
They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.
22 Αφού απεμακρύνθησαν ούτοι από του οίκου του Μιχαία, οι άνθρωποι οι όντες εις τους οίκους τους γειτονεύοντας με την οικίαν του Μιχαία συνήχθησαν και επρόφθασαν τους υιούς Δαν.
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.
23 Και εβόησαν προς τους υιούς Δαν. Και ούτοι έστρεψαν το πρόσωπον αυτών και είπαν προς τον Μιχαίαν, Τι έχεις και εσύναξας τόσον πλήθος;
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]?”
24 Ο δε είπεν, Ελάβετε τους θεούς μου τους οποίους έκαμα, και τον ιερέα, και ανεχωρήσατε· και τι μένει εις εμέ πλέον; και τι είναι τούτο, το οποίον λέγετε προς εμέ, τι έχεις;
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?’”
25 Και είπαν προς αυτόν οι υιοί Δαν, Ας μη ακουσθή η φωνή σου μεταξύ ημών, μήποτε άνδρες οξύθυμοι πέσωσι κατά σου, και χάσης την ζωήν σου και την ζωήν της οικογενείας σου.
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!”
26 Και υπήγαιναν οι υιοί Δαν εις την οδόν αυτών· και ότε είδεν ο Μιχαίας ότι εκείνοι ήσαν δυνατώτεροι αυτού, έστρεψε και επανήλθεν εις τον οίκον αυτού.
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.
27 Και αυτοί έλαβον τα όσα κατεσκεύασεν ο Μιχαίας, και τον ιερέα τον οποίον είχε, και ήλθον εις Λαϊσά, προς λαόν ησυχάζοντα και ζώντα εν αφοβία· και επάταξαν αυτούς εν στόματι μαχαίρας και την πόλιν έκαυσαν εν πυρί.
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.
28 Και δεν ήτο ουδείς ο σώζων αυτήν, διότι ευρίσκετο μακράν από της Σιδώνος, και δεν είχον συγκοινωνίαν με ουδένα· έκειτο δε εν τη κοιλάδι της Βαιθ-ρεώβ. Και ωκοδόμησαν πόλιν και κατώκησαν εν αυτή.
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.
29 Και εκάλεσαν το όνομα της πόλεως Δαν, κατά το όνομα Δαν του πατρός αυτών, όστις εγεννήθη εις τον Ισραήλ· το δε όνομα της πόλεως ήτο το πάλαι εξ αρχής Λαϊσά.
They gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.
30 Και έστησαν εις εαυτούς οι υιοί του Δαν το γλυπτόν· και Ιωνάθαν ο υιός του Γηρσών, υιού του Μανασσή, αυτός και οι υιοί αυτού ήσαν ιερείς εν τη φυλή Δαν, έως της ημέρας της αιχμαλωσίας της γης.
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].
31 Και έστησαν εις εαυτούς το γλυπτόν, το οποίον έκαμεν ο Μιχαίας, όλον τον καιρόν καθ' ον ο οίκος του Θεού ήτο εν Σηλώ.
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.
