Iudicum 18

1 In diebus illis necdum erat rex in Israel, et tribus Dan quaerebat possessionem sibi, ut habitaret in ea: usque ad illum enim diem inter ceteras tribus sortem non acceperat.

In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the Danites were looking for a heritage for themselves, to be their living-place; for up to that time no distribution of land had been made to them among the tribes of Israel.

2 Miserunt ergo filii Dan, stirpis et familiae suae quinque viros fortissimos de Saraa et Esthaol, ut explorarent terram, et diligenter inspicerent: dixeruntque eis: Ite, et considerate terram. Qui cum pergentes venissent in montem Ephraim, et intrassent domum Michae, requieverunt ibi:

So the children of Dan sent five men from among their number, strong men, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to take a look at the land and make a search through it; and they said to them, Go and make a search through the land; and they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, where they made a stop for the night.

3 et agnoscentes vocem adolescentis Levitae, utentesque illius diversorio, dixerunt ad eum: Quis te huc adducit? quid hic agis? quam ob causam huc venire voluisti?

When they were near the house of Micah, hearing a voice which was not strange to them, that of the young Levite, they went out of their road to his place, and said to him, How did you come here? and what are you doing in this place? and why are you here?

4 Qui respondit eis: Haec, et haec praestitit mihi Michas, et me mercede conduxit ut sim ei sacerdos.

And he said to them, This is what Micah did for me, and he gave me payment and I became his priest.

5 Rogaverunt autem eum ut consuleret Dominum, ut scire possent an prospero itinere pergerent, et res haberet effectum.

Then they said, Do get directions from God for us, to see if the journey on which we are going will have a good outcome.

6 Qui respondit eis: Ite in pace: Dominus respicit viam vestram, et iter quo pergitis.

And the priest said to them, Go in peace: your way is guided by the Lord.

7 Euntes igitur quinque viri venerunt Lais: videruntque populum habitantem in ea absque ullo timore, iuxta consuetudinem Sidoniorum, securum et quietum, nullo ei penitus resistente, magnarumque opum, et procul a Sidone atque a cunctis hominibus separatum.

Then the five men went on their way and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, living without thought of danger, like the Zidonians, quiet and safe; for they had everything on earth for their needs, and they were far from the Zidonians and had no business with Aram.

8 Reversi itaque ad fratres suos in Saraa et Esthaol, et quid egissent sciscitantibus responderunt:

So they came back to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, What news have you?

9 Surgite, ascendamus ad eos: vidimus enim terram valde opulentam et uberem: nolite negligere, nolite cessare. eamus, et possideamus eam, nullus erit labor.

And they said, Up! and let us go against Laish; for we have seen the land, and it is very good: why are you doing nothing? Do not be slow to go in and take the land for your heritage.

10 Intrabimus ad securos, in regionem latissimam, tradetque nobis Dominus locum, in quo nullius rei est penuria eorum, quae gignuntur in terra.

When you come there you will come to a people living without thought of danger; and the land is wide, and God has given it into your hands: a place where there is everything on earth for man's needs.

11 Profecti igitur sunt de cognatione Dan, id est, de Saraa et Esthaol sexcenti viri accincti armis bellicis,

So six hundred men of the Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol went out armed with instruments of war.

12 ascendentesque manserunt in Cariathiarim Iudae: qui locus ex eo tempore Castrorum Dan, nomen accepit, et est post tergum Cariathiarim.

And they went up and put up their tents in Kiriath-jearim in Judah: so that place is named Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is to the west of Kiriath-jearim.

13 Inde transierunt in montem Ephraim. Cumque venissent ad domum Michae,

From there they went on to the hill-country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

14 dixerunt quinque viri, qui prius missi fuerant ad considerandam Terram Lais, ceteris fratribus suis: Nostis quod in domibus istis sit ephod, et theraphim, et sculptile, atque conflatile: videte quid vobis placeat.

Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the country of Laish, said to their brothers, Have you knowledge that in these houses there is an ephod and family gods and a pictured image and a metal image? So now you see what to do.

15 Et cum paululum declinassent, ingressi sunt domum adolescentis Levitae, qui erat in domo Michae: salutaveruntque eum verbis pacificis.

And turning from their road they came to the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and said to him, Is it well with you?

16 Sexcenti autem viri ita ut erant armati, stabant ante ostium.

And the six hundred armed men of the Danites took their places by the doorway.

17 At illi, qui ingressi fuerant domum iuvenis, sculptile, et ephod, et theraphim, atque conflatile tollere nitebantur, et sacerdos stabat ante ostium, sexcentis viris fortissimis haud procul expectantibus.

Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the land, went in and took the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image; and the priest was by the doorway with the six hundred armed men.

18 Tulerunt igitur qui intraverant sculptile, ephod, et idola, atque conflatile. Quibus dixit sacerdos: Quid facitis?

And when they went into Micah's house and took out the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?

19 Cui responderunt: Tace, et pone digitum super os tuum: venique nobiscum, ut habeamus te patrem, ac sacerdotem. Quid tibi melius est, ut sis sacerdos in domo unius viri, an in una tribu et familia in Israel?

And they said to him, Be quiet; say nothing, and come with us and be our father and priest; is it better for you to be priest to one man's house or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?

20 Quod cum audisset, acquievit sermonibus eorum, et tulit ephod, et idola, ac sculptile, et profectus est cum eis.

Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the family gods and the pictured image and went with the people.

21 Qui cum pergerent, et ante se ire fecissent parvulos ac iumenta, et omne quod erat pretiosum,

So they went on their way again, putting the little ones and the oxen and the goods in front of them.

22 et iam a domo Michae essent procul, viri qui habitabant in aedibus Michae conclamantes secuti sunt,

When they had gone some way from the house of Micah, the men from the houses near Micah's house came together and overtook the children of Dan,

23 et post tergum clamare coeperunt. Qui cum respexissent, dixerunt ad Micham: Quid tibi vis? cur clamas?

Crying out to them. And the Danites, turning round, said to Micah, What is your trouble, that you have taken up arms?

24 Qui respondit: Deos meos, quos mihi feci, tulistis, et sacerdotem, et omnia quae habeo, et dicitis: Quid tibi est?

And he said, You have taken my gods which I made, and my priest, and have gone away; what is there for me now? Why then do you say to me, What is your trouble?

25 Dixeruntque ei filii Dan: Cave ne ultra loquaris ad nos, et veniant ad te viri animo concitati, et ipse cum omni domo tua pereas.

And the children of Dan said to him, Say no more, or men of bitter spirit may make an attack on you, causing loss of your life and the lives of your people.

26 Et sic coepto itinere perrexerunt. Videns autem Michas, quod fortiores se essent, reversus est in domum suam.

Then the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were stronger than he, he went back to his house.

27 Sexcenti autem viri tulerunt sacerdotem, et quae supra diximus: veneruntque in Lais ad populum quiescentem atque securum, et percusserunt eos in ore gladii: urbemque incendio tradiderunt,

And they took that which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people living quietly and without thought of danger, and they put them to the sword without mercy, burning down their town.

28 nullo penitus ferente praesidium, eo quod procul habitarent a Sidone, et cum nullo hominum haberent quidquam societatis ac negotii. Erat autem civitas sita in regione Rohob: quam rursum extruentes habitaverunt in ea,

And they had no saviour, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with Aram; and it was in the valley which is the property of Beth-rehob. And building up the town again they took it for their living-place.

29 vocato nomine civitatis Dan iuxta vocabulum patris sui, quem genuerat Israel, quae prius Lais dicebatur.

And they gave the town the name of Dan, after Dan their father, who was the son of Israel: though the town had been named Laish at first.

30 Posueruntque sibi sculptile, et Ionathan filium Gersam filii Moysi, ac filios eius sacerdotes in tribu Dan, usque ad diem captivitatis suae.

(And the children of Dan put up the pictured image for themselves; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites till the day when the ark was taken prisoner.)

31 Mansitque apud eos idolum Michae omni tempore, quo fuit domus Dei in Silo. in diebus illis nec erat rex in Israel.

And they put up for themselves the image which Micah had made, and it was there all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.