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 tribe of Dan sought for itself an inheritance to inhabit, because no inheritance had fallen to it until that day in the midst of the tribes of the children 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:

And the sons of Dan sent from their families five men of valour, from Saraa and from Esthaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, Go and search out the land. And they came as far as the mount of Ephraim to the house of Michaias and they lodged there,

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?

in the house of Michaias, and they recognized the voice of the young man the Levite, and turned in there; and said to him, Who brought you in hither? and what do you in this place? and what have 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, Thus and thus did Michaias to me, and he hired me, and I became his priest.

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

And they said to him, Enquire now of God, and we shall know whether our way will prosper, on which we are going.

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 in which you go, [is] before 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.

And the five men went on, and came to Laisa; and they saw the people in the midst of it dwelling securely, at ease as [is] the manner of the Sidonians, and there is no one perverting or shaming a matter in the land, no heir extorting treasures; and they are far from the Sidonians, and they have no intercourse with any one.

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

And the five men came to their brethren to Saraa and Esthaol, and said to their brethren, Why sit you here [idle]?

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, Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and, behold, [it is] very good, yet you are still: delay not to go, an to enter in to possess the land.

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

And whenever you shall go, you shall come in upon a people secure, and the land [is] extensive, for God has given it into your hand; a place where there is no lack of anything that the earth affords.

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

And there departed thence of the families of Dan, from Saraa and from Esthaol, six hundred men, girded with weapons 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 encamped in Cariathiarim in Juda; therefore it was called in that place the camp of Dan, until this day: behold, [it is] behind Cariathiarim.

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

And they went on thence to the mount of Ephraim, and came to the house of Michaias.

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.

And the five men who went to spy out the land of Laisa answered, and said to their brethren, You know that there is in this place an ephod, and theraphin, and a graven and a molten image; and now consider what you shall do.

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

And they turned aside there, and went into the house of the young man, the Levite, [even] into the house of Michaias, and asked him how he was.

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

And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan who were girded with their weapons of war stood by the door of the gate.

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.

And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered into the house of Michaias, and the priest stood.

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

And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphin, and the molten image; and 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 silent, lay your hand upon your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: [is it] better for you to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?

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

And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the theraphin, and the graven image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.

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

So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property and their baggage before them.

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

They went some distance from the house of Michaias, and, behold, Michaias and the men in the houses near Michaias' house, cried out, and overtook the children of Dan.

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

And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Michaias, What is the matter with you that you have cried out?

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

And Michaias said, Because you have taken my graven image which I made, and my priest, and are gone; and what have I remaining? and what [is] this [that] you say to me, Why cry you?

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, Let not your voice be heard with us, lest angry men run upon you, and take away your life, and the lives of your house.

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

And the children of Dan went their way; and Michaias saw that they were stronger than himself, and he returned 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 the children of Dan took what Michaias had made, and the priest that he had, and they came to Laisa, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

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 there was no deliverer, because [the city] is far from the Sidonians, and they have no intercourse with men, and it [is] in the valley of the house of Raab; and they built the city, and lived in it.

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

And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; and the name of the city was Ulamais before.

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 set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gerson son of Manasse, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan till the time of the carrying away of the nation.

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

And they set up for themselves the graven image which Michaias made, all the days that the house of God was in Selom; and it was so in those days [that] there was no king in Israel.