Iudicum 18
1 in diebus illis non erat rex in Israhel 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 the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
2 miserunt igitur 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 Micha requieverunt ibi
So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
3 et agnoscentes vocem adulescentis Levitae utentesque illius diversorio dixerunt ad eum quis te huc adduxit quid hic agis quam ob causam huc venire voluisti
And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4 qui respondit eis haec et haec praestitit mihi Michas et me mercede conduxit ut sim ei sacerdos
“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
5 rogaveruntque eum ut consuleret Dominum et scire possent an prospero itinere pergerent et res haberet effectum
Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
6 qui respondit eis ite cum pace Dominus respicit viam vestram et iter quo pergitis
And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
7 euntes itaque quinque viri venerunt Lais videruntque populum habitantem in ea absque ullo timore iuxta Sidoniorum consuetudinem securum et quietum nullo eis penitus resistente magnarumque opum et procul a Sidone atque a cunctis hominibus separatum
So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.
8 reversique ad fratres suos in Saraa et Esthaol et quid egissent sciscitantibus responderunt
When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
9 surgite et ascendamus ad eos vidimus enim terram valde opulentam et uberem nolite neglegere nolite cessare eamus et possideamus eam nullus erit labor
They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!
10 intrabimus ad securos in regionem latissimam tradetque nobis Dominus locum in quo nullius rei est penuria eorum quae gignuntur in terra
When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”
11 profecti igitur sunt de cognatione Dan id est de Saraa et Esthaol sescenti viri accincti armis bellicis
So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
12 ascendentesque manserunt in Cariathiarim Iudae qui locus ex eo tempore castrorum Dan nomen accepit et est post tergum Cariathiarim
They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.
13 inde transierunt in montem Ephraim cumque venissent ad domum Micha
And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
14 dixerunt quinque viri qui prius missi fuerant ad considerandam terram Lais ceteris fratribus suis nostis quod in domibus istis sit ephod et therafin et sculptile atque conflatile videte quid vobis placeat
Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”
15 et cum paululum declinassent ingressi sunt domum adulescentis Levitae qui erat in domo Micha salutaveruntque eum verbis pacificis
So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16 sescenti autem viri ita ut erant armati stabant ante ostium
The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.
17 at illi qui ingressi fuerant domum iuvenis sculptile et ephod et therafin atque conflatile tollere nitebantur et sacerdos stabat ante ostium sescentis viris fortissimis haut procul expectantibus
And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18 tulerunt igitur qui intraverant sculptile ephod et idola atque conflatile quibus dixit sacerdos quid facitis
When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, 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 et sacerdotem quid tibi melius est ut sis sacerdos in domo unius viri an in una tribu et familia in Israhel
“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”
20 quod cum audisset adquievit sermonibus eorum et tulit ephod et idola ac sculptile et cum eis profectus est
So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.
21 qui cum pergerent et ante se ire fecissent parvulos et iumenta et omne quod erat pretiosum
Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
22 iamque a domo Michae essent procul viri qui habitabant in aedibus Michae conclamantes secuti sunt
After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.
23 et post tergum clamare coeperunt qui cum respexissent dixerunt ad Micham quid tibi vis cur clamas
When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”
24 qui respondit deos meos quos mihi feci tulistis et sacerdotem et omnia quae habeo et dicitis quid tibi est
He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with 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
The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
26 et sic coepto itinere perrexerunt videns autem Micha quod fortiores se essent reversus est in domum suam
So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.
27 sescenti 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
After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.
28 nullo penitus ferente praesidium eo quod procul habitarent a Sidone et cum nullo hominum haberent quicquam societatis ac negotii erat autem civitas sita in regione Roob quam rursum extruentes habitaverunt in ea
There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
29 vocato nomine civitatis Dan iuxta vocabulum patris sui quem genuerat Israhel quae prius Lais dicebatur
They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
30 posueruntque sibi sculptile et Ionathan filium Gersan filii Mosi ac filios eius sacerdotes in tribu Dan usque ad diem captivitatis suae
The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 mansitque apud eos idolum Michae omni tempore quo fuit domus Dei in Silo in diebus illis non erat rex in Israhel
So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
