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 in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day [their lot] had not fallen to them for 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

And the children of Dan sent of their family five men of their whole number, men of valour, from Zoreah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to examine it; and they said to them, Go, examine the land. And they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

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

When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned in thither, and said to him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this [place]? and what hast thou 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 has Micah done to me; and he has hired me, and I am his priest.

5 rogaveruntque eum ut consuleret Dominum et scire possent an prospero itinere pergerent et res haberet effectum

And they said to him, Inquire, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way on which we go shall be prosperous.

6 qui respondit eis ite cum pace Dominus respicit viam vestram et iter quo pergitis

And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before Jehovah is your way on which ye go.

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

And the five men departed, and came to Laish; and they saw the people that were therein, dwelling securely, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and no one was in the land who possessed authority, that might put [them] to shame in anything; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had nothing to do with [any] man.

8 reversique ad fratres suos in Saraa et Esthaol et quid egissent sciscitantibus responderunt

— And they came to their brethren at Zoreah and Eshtaol. And their brethren said to them, What [say] ye?

9 surgite et ascendamus ad eos vidimus enim terram valde opulentam et uberem nolite neglegere 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; and ye are still! Be not slothful to go, to enter to 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 ye go in, ye shall come to a people secure, and the land is spacious in every direction; for God has given it into your hands; [it is] a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth.

11 profecti igitur sunt de cognatione Dan id est de Saraa et Esthaol sescenti viri accincti armis bellicis

And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zoreah and out of Eshtaol, 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 Kirjath-jearim, in Judah; therefore they call that place Mahaneh-Dan to this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.

13 inde transierunt in montem Ephraim cumque venissent ad domum Micha

And they passed thence to mount 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 therafin et sculptile atque conflatile videte quid vobis placeat

Then the five men that had gone to spy out the country of Laish spoke and said to their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? And now ye know what to do.

15 et cum paululum declinassent ingressi sunt domum adulescentis Levitae qui erat in domo Micha salutaveruntque eum verbis pacificis

And they turned thither, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, and inquired after his welfare.

16 sescenti autem viri ita ut erant armati stabant ante ostium

And the six hundred men of the children of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, stood at the entrance of the gate.

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 that had gone to spy out the land went up, entered in thither, [and] took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were girded with weapons of war.

18 tulerunt igitur qui intraverant sculptile ephod et idola atque conflatile quibus dixit sacerdos quid facitis

And these came into Micah's house, and took the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest said to them, What do ye?

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

And they said to him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be a priest for the house of one man, or to be priest for a tribe and a family in Israel?

20 quod cum audisset adquievit sermonibus eorum et tulit ephod et idola ac sculptile et cum eis profectus est

Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

21 qui cum pergerent et ante se ire fecissent parvulos et iumenta et omne quod erat pretiosum

And they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the baggage before them.

22 iamque a domo Michae essent procul viri qui habitabant in aedibus Michae conclamantes secuti sunt

They were already far from the house of Micah, when the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

23 et post tergum clamare coeperunt qui cum respexissent dixerunt ad Micham quid tibi vis cur clamas

And they cried to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

24 qui respondit deos meos quos mihi feci tulistis et sacerdotem et omnia quae habeo et dicitis quid tibi est

And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away; and what have I more? and what is this that ye say to me, What aileth thee?

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 thy voice be heard among us, lest men of exasperated spirit run upon you, and thou lose thy life and the lives of thy household.

26 et sic coepto itinere perrexerunt videns autem Micha quod fortiores se essent reversus est in domum suam

And the children of Dan went their way; and Micah saw that they were too strong for him, and he turned and went back to his house.

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

And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest that he had had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire.

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

And there was no deliverer, for it was far from Zidon, and they had nothing to do with [any] man; and it [lay] in the valley that is by Beth-rehob. And they built the city and dwelt therein.

29 vocato nomine civitatis Dan iuxta vocabulum patris sui quem genuerat Israhel 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; howbeit Laish was the name of the city at the first.

30 posueruntque sibi sculptile et Ionathan filium Gersan filii Mosi ac filios eius sacerdotes in tribu Dan usque ad diem captivitatis suae

And the children of Dan set up the graven image; and Jehonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses; he and his sons were priests to 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

And they set up for themselves Micah's graven image, which he had made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.