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 them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day there had nothing been allotted unto them among the tribes of Israel for an inheritance.

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 from their whole number, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them: 'Go, search the land'; and they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, unto 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 aside thither, and said unto 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 unto them: 'Thus and thus hath Micah dealt with me, and he hath hired me, and I am become his priest.'

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

And they said unto him: 'Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we are going shall be prosperous.'

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

And the priest said unto them: 'Go in peace; before the LORD is your way wherein 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

Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put them to shame in any thing, and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no dealings with any man.

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

And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brethren said unto 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 are ye still? be not slothful to go and 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

When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and the land is large; for God hath given it into your hand; a place where there is no want; it hath every thing that is in the earth.'

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

And there set forth from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girt 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 Kiriath-jearim, in Judah; wherefore that place was called Mahaneh-dan unto this day; behold, it is behind Kiriath-jearim.

13 inde transierunt in montem Ephraim cumque venissent ad domum Micha

And they passed thence unto the hill-country of Ephraim, and came unto 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 answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren: 'Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.'

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

And they turned aside thither, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.

16 sescenti autem viri ita ut erant armati stabant ante ostium

And the six hundred men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by 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 went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.

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

And when these went into Micah's house, and fetched the graven image of the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto 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 unto 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 priest unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto 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

And 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

So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the goods before them.

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

When they were a good way from the house of Micah, 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 unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto 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 god which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? and how then say ye unto 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 unto him: 'Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life, with 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 when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto 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 whom he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt 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, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth 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 unto Israel; howbeit the name of the city was Laish 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 for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites 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 them up Micah's graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.