民長紀:Chapter 18

民長紀:Chapter 18

民長紀	Judges
¹那時在以色列沒有君王，同時丹支派仍在尋找居住的基地，因為直到那一天在以色列支派中，丹支派尚未得到基地。	¹ At that time there was no king in Israel. Moreover the tribe of Danites were in search of a district to dwell in, for up to that time they had received no heritage among the tribes of Israel.
²於是丹子孫從祚辣和厄市陶耳，由全家族中，派了五個勇敢的人去窺探偵察那地方，對他們說：「你們去偵察那地方！」他們到了厄弗辣因山地，來到米加的住宅，就在那裏過夜。	²So the Danites sent from their clan a detail of five valiant men of Zorah and Eshtaol, to reconnoiter the land and scout it. With their instructions to go and scout the land, they traveled as far as the house of Micah in the mountain region of Ephraim, where they passed the night.
³他們在米加家附近，認出那少年肋未的聲音，就過去向他說：「誰領你來到這裏？你在這裏作什麼？你在這裏有什麼職務？」	³ Near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite and turned in that direction. "Who brought you here and what are you doing here?" they asked him. "What is your interest here?"
⁴他回答說：「米加待我如此如此！他聘了我作他的司祭。」	⁴"This is how Micah treats me," he replied to them. "He pays me a salary and I am his priest."
⁵他們對他說：「你求問天主，使我們知道，我們將走的路順利嗎？」	⁵They said to him, "Consult God, that we may know whether the undertaking we are engaged in will succeed."
⁶司祭回答他們說：「你們平安去罷！上主必使你們所走的路順遂。」	⁶The priest said to them, "Go and prosper: the LORD is favorable to the undertaking you are engaged in."
⁷於是那五個人就去了，來到拉依士，在那裏看見城中的人民安居樂業，一如漆冬人一樣，平安無慮，地產豐富，一無所缺；並且他們離漆冬又遠，與阿蘭也沒有往來。	⁷So the five men went on and came to Laish. They saw that the people dwelling there lived securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and trusting, with no lack of any natural resources. They were distant from the Sidonians and had no contact with other people.
⁸當他們回到祚辣和厄市陶耳自己弟兄那裏時，弟兄們問他們說：「你們帶來什麼消息？」	⁸When the five returned to their kinsmen in Zorah and Eshtaol and were asked for a report,
⁹他們回答說：「起來，讓我們上到拉依士去，因為我們已察看過，那地真肥美，你們還等什麼？不要再遲延，趕快去佔領！	⁹they replied, "Come, let us attack them, for we have seen the land and it is very good. Are you going to hesitate? Do not be slothful about beginning your expedition to possess the land.
¹⁰到那裏去，是到一個不設防的人民那裏去，地面寬廣遼闊；天主已把那地交在你們手中；那地方物產豐富，一無所缺。」	¹⁰Those against whom you go are a trusting people, and the land is ample. God has indeed given it into your power: a place where no natural resource is lacking."
¹¹於是有六百丹支派的人，帶着武器，從祚辣和厄市陶耳出發，	¹¹So six hundred men of the clan of the Danites, fully armed with weapons of war, set out from where they were in Zorah and Eshtaol,
¹²經過山路，在猶大克黎雅特耶阿陵安營；因此，那地方直到今日叫作「丹營」；這地是在克黎雅特耶阿陵西面。	¹²and camped in Judah, up near Kiriath-jearim; hence to this day the place, which lies west of Kiriath-jearim, is called Mahaneh-dan.
¹³他們又從那裏經過厄弗辣因山地，來到米加的住處。	¹³From there they went on to the mountain region of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
¹⁴當時先去窺探那地的五個人，告訴弟兄們說：「你們知不知道，在此家內有『厄弗得』、『忒辣芬』和一尊神像？現在你們要決定當作什麼。」	¹⁴The five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household idols, and a carved idol overlaid with silver? Now decide what you must do!"
¹⁵於是他們轉入米加的住宅，來到少年肋未人的屋裏，向他請安問好。	¹⁵So turning in that direction, they went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him.
¹⁶同時那六百丹人帶着兵器站在門口，	¹⁶The six hundred men girt with weapons of war, who were Danites, stood by the entrance of the gate, and the priest stood there also.
¹⁷先去探地的那五個人就上去，進到裏面，要拿那尊神像並「厄弗得」和「忒辣芬」，此時司祭和那六百個帶武器的人站在門口。	¹⁷Meanwhile the five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land went up and entered the house of Micah.
¹⁸當那些人進入米加家裏，拿那尊神像、「厄弗得」和「忒辣芬」時，司祭問他們說：「你們做什麼？」	¹⁸When they had gone in and taken the ephod, the household idols, and the carved idol overlaid with silver, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"
¹⁹他們回答說：「不要作聲，用手掩住你的口，跟我們去，作我們的師傅和司祭；你作一個人家的司祭好呢？還是在以色列中間作一個支派，一家族的司祭好呢？」	¹⁹They said to him, "Be still: put your hand over your mouth. Come with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the family of one man or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?"
²⁰司祭滿懷高興，遂帶了「厄弗得」和「忒辣芬」和神像，到了那些人中間。	²⁰The priest, agreeing, took the ephod, household idols, and carved idol and went off in the midst of the band.
²¹他們遂轉身回去，把婦孺、牲口以及輜重放在前方。	²¹As they turned to depart, they placed their little ones, their livestock, and their goods at the head of the column.
²²當他們離開米加的住宅相當遠的時候，米加和米加家附近的人，都聚集起來，去追趕丹的子孫。	²²The Danites had already gone some distance, when those in the houses near that of Micah took up arms and overtook them.
²³他們向丹的子孫呼喊，丹的子孫回過臉來對米加說：「你叫喊什麼？」	²³They called to the Danites, who turned about and said to Micah, "What do you want, that you have taken up arms?"
²⁴米加回答說：「你們把我所製的神像和司祭都帶走，我還有什麼呢？怎麼你們還向我說：你作什麼？」	²⁴"You have taken my god, which I made, and have gone off with my priest as well," he answered. "What is left for me? How, then, can you ask me what I want?"
²⁵丹的子孫對他說：「不要再讓我們聽見你的聲音，免得我們中間有暴燥的人打擊你們，使你和你全家都喪失性命！」	²⁵The Danites said to him, "Let us hear no further sound from you, lest fierce men fall upon you and you and your family lose your lives."
²⁶此後，丹的子孫繼續前行，米加見他們比自己強大，就轉身回了家。	²⁶The Danites then went on their way, and Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he, returned home.
²⁷丹的子孫帶着米加所做的神像和他私有的司祭，來到拉依士，到了一個平安無慮的人民那裏，用刀劍殺戮了他們，放火燒了那城，	²⁷Having taken what Micah had made, and the priest he had had, they attacked Laish, a quiet and trusting people; they put them to the sword and destroyed their city by fire.
²⁸沒有人來援救，因為拉依士離漆冬很遠，與阿蘭又沒有往來。這城位於貝特勒曷布山谷中；丹的子孫重建這城，住在那裏，	²⁸No one came to their aid, since the city was far from Sidon and they had no contact with other people. The Danites then rebuilt the city, which was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob, and lived there.
²⁹按他們的祖宗，以色列所生的兒子丹的名字，給這城起名叫丹；其實這城原先名叫拉依士。	²⁹They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, son of Israel. However, the name of the city was formerly Laish.
³⁰丹的子孫把那尊神像立起來，梅瑟的後裔，革爾雄的子孫約納堂和他的子孫作丹支派的司祭，直到該地被擄掠的時日。	³⁰ The Danites set up the carved idol for themselves, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his descendants were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the time of the captivity of the land.
³¹天主的殿在史羅多少時日，米加所作的神像在丹支派中也立了多少時日。	³¹They maintained the carved idol Micah had made as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.