Iudicum 18

VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 In diebus illis non erat rex in Israël, et tribus Dan quærebat possessionem sibi, ut habitaret in ea : usque ad illum enim diem inter ceteras tribus sortem non acceperat.	1 In those days, there was no king in Israel. And the tribe of Dan sought a possession for themselves, so that they might live in it. For even to that day, they had not received their lot among the other tribes.
2 Miserunt ergo filii Dan stirpis et familiæ suæ 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 Michæ, requieverunt ibi :	2 Therefore, the sons of Dan sent five very strong men, of their stock and family, from Zorah and Eshtaol, so that they might explore the land and diligently inspect it. And they said to them, “Go, and consider the land.” And after traveling, they arrived at mount Ephraim, and they entered into the house of Micah. There they rested.
3 et agnoscentes vocem adolescentis Levitæ, utentesque illius diversorio, dixerunt ad eum : Quis te huc adducit ? quid hic agis ? quam ob causam huc venire voluisti ?	3 And they recognized the speech of the youth who was a Levite. And while making use of an inn with him, they said to him: “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? For what reason did you want to come here?”
4 Qui respondit eis : Hæc et hæc præstitit mihi Michas, et me mercede conduxit, ut sim ei sacerdos.	4 And he answered them, “Micah has offered me one thing and another, and he has paid me wages, so that I may be his priest.”
5 Rogaverunt autem eum ut consuleret Dominum ut scire possent an prospero itinere pergerent, et res haberet effectum.	5 Then they begged him to consult the Lord, so that they might be able to know whether the journey they undertook would be prosperous, and whether the matter would have success.
6 Qui respondit eis : Ite in pace : Dominus respicit viam vestram, et iter quo pergitis.	6 And he responded to them, “Go in peace. The Lord looks with favor on your path, and on the journey that you have undertaken.”
7 Euntes igitur quinque viri venerunt Lais : videruntque populum habitantem in ea absque ullo timore, juxta consuetudinem Sidoniorum, securum et quietum, nullo ei penitus resistente, magnarumque opum, et procul a Sidone atque a cunctis hominibus separatum.	7 And so the five men, going on, arrived at Laish. And they saw the people, living in it without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and peaceful, having hardly anyone to oppose them, and with great wealth, and living separately, far from Sidon and from all men.
8 Reversique ad fratres suos in Saraa et Esthaol, et quid egissent sciscitantibus responderunt :	8 And they returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, who questioned them as to what they had done. And they responded:
9 Surgite, ascendamus ad eos : vidimus enim terram valde opulentam et uberem. Nolite negligere, nolite cessare : eamus, et possideamus eam : nullus erit labor.	9 “Rise up. Let us ascend to them. For we have seen that the land is very wealthy and fruitful. Do not delay; do not refrain. Let us go out and possess it. There will be no difficulty.
10 Intrabimus ad securos, in regionem latissimam, tradetque nobis Dominus locum, in quo nullius rei est penuria eorum quæ gignuntur in terra.	10 We shall enter to those who dwell securely, in a very wide region, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, a place in which there is no lack of anything that grows upon the earth.”
11 Profecti igitur sunt de cognatione Dan, id est, de Saraa et Esthaol, sexcenti viri accincti armis bellicis,	11 And so, those of the kindred of Dan set out, that is, six hundred men from Zorah and Eshtaol, girded with the weapons of warfare.
12 ascendentesque manserunt in Cariathiarim Judæ : qui locus ex eo tempore Castrorum Dan nomen accepit, et est post tergum Cariathiarim.	12 And going up, they stayed at Kiriath-jearim of Judah. And so the place, from that time, received the name the Camp of Dan, and it is behind the back of Kiriath-jearim.
13 Inde transierunt in montem Ephraim. Cumque venissent ad domum Michæ,	13 From there, they crossed over to mount Ephraim. And when they had arrived at 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 theraphim, et sculptile, atque conflatile : videte quid vobis placeat.	14 the five men, who before had been sent to consider the land of Laish, said to the rest of their brothers: “You know that in these houses there is an ephod and theraphim, and a molten idol and a graven image. Consider what it may please you to do.”
15 Et cum paululum declinassent, ingressi sunt domum adolescentis Levitæ, qui erat in domo Michæ : salutaveruntque eum verbis pacificis.	15 And when they had turned aside a little, they entered the house of the Levite youth, who was in the house of Micah. And they greeted him with peaceful words.
16 Sexcenti autem viri ita ut erant armati, stabant ante ostium.	16 Now the six hundred men, who were all armed, were standing before the door.
17 At illi, qui ingressi fuerant domum juvenis, sculptile, et ephod, et theraphim, atque conflatile tollere nitebantur, et sacerdos stabat ante ostium, sexcentis viris fortissimis haud procul expectantibus.	17 But those who had entered the house of the youth strove to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. But the priest was standing in front of the door, with the six hundred very strong men waiting not far away.
18 Tulerunt igitur qui intraverant sculptile, ephod, et idola, atque conflatile. Quibus dixit sacerdos : Quid facitis ?	18 And so, those who had entered took away the graven image, the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. 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 Israël ?	19 And they responded to him: “Be silent and place your finger over your mouth. And come with us, so that we may have you as a father as well as a priest. For which is better for you: to be a priest in the house of one man, or in one tribe and family in Israel?”
20 Quod cum audisset, acquievit sermonibus eorum, et tulit ephod, et idola, ac sculptile, et profectus est cum eis.	20 And when he had heard this, he agreed to their words. And he took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven image, and he set out with them.
21 Qui cum pergerent, et ante se ire fecissent parvulos ac jumenta, et omne quod erat pretiosum,	21 And while traveling, they had also sent the children, and the cattle, and all that was valuable to go ahead of them.
22 et jam a domo Michæ essent procul, viri qui habitabant in ædibus Michæ conclamantes secuti sunt,	22 And when they were far from the house of Micah, the men who were living in the houses of Micah, crying out together, followed them.
23 et post tergum clamare cœperunt. Qui cum respexissent, dixerunt ad Micham : Quid tibi vis ? cur clamas ?	23 And they began to shout behind their backs. And when they had looked back, they said to Micah: “What do you want? Why are you crying out?”
24 Qui respondit : Deos meos, quos mihi feci, tulistis, et sacerdotem, et omnia quæ habeo, et dicitis : Quid tibi est ?	24 And he responded: “You have taken away my gods, which I made for myself, and the priest, and all that I have. And do you say, ‘What is it that you want?’ ”
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.	25 And the sons of Dan said to him, “Take care that you no longer speak to us, otherwise men with a mind for violence may overwhelm you, and you yourself would perish with all your house.”
26 Et sic cœpto itinere perrexerunt. Videns autem Michas quod fortiores se essent, reversus est in domum suam.	26 And so, they continued on the journey that they had begun. But Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he was, returned to his house.
27 Sexcenti autem viri tulerunt sacerdotem, et quæ supra diximus : veneruntque in Lais ad populum quiescentem atque securum, et percusserunt eos in ore gladii : urbemque incendio tradiderunt,	27 Now the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we stated above, and they went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and they struck them down with the edge of the sword. And they burned the city with fire.
28 nullo penitus ferente præsidium, eo quod procul habitarent a Sidone, et cum nullo hominum haberent quidquam societatis ac negotii. Erat autem civitas sita in regione Rohob : quam rursum exstruentes habitaverunt in ea,	28 For no one at all sent reinforcements, because they lived far away from Sidon, and they had no association or business with any man. Now the city was situated in the region of Rehob. And building it up again, they lived in it,
29 vocato nomine civitatis Dan, juxta vocabulum patris sui, quem genuerat Israël, quæ prius Lais dicebatur.	29 calling the name of the city Dan, according to the name of their father, who had been born of Israel, though before it was called Laish.
30 Posueruntque sibi sculptile, et Jonathan filium Gersam filii Moysi ac filios ejus sacerdotes in tribu Dan, usque ad diem captivitatis suæ.	30 And they established for themselves the graven image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, with his sons, were priests in the tribe of Dan, even until the day of their captivity.
31 Mansitque apud eos idolum Michæ omni tempore quo fuit domus Dei in Silo. In diebus illis non erat rex in Israël.	31 And the idol of Micah remained with them during the entire time that the house of God was in Shiloh. In those days, there was no king in Israel.