1 These things happened before kings ruled Israel.
The Tribe of Dan Takes Micah's Priest and Idols
About this time, the tribe of Dan was looking for a place to live. The other tribes had land, but the people of Dan did not really have any to call their own. 2 The tribe chose five warriors to represent their clans and told them, “Go and find some land where we can live.”
The warriors left the area of Zorah and Eshtaol and went into the hill country of Ephraim. One night they stayed at Micah's house, 3 because they heard the young Levite talking, and they knew from his accent that he was from the south. They asked him, “What are you doing here? Who brought you here?”
4 The Levite replied, “Micah hired me as his priest.” Then he told them how well Micah had treated him.
5 “Please talk to God for us,” the men said. “Ask God if we will be successful in what we are trying to do.”
6 “Don't worry,” answered the priest. “The Lord is pleased with what you are doing.”
7 The five men left and went to the town of Laish, whose people were from Sidon, but Sidon was too far away to protect them. Even though their town had no walls, the people thought they were safe from attack. So they had not asked anyone else for protection, which meant that the tribe of Dan could easily take over Laish.
8 The five men went back to Zorah and Eshtaol, where their relatives asked, “Did you find any land?”
9-10 “Let's go!” the five men said. “We saw some very good land with enough room for all of us, and it has everything we will ever need. What are you waiting for? Let's attack and take it. You'll find that the people think they're safe, but God is giving the land to us.”
11 Six hundred men from the tribe of Dan strapped on their weapons and left Zorah and Eshtaol with their families. 12 One night they camped near Kiriath-Jearim in the territory of Judah, and that's why the place just west of Kiriath-Jearim is still known as Dan's Camp. 13 Then they went into the hill country of Ephraim.
When they came close to Micah's house, 14 the five men who had been spies asked the other warriors, “Did you know that someone in this village has several idols and a sacred priestly vest? What do you think we should do about it?”
15-18 The 600 warriors left the road and went to the house on Micah's property where the young Levite priest lived. They stood at the gate and greeted the priest. Meanwhile, the five men who had been there before went into Micah's house and took the sacred priestly vest and the idols.
“Hey!” the priest shouted. “What do you think you're doing?”
19 “Quiet!” the men said. “Keep your mouth shut and listen. Why don't you come with us and be our priest, so you can tell us what God wants us to do? You could stay here and be a priest for one man's family, but wouldn't you rather be the priest for a clan or even a whole tribe of Israel?”
20 The priest really liked that idea. So he took the vest and the idols and joined the others 21 from the tribe of Dan. Then they turned and left, after putting their children, their cattle, and the rest of their other possessions in front.
22 They had traveled for some time before Micah asked his neighbors to help him get his things back. He and his men caught up with the people of Dan 23 and shouted for them to stop.
They turned to face him and asked, “What's wrong? Why did you bring all these men?”
24 Micah answered, “You know what's wrong. You stole the gods I made, and you took my priest. I don't have anything left.”
25 “We don't want to hear any more about it,” the people of Dan said. “And if you make us angry, you'll only get yourself and your family killed.” 26 After saying this, they turned and left.
Micah realized there was no way he could win a fight with them, and so he went back home.
The Tribe of Dan Captures Laish
27-28 The tribe of Dan took Micah's priest and the things Micah had made, and headed for Laish, which was located in a valley controlled by the town of Beth-Rehob. Laish was defenseless, because it had no walls and was too far from Sidon for the Sidonians to help defend it. The leaders of Laish had not even asked nearby towns to help them in case of an attack.
The warriors from Dan made a surprise attack on Laish, killing everyone and burning it down. Then they rebuilt the town and settled there themselves. 29 But they named it Dan, after one of Israel's sons, who was the ancestor of their tribe.
30-31 Even though the place of worship was in Shiloh, the people of Dan set up the idol Micah had made. They worshiped the idol, and the Levite was their priest. His name was Jonathan, and he was a descendant of Gershom the son of Moses. His descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan, until the people of Israel were taken away as prisoners by their enemies.
ميخا وقبـيلة دان
1 وفي تِلكَ الأيّامِ لم يكُنْ لإسرائيلَ مَلِكٌ. وكانَت قبـيلةُ دانَ في تِلكَ الأيّامِ تَطلُبُ مكانا لِلسُّكنى، لأنَّها إلى ذلِكَ اليومِ لم تكُن نالَت نصيـبا بَينَ قَبائِلِ بَني إِسرائيلَ. 2 فأرسلَ بَنو دانَ مِنْ قَبـيلتِهِم خمسةَ رِجالٍ أشِدَّاءَ مِنْ صَرْعَةَ وأشتَأولَ لِـيكشِفوا الأرضَ ويَفحَصوها، وقالوا لهُم: «إذهَبوا وتَفَحَّصوا الأرضَ». فجاؤوا إلى جبَلِ أفرايمَ، إلى بَيتِ ميخا، وباتوا هُناكَ. 3 وبَينَما كانوا في بَيتِ ميخا، عرَفوا صوتَ الفتى اللاَّويِّ، فاقتَرَبوا مِنهُ وسألوهُ: «مَنْ جاءَ بِكَ إلى هُنا؟ وماذا تفعَلُ في هذا المكانِ؟ وما عَلاقَتُكَ بهِ؟» 4 فأجابَهُم: «صنَعَ لي ميخا كذا وكذا، واستَخدَمَني، فصِرْتُ لَه كاهنا». 5 فقالوا لَه: «إسألْ لنا اللهَ، فنَعلَمَ إنْ كُنا سنَنجَحُ في طريقِنا الّتي نحنُ سائِرونَ فيها؟» 6 فقالَ لهُم: «سِيروا بأمانٍ، فالطَّريقُ الّتي أنتُم سالِكونَ فيها يَرعاها الرّبُّ».
7 فمَضى الرِّجالُ الخمسةُ وجاؤوا إلى لايشَ ورَأَوا شعبَها هادِئينَ مُطمَئنِّينَ كالصَّيدونيِّينَ. كانوا آمِنينَ هانِئينَ لا شيءَ يُزعِجُهُم في أرضِهِم ولا مَنْ يتَسَلَّطُ علَيهِم. وكانوا بعيدينَ مِنَ الصَّيدونيِّينَ ولا عَلاقَةَ لهُم بأحدٍ. 8 فرَجَعوا إلى قبـيلتِهِم في صَرْعَةَ وأشتأولَ، فسألهُم رِجالُها: «ما الخبَرُ؟» 9 فأجابوهُم: «قوموا لِمُحاربةِ أهلِ لايشَ لأنَّنا رأينا أرضَهُم صالِحةً جِدًّا، فلا تـتَهاوَنوا ولا تَتكاسَلوا عَنِ المَسيرِ لِتدخُلوها وتَمتَلِكوها. 10 فيها تَجِدونَ شعبا مُطمَئنًّا، وبِلادا واسِعةً وها الرّبُّ سَلَّمَها إلى أيديكُم، وهيَ مكانٌ لا يُعوِزُهُ شيءٌ في الأرضِ».
11 فارتَحَلَ مِنْ قبـيلةِ دانَ، مِنْ صَرْعَةَ وأشتأولَ، ستُّ مئةِ رَجُلٍ مُدَجَّجينَ بِالسِّلاحِ، 12 وخيَّموا عِندَ قريةِ يَعاريمَ في يَهوذا، ولِذلِكَ دُعيَ ذلِكَ المَوضِعُ مَحلَّةَ دانَ إلى هذا اليومِ، وهو غربـيَّ قريةِ يَعاريمَ. 13 وعَبَروا مِنْ هُناكَ إلى جبَلِ أفرايمَ ودَخَلوا بَيتَ ميخا.
14 فتَكلَّمَ الرِّجالُ الخمسةُ الّذينَ ذهَبوا لِـيَتَفَحَّصوا لايشَ وقالوا لأبناءِ قبـيلتِهِم: «أتَعلمونَ أنَّ في هذِهِ البُيوتِ أفودا وتَرافيمَ وصنَما مَسبوكا؟ فاعرِفوا الآنَ ماذا تفعلونَ». 15 فمالوا إلى هُناكَ، إلى بَيتِ ميخا وسَلَّموا على الفتى اللاَّويِّ. 16 ووَقَفَ الستُّ مئةِ رَجُلٍ المُدَجَّجونَ بِالسِّلاحِ عِندَ مَدخَلِ البابِ وهُم مِنْ بَني دانَ. 17 وصَعِدَ الرِّجالُ الخمسةُ الّذينَ تَفَحَّصوا الأرضَ ودخَلوا إلى هُناكَ وأخَذوا الصَّنَمَ المَسبوكَ والأفودَ والتَّرافيمَ بَينَما الكاهنُ واقِفٌ عِندَ مدخَلِ البابِ معَ السِتِّ مئةِ رَجُلٍ المُسلَّحينَ بِــعُدَّةَ الحربِ. 18 فلمَّا دخَلَ أولئكَ الرِّجالُ الخمسةُ بَيتَ ميخا وأخَذوا ما أخَذوهُ سألَهُمُ الكاهنُ: «ماذا تَفعلونَ؟» 19 فأجابوا: «أُسكُتْ. ضَعْ يدَكَ على فَمِكَ واذهَبْ معَنا وكُنْ لنا مُشيرا وكاهنا. أنْ تكونَ كاهنا لِسبْطٍ أو عَشيرَةٍ في إِسرائيلَ خَيرٌ لكَ مِنْ أنْ تكونَ كاهنا لِبـيتِ رَجُلٍ واحدٍ». 20 وفَرِحَ الكاهنُ وأخذَ الأفودَ والتَّرافيمَ والصَّنَمَ المَسبوكَ والتَحَقَ بِهِم. 21 ثُمَّ انصَرفوا وساقوا الأطفالَ والماشيةَ وكُلَّ ثَمينٍ قُدَّامَهُم.
22 فلمَّا ابْتَعَدوا عَنْ بَيتِ ميخا اجتَمَعَ الرِّجالُ الّذينَ كانوا في البُيوتِ، بِالقُربِ مِنْ بَيتِ ميخا، ولَحِقوا بِبَني دانَ 23 وصاحوا بِهِم. فالتَفَتَ بَنو دانَ وقالوا لميخا: «ما لكَ تصرُخُ؟» 24 فأجابَهُم: «آلِهَتي الّتي صنَعتُها أخَذتُموها معَ الكاهنِ وذهَبتُم، فماذا بَقيَ لي؟ وتقولونَ لي: ما لكَ؟» 25 فقالَ لَه بَنو دانَ: «لا تُسمِعْنا صوتَكَ، لِئلاَّ يغضَبَ هؤلاءِ الرِّجالُ، فتَهلِكَ أنتَ وأهلُ بَيتِكَ». 26 ومضى بَنو دانَ في سبـيلِهِم. وحينَ رأى ميخا أنَّهُم أقوى مِنهُ عادَ إلى بَيتِهِ.
27 وبَعدَ أنْ أخذَ بَنو دانَ، ما صنَعَ ميخا وكاهنُهُ جاؤوا إلى لايشَ، إلى شعبٍ هادِئٍ مُطمئِنٍّ، فضَربوهُم بِـحَدِّ السَّيفِ وأحرَقوا المدينةَ بِالنَّارِ. 28 ولم يكُن لهُم مُنقِذٌ، لأنَّ المدينةَ بعيدةٌ مِنْ صَيدونَ، ولَم يكُن بَينَهُم وبَينَ أحدٍ عَلاقَةٌ. وكانَتِ المدينةُ في الوادي الّذي لِبَيتِ رَحوبَ، فأعادَ بَنو دانَ بِناءَ المدينةِ وسكَنوها. 29 وسَمَّوا المدينةَ دانَ باسْمِ دانَ أبـيهِم الّذي وُلِدَ لإسرائيلَ، وكانَ اسمُها قَبلَ ذلِكَ لايشَ. 30 ونصَبوا الصَّنَمَ المَسبوكَ، وظَلَّ يوناثانُ بنُ جَرشومَ بنِ منَسَّى، هوَ وبَنوهُ، كهَنةً لِعَشيرةِ بَني دانَ إلى يومِ سَبـيِهِم. 31 وبَقيَ عِندَهُم صَنَمُ ميخا المَسبوكُ طُولَ الأيّامِ الّتي كانَ فيها بَيتُ اللهِ في شيلوهَ.
