Judges 18 – KJV & CCBT

King James Version

Judges 18:1-31

1In 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 all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. 2And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, 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: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.18.2 men of: Heb. sons of 3When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 4And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. 5And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. 6And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.

7¶ Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.18.7 Laish: also called, Leshem18.7 magistrate: Heb. possessor, or, heir of restraints 8And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye? 9And they said, Arise, that we may 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 to possess the land. 10When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.

11¶ And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.18.11 appointed: Heb. girded 12And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim. 13And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.

14¶ 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. 15And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.18.15 saluted…: Heb. asked him of peace 16And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. 17And 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 in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. 18And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? 19And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine 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 unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? 20And 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. 21So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.

22And 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. 23And 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?18.23 comest…: Heb. art gathered together? 24And 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 unto me, What aileth thee? 25And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.18.25 angry: Heb. bitter of soul 26And 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.

27And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. 28And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein. 29And 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¶ And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 31And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

士師記 18:1-31

米迦和但支派

1那時以色列沒有王。支派的人正在尋找可以居住的地方,因為他們在以色列各支派中還沒有得到屬於自己的土地。 2支派的人從瑣拉以實陶派本族的五名勇士去打探、察看那個地方。他們吩咐說:「你們去察看那個地方。」他們到了以法蓮山區,在米迦家裡借宿。 3他們聽出那利未青年的口音,就問他:「誰帶你來這裡的?你在這裡做什麽?你為什麼在這裡?」 4那青年便把米迦聘他做祭司的事告訴了他們。 5他們說:「請你求問上帝,看看我們是否一路順利。」 6祭司說:「你們安心去吧,耶和華會一路眷顧你們。」

7五人啟程來到拉億,發現當地人像西頓人一樣無憂無慮,生活安寧,毫無防範,繁榮富足。他們離西頓很遠,與外界沒有來往。

8五人回到瑣拉以實陶後,族人問他們:「你們有什麼發現嗎?」 9他們回答說:「我們前去攻取那地方吧!我們已經打探清楚了,那地方非常好。你們還等什麼?要趕快去佔領那地方。 10你們到了那裡,會看見當地的居民毫無防範,那裡地大物博,一無所缺。上帝已經把那地方賜給我們了。」

11支派便從瑣拉以實陶派出六百個全副武裝的人。 12他們來到猶大 基列·耶琳的西邊安營。因此,那地方至今仍叫瑪哈尼·但18·12 瑪哈尼·但」意思是「但的軍營」。13然後,他們去以法蓮山區,來到米迦的家。

14偵察過拉億的五個人對其餘的人說:「你們知道嗎?這家有以弗得、一些家庭神像、一個雕刻的偶像和一個金屬鑄像。想一想我們該怎麼辦。」 15那五個人就進入米迦的家裡,到年輕的利未人房間向他問安, 16隨行的六百人帶著兵器留在門口。 17當時祭司也和那六百個全副武裝的人站在門口。那五個人進去拿走了雕刻的偶像、以弗得、家庭神像及金屬鑄像。 18祭司見那五人進入米迦家拿走雕刻的偶像、以弗得、家庭神像及金屬鑄像,就問他們:「你們在做什麽?」

19他們說:「安靜,別作聲,跟我們來做我們的師父和祭司吧。做以色列一個支派、一個宗族的祭司難道不比做一家人的祭司更好嗎?」 20祭司聽了非常高興,就帶著以弗得、家庭神像及雕刻的偶像跟隨了他們。 21他們轉身離去,兒女、牲畜和財物在隊伍的前面。

22他們離開米迦的家一段路後,米迦召集鄰居趕了上來, 23向他們大喊。支派的人轉身問米迦:「你們召集這麼多人來做什麽?」 24米迦說:「你們帶走了我的神像和祭司,把我洗劫一空,還問我想做什麽!」 25支派的人說:「別再多說了,不然我們當中性情暴躁的人會攻擊你們,使你全家喪命。」 26支派的人繼續趕路。米迦見對方人多勢眾,就回家去了。

27支派的人帶著米迦的神像和他的祭司來到拉億,那裡的人生活安寧,毫無防範。他們殺掉當地的居民,放火燒了城。 28拉億西頓很遠,當地的居民與外界沒有來往,以致孤立無援。這城位於伯·利合附近的山谷中,支派的人重建該城,住在那裡。 29這座城原來叫拉億,他們用祖先以色列的兒子的名字為該城重新命名。 30支派的人把神像豎立起來,又指派摩西的孫子、革舜的兒子約拿單及其子孫做支派的祭司,直到該城的人被敵人擄走為止。 31上帝的會幕設立在示羅期間,米迦的神像一直豎立在