Judges 18

1 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 their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, 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 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 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 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before Jehovah 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 in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put them to shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with any man.8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?9 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 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 of anything that is in the earth.

11 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 And they went up, and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan, unto this day; behold, it is behind Kiriath-jearim.13 And they passed thence unto the hill-country of 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.15 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 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 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 And when these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What do ye?19 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 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 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the goods before them.22 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 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 And he said, ye have taken away my gods 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 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 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 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 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, 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 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 And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.31 So they set them up Micah’s graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

JUECES 18

Los danitas en busca de territorio

1 Era un tiempo en que no había rey en Israel. La tribu de Dan andaba buscandot un territorio donde establecerse, pues hasta entonces no le había correspondido ninguna heredad entre las tribus de Israel.t

2 Los danitas enviaron desde Sorá y Estaol a cinco hombres valientes de su tribu para que recorrieran el país y lo exploraran. Les encargaron:
— Vayan a explorar esa tierra.
Llegaron a la montaña de Efraín, cerca de la casa de Micá, y pasaron allí la noche.t

3 Como estaban junto a la casa de Micá, reconocieron la voz del joven levita, se le acercaron y le preguntaron:
— ¿Con quién has venido aquí? ¿Qué haces por estos pagos? ¿Qué se te ha perdido en este lugar?

4 El levita les respondió:
— Esto y esto ha hecho Micá por mí. Me ha tomado a sueldo y soy su sacerdote.

5 Ellos le dijeron:
— Consultat, entonces, a Dios a ver si tendrá éxito el viaje que hemos emprendido.t

6 Les respondió el sacerdote:
— Vayan en paz; el Señor mira con buenos ojos su viaje.t
7 Los cinco hombres partieron y llegaron a Lais. Vieron que las gentes de allí vivían seguras, tranquilas y confiadas, al estilo de los sidonios* y vieron también que no faltaba allí ningún producto de la tierra; por otra parte, estaban lejos de los sidonios y no tenían relaciones con los arameost.

8 Regresaron a Sorá y Estaol donde residían sus hermanos, y estos les preguntaron:
— ¿Qué noticias traen?

9 Ellos respondieron:
— ¡Ánimo! Vayamos contra ellos, porque hemos visto el país y es excelente. No se queden ahí quietos, sino pónganse en camino hacia aquella tierra para conquistarla.

10 Cuando lleguen, se encontrarán con un pueblo pacífico y un país espacioso: Dios se lo ha entregado a ustedes; es un lugar que no carece de nada de cuanto puede haber sobre la tierra.t

Migración de los danitas

13 De allí se dirigieron a la montaña de Efraín y llegaron a la casa de Micá.

14 Los cinco hombres que habían estado previamente explorando la tierra, tomaron la palabra y dijeron a sus hermanos:
— ¿No saben que en esta casa hay un efod, unos terafín, una imagen y un ídolo de metal fundido? Piensen, pues, lo que han de hacer.
15 Fueron allá y entraron en la casa de Micá, donde estaba el joven levita, y le dieron el saludo de paz. 16 Mientras los seiscientos hombres danitas con sus armas de guerra permanecían en el umbral de la puerta, 17 los cinco hombres que habían ido a explorar la tierra entraron en la casa y se apropiaron de la imagen, el efod, los terafín y el ídolo de fundición. Entretanto, el sacerdote estaba en el umbral de la puerta con los seiscientos hombres armados.

18 Aquellos, pues, que habían entrado en la casa de Micá, se apropiaron de la imagen, el efod, los terafín y el ídolo de fundición. El sacerdote les dijo:
— Pero ¿qué están haciendo?
Le contestaron:

19 — Calla, cierra la boca y ven con nosotros. Serás nuestro padre y nuestro sacerdotet. ¿O prefieres ser sacerdote de la casa de un particular a ser sacerdote de una tribu y de un clan de Israel?
20 Se alegró con ello el corazón del sacerdote, tomó el efod, los terafín y la imagen y se fue en medio de la tropa. 21 Reemprendieron el camino, colocando en cabeza a las mujeres, los niños, los rebaños y los objetos de valor. 22 Estaban ya lejos de la casa de Micá, cuando los de las casas vecinas a la casa de Micá dieron la alarma y salieron en persecución de los danitas.

23 Al oír los gritos de los perseguidores, los danitas miraron hacia atrás y dijeron a Micá:
— ¿Qué te sucede? ¿Por qué gritas así?

24 Respondió:
— Me han quitado mi dios, el que yo me había hecho, y me han arrebatado a mi sacerdote. Se marchan sin dejarme nada y encima me dicen: “¿Qué te sucede?”.

25 Los danitas le contestaron:
— Calla de una vez, no sea que algunos de los nuestros pierdan la paciencia y arremetan contra ustedes, con lo que tú y tu familia perderían la vida.

26 Los danitas siguieron su camino. Micá, por su parte, viendo que eran más fuertes, se volvió a su casa.

Toma de Lais. Fundación de Dan y de su santuario