Judges 18

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Judges 18

1In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of Dan sought for itself an inheritance to inhabit, because no inheritance had fallen to it until that day in the midst of the tribes of the children of Israel.Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις οὐκ ἦν βασιλεὺς ἐν Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἡ φυλὴ Δὰν ἐζήτει ἑαυτῇ κληρονομίαν κατοικῆσαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐνέπεσεν αὐτῇ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ἐν μέσῳ φυλῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ κληρονομία.

2And the sons of Dan sent from their families five men of valour, from Saraa and from Esthaol, to spy out the land and to * search it; and they said to them, Go and search out the land. And they came as far as the mount of Ephraim to the house of Michaias and they lodged there,Καὶ ἀπέστειλαν οἱ υἱοὶ Δὰν ἀπὸ δήμων αὐτῶν πέντε ἄνδρας υἱοὺς δυνάμεως, ἀπὸ Σαραὰ καὶ ἀπὸ Ἐσθαὸλ τοῦ κατασκέψασθαι τὴν γῆν καὶ ἐξιχνιάσαι αὐτήν· καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς, πορεύεσθε καὶ ἐξιχνιάσατε τὴν γῆν· καὶ ἦλθον ἕως ὄρους Ἐφραὶμ ἕως οἴκου Μιχαία· καὶ ηὐλίσθησαν αὐτοὶ ἐκεῖ

3in the house of Michaias, and they recognized the voice of the young man the Levite, and turned in there; and said to him, Who brought you in hither? and what do you in this place? and what have you here?ἐν οἴκῳ Μιχαία, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπέγνωσαν τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ νεανίσκου τοῦ Λευίτου, καὶ ἐξέκλιναν ἐκεῖ· καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ, τίς ἤνεγκέ σε ὧδε; καὶ σὺ τί ποιεῖς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ; καὶ τί σοι ὧδε;

4And he said to them, Thus and thus did Michaias to me, and he hired me, and I became his priest.Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς, οὕτω καὶ οὕτως ἐποίησέ μοι Μιχαίας, καὶ ἐμισθώσατό με, καὶ ἐγενόμην αὐτῷ εἰς ἱερέα.

5And they said to him, Enquire now of God, and we shall know whether our way will prosper, on which we are going.Καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ, ἐπερώτησον δὴ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ γνωσόμεθα εἰ εὐοδωθήσεται ἡ ὁδὸς ἡμῶν, ἐν ᾗ ἡμεῖς πορευόμεθα ἐν αὐτῇ.

6And the priest said to them, Go in peace; your way in which you go, is before the Lord.Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ ἱερεὺς, πορεύεσθε ἐν εἰρήνῃ· ἐνώπιον Κυρίου ἡ ὁδὸς ὑμῶν, ἐν ᾗ πορεύεσθε ἐν αὐτῇ.

7And the five men went on, and came to Laisa; and they saw the people in the midst of it dwelling securely, at ease as is the manner of the Sidonians, and there is no one † perverting or shaming a matter in the land, no heir extorting treasures; and they are far from the Sidonians, and they have no intercourse with any one.Καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ πέντε ἄνδρες, καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Λαισά· καὶ εἶδαν τὸν λαὸν τὸν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς καθήμενον ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι, ὡς κρίσις Σιδωνίων ἡσυχάζουσα, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι διατρέπων ἢ καταισχύνων λόγον ἐν τῇ γῇ, κληρονόμος ἐκπιέζων θησαυροὺς, καὶ μακράν εἰσι Σιδωνίων, καὶ λόγον οὐκ ἔχουσι πρὸς ἄνθρωπον.

8And the five men came to their brethren to Saraa and Esthaol, and said to their brethren, Why sit you here idle?Καὶ ἦλθον οἱ πέντε ἄνδρες πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν εἰς Σαραὰ καὶ Ἐσθαὸλ, καὶ εἶπον τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτῶν, τί ὑμεῖς κάθησθε;

9And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good, yet you are still: delay not to go, and to enter in to possess the land.Καὶ εἶπαν, ἀνάστητε, καὶ ἀναβῶμεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς, ὅτι εἴδομεν τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀγαθὴ σφόδρα, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἡσυχάζετε, μὴ ὀκνήσητε τοῦ πορευθῆναι, καὶ εἰσελθεῖν τοῦ κληρονομῆσαι τὴν γῆν.

10And whenever you shall go, you shall come in upon a people secure, and the land is extensive, for God has given it into your hand; a place where there is no lack of ‡ anything that the earth affords.Καὶ ἡνίκα ἐὰν ἔλθητε, εἰσελεύσεσθε πρὸς λαὸν ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι, καὶ ἡ γῆ πλατεῖα, ὅτι ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν χειρὶ ὑμῶν· τόπος ὅπου οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ ὑστέρημα παντὸς ῥήματος τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ.

11And there departed thence of the families of Dan, from Saraa and from Esthaol, six hundred men, girded with weapons of war.Καὶ ἀπῇραν ἐκεῖθεν ἀπὸ δήμων τοῦ Δὰν ἀπὸ Σαραὰ καὶ ἀπὸ Ἐσθαὸλ, ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες ἐζωσμένοι σκεύη παρατάξεως.

12And they went up, and encamped in Cariathiarim in Juda; therefore it was called in that place the camp of Dan, until this day: behold, it is behind Cariathiarim.Καὶ ἀνέβησαν καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν Καριαθιαρὶμ ἐν Ἰούδα. διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ τόπῳ, παρεμβολὴ Δὰν, ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης· ἰδοὺ ὀπίσω Καριαθιαρίμ.

13And they went on thence to the mount of Ephraim, and came to the house of Michaias.Καὶ παρῆλθον ἐκεῖθεν ὄρος Ἐφραὶμ, καὶ ἦλθον ἕως οἴκου Μιχαία.

14And the five men who went to spy out the land of Laisa answered, and said to their brethren, You know that there is in this place an ephod, and theraphin, and a graven and a molten image; and now consider what you shall do.Καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν οἱ πέντε ἄνδρες οἱ πορευόμενοι κατασκέψασθαι τὴν γῆν Λαισὰ, καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, ἔγνωτε ὅτι ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ ἐφὼδ καὶ θεραφὶν καὶ γλυπτὸν καὶ χωνευτόν· καὶ νῦν γνῶτε ὅ, τι ποιήσετε.

15And they turned aside there, and went into the house of the young man, the Levite, even into the house of Michaias, and asked him § how he was.Καὶ ἐξέκλιναν ἐκεῖ, καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ νεανίσκου τοῦ Λευίτου, εἰς τὸν οἶκον Μιχαία, καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν εἰς εἰρήνην.

16And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan who were girded with their weapons of war ** stood by the door of the gate.Καὶ οἱ ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες οἱ ἀνεζωσμένοι τὰ σκεύη τῆς παρατάξεως αὐτῶν ἑστῶτες παρὰ θύρας τῆς πύλης, οἱ ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Δάν.

17And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered into the house of Michaias, and the priest stood.Καὶ ἀνέβησαν οἱ πέντε ἄνδρες οἱ πορευθέντες κατασκέψασθαι τὴν γῆν,

18And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphin, and the molten image; and the priest said to them, What are you doing?καὶ εἰσῆλθον ἐκεῖ εἰς οἶκον Μιχαία, καὶ ὁ ἱερεὺς ἑστώς. Καὶ ἔλαβον τὸ γλυπτὸν καὶ τὸ ἐφὼδ καὶ τὸ θεραφὶν καὶ τὸ χωνευτόν· καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ ἱερεὺς, τί ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε;

19And they said to him, Be silent, lay your hand upon your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for you to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?Καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ, κώφευσον, ἐπίθες τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα σου, καὶ δεῦρο μεθʼ ἡμῶν, καὶ γένου ἡμῖν εἰς πατέρα καὶ εἰς ἱερέα· μὴ ἀγαθὸν εἶναί σε ἱερέα οἴκου ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς, ἢ γενέσθαι σε ἱερέα φυλῆς καὶ οἴκου εἰς δῆμον Ἰσραήλ;

20And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the theraphin, and the graven image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.Καὶ ἠγαθύνθη ἡ καρδία τοῦ ἱερέως, καὶ ἔλαβε τὸ ἐφὼδ καὶ τὸ θεραφὶν καὶ τὸ γλυπτὸν καὶ τὸ χωνευτὸν, καὶ ἦλθεν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ.

21So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property and their baggage before them.Καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν καὶ ἀπῆλθον, καὶ ἔθηκαν τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὴν κτῆσιν καὶ τὸ βάρος ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν.

22They went some distance from the house of Michaias, and, behold, Michaias and the men in the houses near Michaias' house, cried out, and overtook the children of Dan.Αὐτοὶ ἐμάκρυναν ἀπὸ οἴκου Μιχαία, καὶ ἰδοὺ Μιχαίας καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις ταῖς μετὰ οἴκου Μιχαία ἐβόησαν, καὶ κατελάβοντο τοὺς υἱοὺς Δάν.

23And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Michaias, What is the matter with you that you have cried out?Καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν οἱ υἱοὶ Δὰν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν, καὶ εἶπαν τῷ Μιχαίᾳ, τί ἐστί σοι, ὅτι ἐβόησας;

24And Michaias said, Because you have taken my graven image which I made, and my priest, and are gone; and what have I remaining? and what is this that you say to me, Why cry you?Καὶ εἶπε Μιχαίας, ὅτι τὸ γλυπτόν μου, ὃ ἐποίησα, ἐλάβετε, καὶ τὸν ἱερέα, καὶ ἐπορεύθητε· καὶ τί μοι ἔτι; καὶ τί τοῦτο λέγετε πρὸς μὲ, τί κράζεις;

25And the children of Dan said to him, Let not your voice be heard with us, lest angry men run upon you, and †† take away your life, and the lives of your house.Καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ υἱοὶ Δὰν, μὴ ἀκουσθήτω δὴ φωνή σου μεθʼ ἡμῶν, μή ποτε συναντήσωσιν ὑμῖν ἄνδρες πικροὶ ψυχῇ, καὶ προσθήσουσι ψυχήν σου, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ οἴκου σου.

26And the children of Dan went their way; and Michaias saw that they were stronger than himself, and he returned to his house.Καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Δὰν εἰς ὁδὸν αὐτῶν· καὶ εἶδε Μιχαίας, ὅτι δυνατώτεροί εἰσιν ὑπὲρ αὐτόν· καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ.

27And the children of Dan took what Michaias had made, and the priest that he had, and they came to Laisa, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.Καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Δὰν ἔλαβον ὃ ἐποιησε Μιχαίας, καὶ τὸν ἱερέα ὃς ἦν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἦλθον ἐπὶ Λαισὰ, ἐπὶ λαὸν ἡσυχάζοντα καὶ πεποιθότα ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι· καὶ ἐπάταξαν αὐτοὺς ἐν στόματι ῥομφαίας, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐνέπρησαν ἐν πυρί.

28And there was no deliverer, because the city is far from the Sidonians, and they have no intercourse with men, and it is in the valley of the house of Raab; and they built the city, and lived in it.Καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ῥυόμενος, ὅτι μακράν ἐστιν ἀπὸ Σιδωνίων, καὶ λόγος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς μετὰ ἀνθρώπου· καὶ αὐτὴ ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι τοῦ οἴκου Ῥαάβ· καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν τὴν πόλιν, καὶ κατεσκήνωσαν ἐν αὐτῇ,

29And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; and the name of the city was ‡‡ Ulamais before.καὶ ἐκάλεσαν τὸ ὄνομα τῆς πόλεως Δὰν, ἐν ὀνόματι Δὰν πατρὸς αὐτῶν, ὃς ἐτέχθη τῷ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἦν Οὐλαμαῒς ὄνομα τῆς πόλεως τοπρότερον.

30And the children of Dan set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gerson son of Manasse, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan till the time of the carrying away of the §§ nation.Καὶ ἔστησαν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ υἱοὶ Δὰν τὸ γλυπτόν· καὶ Ἰωνάθαν υἱὸς Γηρσὼν υἱὸς Μανασσῆ αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἦσαν ἱερεῖς τῇ φυλῇ Δὰν ἕως ἡμέρας τῆς ἀποικίας τῆς γῆς.

31And they set up for themselves the graven image which Michaias made, all the days that the house of God was in Selom; and it was so in those days that there was no king in Israel.Καὶ ἔθηκαν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ γλυπτὸν ὁ ἐποίησε Μιχαίας, πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἃς ἦν ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν Σηλώμ· καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις οὐκ ἦν βασιλεὺς ἐν Ἰσραήλ.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 2*Or, survey or examine it.
• v. 7†Here probably διατρέπων and ἐκπιέζων both come under the Heb. מבליס and ἐκπιέζων and θησανροὺς both under עצר.
• v. 10‡Gr. of the things in the land or earth.
• v. 15§Gr. as to or concerning peace.
• v. 16**Lit. standing.
• v. 25††Lit. add. q.d. to the deeds already done.
• v. 29‡‡Heb. Ulamaish, or Laish of old.
• v. 30§§Gr. land.