18:1 那时在以色列没有君王，同时丹支派仍在寻找居住的基地，因为直到那一天在以色列支派中，丹支派尚未得到基地。
At that time there was no king in Israel. Moreover the tribe of Danites were in search of a district to dwell in, for up to that time they had received no heritage among the tribes of Israel. 18:2 于是丹子孙从祚辣和厄市陶耳，由全家族中，派了五个勇敢的人去窥探侦察那地方，对他们说：「你们去侦察那地方!」他们到了厄弗辣因山地，来到米加的住宅，就在那里过夜。
So the Danites sent from their clan a detail of five valiant men of Zorah and Eshtaol, to reconnoiter the land and scout it. With their instructions to go and scout the land, they traveled as far as the house of Micah in the mountain region of Ephraim, where they passed the night. 18:3 他们在米加家附近，认出那少年肋末的声音，就过去向他说：「谁领你来到这里﹖你在这里作甚么﹖你在这里有甚么职务﹖」
Near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite and turned in that direction. "Who brought you here and what are you doing here?" they asked him. "What is your interest here?" 18:4 他回答说：「米加待我如此如此!他聘了我作他的司祭。」
"This is how Micah treats me," he replied to them. "He pays me a salary and I am his priest." 18:5 他们对他说：「你求问天主，使我们知道，我们将走的路顺利吗﹖」
They said to him, "Consult God, that we may know whether the undertaking we are engaged in will succeed." 18:6 司祭回答他们说：「你们平安去罢!上主必使你们所走的路顺遂。」
The priest said to them, "Go and prosper: the LORD is favorable to the undertaking you are engaged in." 18:7 于是那五个人就去了，来到拉依士，在那里看见城中的人民安居乐业，一如漆冬人一样，平安无虑，地产丰富，一无所缺；并且他们离漆冬又远，与阿兰也没有往来。
So the five men went on and came to Laish. They saw that the people dwelling there lived securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and trusting, with no lack of any natural resources. They were distant from the Sidonians and had no contact with other people. 18:8 当他们回到祚辣和厄市陶耳自己弟兄那里时，弟兄们问他们说：「你们带来什么消息﹖」
When the five returned to their kinsmen in Zorah and Eshtaol and were asked for a report, 18:9 他们回答说：「起来，让我们上到拉依士去，因为我们已察看过，那地真肥美，你们还等什么﹖不要再迟延，赶快去占领!
they replied, "Come, let us attack them, for we have seen the land and it is very good. Are you going to hesitate? Do not be slothful about beginning your expedition to possess the land. 18:10 到那里去，是到一个不设防的人民那里去，地面宽广辽阔；天主已把那地交在你们手中；那地方物产丰富，一无所缺。」
Those against whom you go are a trusting people, and the land is ample. God has indeed given it into your power: a place where no natural resource is lacking." 18:11 于是有六百丹支派的人，带着武器，从祚辣和厄市陶耳出发，
So six hundred men of the clan of the Danites, fully armed with weapons of war, set out from where they were in Zorah and Eshtaol, 18:12 经过山路，在犹大克黎雅特耶阿陵安营；因此，那地方直到今日叫作「丹营；」这地是在克黎雅特耶阿陵西面。
and camped in Judah, up near Kiriath-jearim; hence to this day the place, which lies west of Kiriath-jearim, is called Mahaneh-dan. 18:13 他们又从那里经过厄弗辣因山地，来到米加的住处。
From there they went on to the mountain region of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. 18:14 当时先去窥探那地的五个人，告诉弟兄们说：「你们知不知道，在此家内有「厄弗得、」「忒辣芬」和一尊神像﹖现在你们要决定该作什么。」
The five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household idols, and a carved idol overlaid with silver? Now decide what you must do!" 18:15 于是他们转入米加的住宅，来到少年肋末人的屋里，向他请安问好。
So turning in that direction, they went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him. 18:16 同时那六百丹人带着兵器站在门口，
The six hundred men girt with weapons of war, who were Danites, stood by the entrance of the gate, and the priest stood there also. 18:17 先去探地的那五个人就上去，进到里面，要拿那尊神像并「厄弗得」和「忒辣芬，」此时司祭和那六百个带武器的人站在门口。
Meanwhile the five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land went up and entered the house of Micah. 18:18 当那些人进入米加家里，拿那尊神像、「厄弗得」和「忒辣芬」时，司祭问他们说：「你们做什么﹖」
When they had gone in and taken the ephod, the household idols, and the carved idol overlaid with silver, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" 18:19 他们回答说：「不要作声，用手掩住你的口，跟我们去，作我们的师傅和司祭；你作一个人家的司祭好呢﹖还是在以色列中间作一个支派，一个家族的司祭好呢﹖」
They said to him, "Be still: put your hand over your mouth. Come with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the family of one man or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?" 18:20 司祭满怀高兴，遂带了「厄弗得、」「忑辣芬」和神像，到了那些人中间。
The priest, agreeing, took the ephod, household idols, and carved idol and went off in the midst of the band. 18:21 他们遂转身回去，把妇孺、牲口以及辎重放在前方。
As they turned to depart, they placed their little ones, their livestock, and their goods at the head of the column. 18:22 当他们离开米加的住宅相当远的时候，米加和米加家附近的人，都聚集起来，去追赶丹的子孙。
The Danites had already gone some distance, when those in the houses near that of Micah took up arms and overtook them. 18:23 他们向丹的子孙呼喊，丹的子孙回过脸来对米加说：「你叫喊什么﹖」
They called to the Danites, who turned about and said to Micah, "What do you want, that you have taken up arms?" 18:24 米加回答说：「你们把我所制的神像和司祭都带走，我还有什么呢﹖」怎么你们还向我说：你作什么﹖」
"You have taken my god, which I made, and have gone off with my priest as well," he answered. "What is left for me? How, then, can you ask me what I want?" 18:25 丹的子孙对他说：「不要再让我们听见你的声音，免得我们中间有暴燥的人打击你们，使你和你全家都丧失性命!」
The Danites said to him, "Let us hear no further sound from you, lest fierce men fall upon you and you and your family lose your lives." 18:26 此后，丹的子孙继续前行，米加见他们比自己强大，就转身回了家。
The Danites then went on their way, and Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he, returned home. 18:27 丹的子孙带着米加所做的神像和他私有的司祭，来到拉依士，到了一个平安无虑的人民那里，用刀剑杀戮了他们，放火烧了那城，
Having taken what Micah had made, and the priest he had had, they attacked Laish, a quiet and trusting people; they put them to the sword and destroyed their city by fire. 18:28 没有人来援救，因为拉依士离漆冬很远，与阿兰又没有往来。这城位于贝特勒曷布山谷中；丹的子孙重建这城，住在那里，
No one came to their aid, since the city was far from Sidon and they had no contact with other people. The Danites then rebuilt the city, which was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob, and lived there. 18:29 按他们的祖宗，以色列所生的儿子丹的名字，给这城起名叫丹；其实这城原先名叫拉依士。
They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, son of Israel. However, the name of the city was formerly Laish. 18:30 丹的子孙把那尊神像立起来，梅瑟的后裔，革尔雄的子孙约纳堂和他的子孙作丹支派的司祭，直到该地被掳掠的时日。
The Danites set up the carved idol for themselves, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his descendants were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the time of the captivity of the land. 18:31 天主的殿在史罗多少时日，米加所作的神像在丹支派中也立了多少时日。
They maintained the carved idol Micah had made as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.