1 T here was no king of Israel in those days. At that time the family of the Danites was looking for their own land to live in. For no land had been given to them yet among the families of Israel.

Naqueles dias não havia rei em Israel; a tribo dos danitas buscava para si herança em que habitar; porque até então não lhe havia caído a sua herança entre as tribos de Israel.

2 S o the people of Dan sent five men from all those in their family. They were men with strength of heart, from Zorah and Eshtaol, sent to look over the land. The people of Dan said to them, “Go and look over the land.” And the men came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim. They stayed there.

E de Zorá e Estaol os filhos de Dã enviaram cinco homens da sua tribo, escolhidos dentre todo o povo, homens valorosos, para espiar e reconhecer a terra; e lhes disseram: Ide, reconhecei a terra. E chegaram eles ã região montanhosa de Efraim, ã casa de Mica, e passaram ali a noite.

3 W hen they were near the house of Micah, they heard the voice of the young man, the Levite. They knew who he was, and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?”

Pois, estando eles perto da casa de Mica, reconheceram a voz do mancebo levita; e, dirigindo-se para lá, lhe perguntaram: Quem te trouxe para cá? que estás fazendo aqui? e que é isto que tens aqui?

4 T he Levite said to them, “This is what Micah has done for me. He has hired me. I have become his religious leader.”

E ele lhes respondeu: Assim e assim me tem feito Mica; ele me assalariou, e eu lhe sirvo e sacerdote.

5 T hey said to him, “We beg you to ask God if all will go well for us as we travel.”

Então lhe disseram: Consulta a Deus, para que saibamos se será próspero o caminho que seguimos.

6 T he religious leader said to them, “Go in peace. The way you are going is pleasing to the Lord.”

Ao que lhes disse o sacerdote: Ide em paz; perante o Senhor está o caminho que seguis.

7 T hen the five men left and came to Laish. They saw how the people lived there, quiet and feeling safe, like the Sidonians. There was no ruler in the land who would put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians and had nothing to do with anyone.

Então foram-se aqueles cinco homens, e chegando a Laís, viram o povo que havia nela, como vivia em segurança, conforme o costume dos sidônios, quieto e desprecavido; não havia naquela terra falta de coisa alguma; era um povo rico e, estando longe dos sidônios, não tinha relações com ninguém.

8 T he five men returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol. Their brothers said to them, “What do you have to say?”

Então voltaram a seus irmãos, em Zorá e Estaol, os quais lhes perguntaram: Que dizeis vós?

9 T hey answered, “Get ready. Let us go up against them. For we have seen their land and it is very good. Will you sit and do nothing? Do not wait. Go into the land and take it.

Eles responderam: Levantai-vos, e subamos contra eles; porque examinamos a terra, e eis que é muito boa. E vós estareis aqui tranqüilos? Não sejais preguiçosos em entrardes para tomar posse desta terra.

10 W hen you go in, you will come to people who feel very safe. They have much land, but God has given it to you. It will be a place where you will have all you need on earth.”

Quando lá chegardes, achareis um povo desprecavido, e a terra é muito espaçosa; pois Deus vos entregou na mão um lugar em que não há falta de coisa alguma que há na terra.

11 T hen 600 men from the family of Dan, from Zorah and Eshtaol, went out ready for war.

Então seiscentos homens da tribo dos danitas partiram de Zorá e Estaol, munidos de armas de guerra.

12 T hey went to Kiriath-jearim in Judah and set up their tents. They called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is west of Kiriath-jearim.

E, tendo subido, acamparam-se em Quiriate-Jearim, em Judá; pelo que esse lugar ficou sendo chamado Maané-Dã, até o dia de hoje; eis que está ao ocidente de Quiriate-Jearim.

13 T hey went from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

Dali passaram ã região montanhosa de Efraim, e chegaram ã casa de Mica.

14 T hen the five men who had gone to look over the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are gods, a holy vest, and objects made to look like gods? So think about what you should do.”

Então os cinco homens que tinham ido espiar a terra de Laís disseram a seus irmãos: Sabeis vós que naquelas casas há um éfode, e terafins, e uma imagem esculpida e uma de fundição? Considerai, pois, agora o que haveis de fazer.

15 T hey turned there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, at the home of Micah. They asked him how he was getting along.

Então se dirigiram para lá, e chegaram ã casa do mancebo, o levita, ã casa de Mica, e o saudaram.

16 T he 600 men of the sons of Dan who were ready for war were standing by the gate.

E os seiscentos homens dos danitas, munidos de suas armas de guerra, ficaram ã entrada da porta.

17 T he five men who had gone to look over the land went in the house. They took the objects made to look like gods, the holy vest and the other gods. The religious leader stood by the gate with the 600 men who were ready for war.

Mas subindo os cinco homens que haviam espiado a terra, entraram ali e tomaram a imagem esculpida, e éfode, os terafins e a imagem de fundição, ficando o sacerdote em pé ã entrada da porta, com os seiscentos homens armados.

18 W hen the men went into Micah’s house and took the objects made to look like gods, the holy vest and the other gods, the religious leader said to them, “What are you doing?”

Quando eles entraram na casa de Mica, e tomaram a imagem esculpida, o éfode, os terafins e a imagem de fundição, perguntou-lhes o sacerdote: Que estais fazendo?

19 T hey said to him, “Be quiet. Put your hand over your mouth and come with us. Be a father and a religious leader to us. Is it better for you to be a religious leader to the house of one man, or to a family in Israel?”

E eles lhe responderam: Cala-te, põe a mão sobre a boca, e vem conosco, e sê-nos por pai e sacerdote. Que te é melhor? ser sacerdote da casa dum só homem, ou duma tribo e duma geração em Israel?

20 T he religious leader felt glad in his heart. He took the holy vest, the house gods and objects made to look like gods. And he went among the people.

Então alegrou-se o coração do sacerdote, o qual tomou o éfode, os terafins e a imagem esculpida, e entrou no meio do povo.

21 T hen they turned and left. They put the little ones, the animals and their riches in front of them.

E, virando-se, partiram, tendo posto diante de si os pequeninos, o gado e a bagagem.

22 T hey had gone a long way from the house of Micah. And the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and went after them. When they came to the sons of Dan,

Estando eles já longe da casa de Mica, os homens que estavam nas casas vizinhas ã dele se reuniram, e alcançaram os filhos de Dã.

23 t hey called out to them. The sons of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What is wrong with you? Why have you gathered together?”

E clamaram após os filhos de Dã, os quais, virando-se, perguntaram a Mica: Que é que tens, visto que vens com tanta gente?

24 M icah said, “You have taken away my gods which I made. And you go away with the religious leader. What do I have left? How can you say to me, ‘What is wrong with you?’”

Então ele respondeu: Os meus deuses que eu fiz, vós me tomastes, juntamente com o sarcerdote, e partistes; e agora, que mais me fica? Como, pois, me dizeis: Que é que tens ?

25 T he sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us. Or angry men will kill you and those of your house.”

Mas os filhos de Dã lhe disseram: Não faças ouvir a tua voz entre nós, para que porventura homens violentos não se lancem sobre vós, e tu percas a tua vida, e a vida dos da tua casa.

26 T hen the sons of Dan went on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him. So he returned to his house.

Assim seguiram o seu caminho os filhos de Dã; e Mica, vendo que eram mais fortes do que ele, virou-se e voltou para sua casa.

27 T he men of Dan took what Micah had made and the religious leader who had belonged to him. They came to Laish, to people who were quiet and felt safe. And they killed them with the sword. They burned the city with fire.

Eles, pois, levaram os objetos que Mica havia feito, e o sacerdote que estava com ele e, chegando a Laís, a um povo quieto e desprecavido, passaram-no ao fio da espada, e puseram fogo ã cidade.

28 T here was no one to take them away from their trouble, because it was far from Sidon and they had nothing to do with anyone. It was in the valley near Beth-rehob. The sons of Dan built the city again, and lived in it.

E ninguém houve que o livrasse, porquanto estava longe de Sidom, e não tinha relações com ninguém; a cidade estava no vale que está junto a Bete-Reobe. Depois, reedificando-a, habitaram nela,

29 T hey called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel. The name of the city had been Laish before.

e chamaram-lhe Dã, segundo o nome de Dã, seu pai, que nascera a Israel; era, porém, dantes o nome desta cidade Laís.

30 T he people of Dan set up for themselves the object made to look like a god. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were religious leaders to the family of Dan until the day their land was taken.

Depois os filhos de Dã levantaram para si aquela imagem esculpida; e Jônatas, filho de Gérsom, o filho de Moisés, ele e seus filhos foram sacerdotes da tribo dos danitas, até o dia do cativeiro da terra.

31 T hey set up the false god that Micah had made, while the house of God was at Shiloh.

Assim, pois, estabeleceram para si a imagem esculpida que Mica fizera, por todo o tempo em que a casa de Deus esteve em Siló.