士師記18:1-31

18:1 那時，以色列中沒有王。但支派的人仍是尋地居住；因為到那日子，他們還沒有在以色列支派中得地為業。
18:2 但人從瑣拉和以實陶打發本族中的五個勇士，去仔細窺探那地，吩咐他們說：「你們去窺探那地。」他們來到以法蓮山地，進了米迦的住宅，就在那裡住宿。
18:3 他們臨近米迦的住宅，聽出那少年利未人的口音來，就進去問他說：「誰領你到這裡來？你在這裡做甚麼？你在這裡得甚麼？」
18:4 他回答說：「米迦待我如此如此，請我作祭司。」
18:5 他們對他說：「請你求問上帝，使我們知道所行的道路通達不通達。」
18:6 祭司對他們說：「你們可以平平安安地去，你們所行的道路是在耶和華面前的。」
18:7 五人就走了，來到拉億，見那裡的民安居無慮，如同西頓人安居一樣。在那地沒有人掌權擾亂他們；他們離西頓人也遠，與別人沒有來往。
18:8 五人回到瑣拉和以實陶，見他們的弟兄；弟兄問他們說：「你們有甚麼話？」
18:9 他們回答說：「起來，我們上去攻擊他們吧！我們已經窺探那地，見那地甚好。你們為何靜坐不動呢？要急速前往得那地為業，不可遲延。
18:10 你們到了那裡，必看見安居無慮的民，地也寬闊。上帝已將那地交在你們手中；那地百物俱全，一無所缺。」
18:11 於是但族中的六百人，各帶兵器，從瑣拉和以實陶前往，
18:12 上到猶大的基列‧耶琳，在基列‧耶琳後邊安營。因此那地方名叫瑪哈尼‧但，直到今日。
18:13 他們從那裡往以法蓮山地去，來到米迦的住宅。
18:14 從前窺探拉億地的五個人對他們的弟兄說：「這宅子裡有以弗得和家中的神像，並雕刻的像與鑄成的像，你們知道嗎？現在你們要想一想當怎樣行。」
18:15 五人就進入米迦的住宅，到了那少年利未人的房內問他好。
18:16 那六百但人各帶兵器，站在門口。
18:17 窺探地的五個人走進去，將雕刻的像、以弗得、家中的神像，並鑄成的像，都拿了去。祭司和帶兵器的六百人，一同站在門口。
18:18 那五個人進入米迦的住宅，拿出雕刻的像、以弗得、家中的神像，並鑄成的像，祭司就問他們說：「你們做甚麼呢？」
18:19 他們回答說：「不要作聲，用手摀口，跟我們去吧！我們必以你為父、為祭司。你作一家的祭司好呢？還是作以色列一族一支派的祭司好呢？」
18:20 祭司心裡喜悅，便拿著以弗得和家中的神像，並雕刻的像，進入他們中間。
18:21 他們就轉身離開那裡，妻子、兒女、牲畜、財物都在前頭。
18:22 離米迦的住宅已遠，米迦的近鄰都聚集來，追趕但人，
18:23 呼叫但人。但人回頭問米迦說：「你聚集這許多人來做甚麼呢？」
18:24 米迦說：「你們將我所做的神像和祭司都帶了去，我還有所剩的嗎？怎麼還問我說『做甚麼』呢？」
18:25 但人對米迦說：「你不要使我們聽見你的聲音，恐怕有性暴的人攻擊你，以致你和你的全家盡都喪命。」
18:26 但人還是走他們的路。米迦見他們的勢力比自己強盛，就轉身回家去了。
18:27 但人將米迦所做的神像和他的祭司都帶到拉億，見安居無慮的民，就用刀殺了那民，又放火燒了那城，
18:28 並無人搭救；因為離西頓遠，他們又與別人沒有來往。城在平原，那平原靠近伯‧利合。但人又在那裡修城居住，
18:29 照著他們始祖以色列之子但的名字，給那城起名叫但；原先那城名叫拉億。
18:30 但人就為自己設立那雕刻的像。摩西的孫子、革舜的兒子約拿單，和他的子孫作但支派的祭司，直到那地遭擄掠的日子。
18:31 上帝的殿在示羅多少日子，但人為自己設立米迦所雕刻的像也在但多少日子。

In those days Israel had no king.

And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. ² So the Danites sent five of their leading men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all the Danites. They told them, “Go, explore the land.”

So they entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. ³ When they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

⁴ He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, “He has hired me and I am his priest.”

⁵ Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.”

⁶ The priest answered them, “Go in peace. Your journey has the Lord’s approval.”

⁷ So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, at peace and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous.^[a] Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else.^[b]

⁸ When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their fellow Danites asked them, “How did you find things?”

⁹ They answered, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate to go there and take it over. ¹⁰ When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever.”

¹¹ Then six hundred men of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. ¹² On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan^[c] to this day. ¹³ From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.

¹⁴ Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their fellow Danites, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, some household gods and an image overlaid with silver? Now you know what to do.” ¹⁵ So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him. ¹⁶ The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance of the gate. ¹⁷ The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance of the gate.

¹⁸ When the five men went into Micah’s house and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They answered him, “Be quiet! Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?” ²⁰ The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people. ²¹ Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.

²² When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. ²³ As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?”

²⁴ He replied, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”

²⁵ The Danites answered, “Don’t argue with us, or some of the men may get angry and attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” ²⁶ So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.

²⁷ Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a people at peace and secure. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. ²⁸ There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob.

The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. ²⁹ They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city used to be called Laish. ³⁰ There the Danites set up for themselves the idol, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses,^[d] and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. ³¹ They continued to use the idol Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh.

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    「那時以色列中沒有王」是整個《士師記》常常出現的一句話，其實以色列真的沒有王嗎？當然不是，因為耶和華是他們的王！正如《撒母耳記上8章7節》所敘述――耶和華對撒母耳說：「百姓向你說的一切話，你只管依從；因為他們不是厭棄你，乃是厭棄我，不要我作他們的王。」

    為何以色列人過得像沒有王的生活呢？因為他們一方面還尚未有制度上的建立，雖然他們有摩西的律法，卻仍然我行我素，不照律法的規定而行，所以就活得像沒有律法的國家一般。

    正如但支派的這一群人，將米勒所做的神像和他的祭司都帶到拉億，在那裏另族祭壇，更令人不解的是這個祭司還有特別的身分，正如經文所說：「但人就為自己設立那雕刻的像。摩西的孫子、革舜的兒子約拿單，和他的子孫作但支派的祭司，直到那地遭擄掠的日子。上帝的殿在示羅多少日子，但人為自己設立米迦所雕刻的像也在但多少日子。」

    這讓我們看見以色列人進入迦南地之後，是多麼失敗啊！我們真的要以此為鑑，上帝既然將這是寫在聖經，也是要警告我們這些上帝的兒女，不要活到這麼沒有見證！

    上帝既然將這樣的案例讓我們知道，就是要警戒我們，指引我們當行的路，若不聽從後果自負！但是，我們若覺得札心和有力量催逼我們不要如此行，就是聖靈的工作，更重要的是我們不要活得像沒有王的人，因為基督就是我們的君王、我們的主，聖經就是祂頒布的指導書，如此行就蒙祂喜悅，因為祂已經將我們從罪惡中拯救出來，要活出新生的樣式來彰顯上帝的榮耀！如此行，上帝的心意滿足了，我們才會喜樂滿足！