Judges · Chapter 18

[ edit] In þo days was no kyng in Yrael; and þe lynage of Dan ſouȝte poſſeſſioun to hym, þat he myȝte dwelle in it; forſoþe vnto þat day amonge oþere lynagis he hadde takun no lot. Þanne ſenten þe ſones of Dannys ſtok, and of his meyne, fyue mooſt ſtronge men fro Saraa and Eſcahol, þat þei aſpien þe loond, and biſily biholden. And þei ſeiden to hem, Gooþ, and biholdiþ þe loond. Þe whiche, whanne goynge þei weren comen into þe hil of Effraym, and weren goon into þe hows of Myche, þei reſtiden þere. And knowynge þe voys of þe ȝonglynge Leuyte, and vſynge þe reſtynge place of hym, þei ſeiden to hym, Who brouȝte þe hidir? What here doſt þow? For what cauſe hidir come þou woldiſt?

Þe which anſwerde to hem, Þes þingis and þes þingis Mychas haþ ȝeuen to me, and me bi meed haþ hyrid, þat I be to hym a preeſt. And þei preiden hym, þat he ſhulde counſeyl þe Lord, and wite þei myȝten, wheþir welſum weye þei ſhulden goo, and þe þing ſhulde han effecte. Þe which anſwerde to hem, Gooþ wiþ pees, þe Lord haþ biholden ȝoure weye, and þe gaat þat ȝe goon. And ſo goynge þe fyue men camen to Lachis; and þei ſeen þe puple dwellinge in it wiþouten eny drede, after þe vſage of Sydonyes, ſikir and in reſt, no man to hem vtterli wiþſtondynge, and of greet ritcheſſis, and fer fro Sidon, and fro alle men ſeuerd.

And þei turneden aȝen to her briþeren in Saraa and Eſchahol; and what þei hadden doo to hem aſkynge, þei anſwerden, Ryſiþ, and ſtie we vp to hem; forſoþe we han ſeen þe loond ful riche and plenteuous; woliþ not leeue, woleþ not ceeſe, goo we, and weeld we it; no traueyle it ſhal be; we ſhulen goo into þe ſikyr, in to þe regyoun mooſt brood; and þe Lord ſhal taak to vs þe place, in which is ſcarſneſſe of no þing of hem þat ben goten in þe erþe. Þanne wenten of þe kynrede of Dan, þat is, of Saraa and Eſcahol, ſix hundrid men gird wiþ armes of werre.

And þei ſtiynge vp dwelliden in Cariaþiarym of Jude, þe which place fro þat tyme took name of þe Tentis of Dan, and is bihynde þe bak of Kyriaþiarym. Þens þei paſſiden into þe hil of Effraym; and whanne þei weren comen to þe hows of Myche, ſeiden þe fyue men, þat before hoond weren ſent to þe loond of Lachis to ben biholden, to her oþer briþeren, Knowe ȝe, þat in þes howſis be ephot, and þeraphyn, and grauen þing and ȝoten; ſeeþ what pleſiþ to ȝou. And whanne a litil þei hadden bowid doun, þei wenten into þe hows of þe ȝonglynge Leuyte, þat was in þe hows of Myche, and þei ſalutiden hym wiþ peſible wordis. Forſoþe ſixe hundrid men, ſo as þei weren armed, ſtoden before þe dore.

And þei, þe whiche weren goon into þe hous of þe ȝong man, þe grauen þing and ȝoten, and ephot, and þeraphyn þei enforſiden to taak; and þe preeſt ſtood before þe dore, þe ſixe hundrid men mooſt ſtronge not ferre abidynge. Þanne þo ilk þat entriden token þe grauen þing, ephot, and þe mawmettis, and þe ȝoten; to whom ſeide þe preeſt, What doon ȝe? To whom þei anſwerden, Whiſt, and put fynger vpon þi mouþ, and com wiþ vs, þat we han þee fader and preeſt. Wheþer is it beter to þee, þat þou be a preeſt in þe hows of o man, oþir in o lynage and meyne in Yrael? Þe which þing whanne he hadde herd, he aſſentyde to þe wordis of hem, and took ephot, and þe grauen þing, and mawmettis, and wiþ hem wente.

Þe whiche whanne weren goon, and before hem hadden maad children and beeſtis to goon, and al þat was precious, and now whanne fro þe hows of Myche þei weren ferre, þe men þat dwelliden in þe howſes of Myche, to gidre criynge folweden, and after þe bak bigunne to crien. Þe whiche whanne þei hadden beholdun, þei ſeiden to Myche, What to þee wolt þow? whi crieſt þow? Þe whiche anſwerde, My goddis þat I made to me, ȝe han takun, and a preeſt, and alle þingis þat Y haue; and ȝe ſeyn, What is to þee? And þe ſones of Dan ſeiden to hym, Be war, leſt eny more þou ſpeke to vs, and men ſtyred wiþ corage comen to þee, and þou þi ſilf wiþ al þin hows periſhe. And ſo þe bigunne weie þei wenten.

Forſoþe Mycha ſeynge, þat þei weren ſtrenger þan him ſelf, he turnyde aȝen into his hows. Forſoþe ſixe hundrid men token þe preeſt and þat we aboue ſeiden, and camen into Lachis to þe puple reſtynge and ſiker; and þei ſmyten hem in mouþ of ſwerd, and þe cite wiþ brennynge þei token, no man vtterly berynge ſokour, forþi þat ferre þei dwelten fro Sydon, and wiþ noon of men þei hadden eny þing of felawſhip and of erand. Forſoþe þe citee was ſet in þe regioun of Roob; þe which eft makynge out dwelliden in it; þe name of þe citee is clepid Dan after þe name of his fader, whom Irael gat, þe which before Lachis was ſeid.

And þei putten to hem a grauen þing, and Jonaþan, þe ſone of Gerſon, ſone of Moyſy, and þe ſones of hym, preſtis in þe lynage of Dan, vnto þe day of his chetifte. And þere dwellide anentis hem þe mawmet of Myche, al þe tyme þat þe hows of God was in Sylo.