18:1 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.
18:2 So the Danites sent five warriors from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all their clans. They told them, “Go, explore the land.” The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
18:3 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?”
18:4 He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, “He has hired me and I am his priest.”
18:5 Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.”
18:6 The priest answered them, “Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD’S approval.”
18:7 So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, unsuspecting and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else.
18:8 When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “How did you find things?”
18:9 They answered, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen that the land is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate to go there and take it over.
18:10 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.”
18:11 Then six hundred men from the clan of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
18:12 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 to this day.
18:13 From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
18:14 Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image and a cast idol? Now you know what to do.”
18:15 So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him.
18:16 The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance to the gate.
18:17 The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance to the gate.
18:18 When these men went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
18:19 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?”
18:20 Then the priest was glad. He took the ephod, the other household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.
18:21 Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.
18:22 When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites.
18:23 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?”
18:24 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?’”
18:25 The Danites answered, “Don’t argue with us, or some hot-tempered men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
18:26 So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.
18:27 Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a peaceful and unsuspecting people. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city.
18:28 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.
18:29 They named it Dan after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel–though the city used to be called Laish.
18:30 There the Danites set up for themselves the idols, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land.
18:31 They continued to use the idols Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh.
18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance to dwell in, for unto that day the lot had not fallen for them on an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
18:2 So the children of Dan sent from their family five men from among all of them, men of valor, from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it out. And they said to them, Go and search out the land. And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah; and they lodged there.
18:3 When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite man, so they turned aside there and said to him, Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?
18:4 And he said to them, Such and such has Micah done for me; and he has hired me to be his priest.
18:5 And they said to him, Inquire now of God that we may know if our way on which we are going will be prosperous.
18:6 And the priest said to them, Go in peace; your way on which you are going is before Jehovah.
18:7 Then the five men left and came to Laish. And they saw the people who were in it, dwelling securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one in the land who possessed authority and might humble them in anything; and they were far from the Sidonians and had nothing to do with anyone.
18:8 And they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers said to them, What can you say?
18:9 And they said, Arise; and let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and it is very good. So do you sit still? Do not be slow about going and entering the land to possess it.
18:10 When you go, you will come to a secure people; and the land is very spacious. God has indeed delivered it into your hand, a place where nothing on earth is lacking there.
18:11 So six hundred men girded with weapons of war set out from there, from the family of Dan, from Zorah and Eshtaol.
18:12 And they went up and encamped in Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Because of this, that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; it is there behind Kiriath-jearim.
18:13 And they passed from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
18:14 Then the five men who had gone to spy the land of Laish answered and said to their brothers, Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod and teraphim and a sculptured idol and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you should do.
18:15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite man, the house of Micah; and they asked him concerning his welfare.
18:16 And the six hundred men of the children of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, stood at the entrance of the gate.
18:17 And the five men who had gone to spy the land went up and entered there to seize the sculptured idol and the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girded with weapons of war.
18:18 And when these men entered the house of Micah and seized the sculptured idol and the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?
18:19 And they said to him, Quiet down; put your hand over your mouth, and go with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one man or for you to be a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?
18:20 And the priest s heart was glad; and he took the ephod and teraphim and the sculptured idol, and went into the midst of the people.
18:21 And they turned and departed; and they put the little ones and the livestock and the goods before them.
18:22 When they were some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses that were near the house of Micah were gathered together; and they overtook the children of Dan.
18:23 And they called out to the children of Dan. And they turned and faced them and said to Micah, What is bothering you, that you have been gathered together?
18:24 And he said, You have taken away my gods that I have made, along with the priest, and have gone off. And what do I still have? How then can you say to me, What is bothering you?
18:25 And the children of Dan said, Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest men of fierce temper fall on you and you lose your life and the lives of your household.
18:26 And the children of Dan went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
18:27 So they took that which Micah had made and the priest that had been his, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.
18:28 And there was no one to deliver it; for it was far from Sidon, and they had nothing to do with anyone. Now it was in the valley that is by Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and dwelt in it.
18:29 And they called the name of the city Dan, according to the name of Dan their father who had been born to Israel. However the name of the city was Laish formerly.
18:30 And the children of Dan erected the sculptured idol; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons, became priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
18:31 Thus they set up the sculptured idol that Micah had made the whole time that the house of God was in Shiloh.