Judges 18

1 In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of Dan sought them an inheritance to dwell in: for unto that day they had not received their lot among the other tribes.

2 So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.

So the children of Dan sent five most valiant men of their stock and family from Saraa and Esthaol, to spy out the land, and to view it diligently: and they said to them: Go, and view the land. They went on their way, and when they came to mount Ephraim, they went into the house of Michas, and rested there:

3 And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

And knowing the voice of the young man the Levite, and lodging with him, they said to him: Who brought thee hither? what dost thou here? why wouldst thou come hither?

4 “Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”

He answered them: Michas hath done such and such things for me, and hath hired me to be his priest.

5 Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”

Then they desired him to consult the Lord, that they might know whether their journey should be prosperous, and the thing should have effect.

6 And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”

He answered them: Go in peace, the Lord looketh on your way, and the journey that you go.

7 So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.

So the five men going on came to Lais: and they saw how the people dwelt therein without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and easy, having no man at all to oppose them, being very rich, and living separated, at a distance from Sidon and from all men.

8 When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”

And they returned to their brethren in Saraa and Esthaol, who asked them what they had done? to whom they answered:

9 They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!

Arise, and let us go up to them: for we have seen the land which is exceeding rich and fruitful: neglect not, lose no time: let us go and possess it, there will be no difficulty.

10 When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”

We shall come to a people that is secure, into a spacious country, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, in which there is no want of any thing that groweth on the earth.

11 So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.

There went therefore of the kindred of Dan, to wit, from Saraa and Esthaol, six hundred men, furnished with arms for war,

12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.

And going up they lodged in Cariathiarim of Juda: which place from that time is called the camp of Dan, and is behind Cariathiarim.

13 And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.

From thence they passed into mount Ephraim. And when they were come to the house of Michas,

14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”

The five men, that before had been sent to view the land of Lais, said to the rest of their brethren: You know that in these houses there is an ephod, and theraphim, and a graven, and a molten god: see what you are pleased to do.

15 So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.

And when they had turned a little aside, they went into the house of the young man the Levite, who was in the house of Michas: and they saluted him with words of peace.

16 The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.

And the six hundred men stood before the door, appointed with their arms.

17 And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.

But they that were gone into the house of the young man, went about to take away the graven god, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten god, and the priest stood before the door, the six hundred valiant men waiting not far off.

18 When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

So they that were gone in took away the graven thing, the ephod, and the idols, and the molten god. And the priest said to them: What are you doing?

19 “Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come 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 person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”

And they said to him: Hold thy peace and put thy finger on thy mouth and come with us, that we may have thee for a father, and a priest. Whether is better for thee, to be a priest in the house of one man, or in a tribe and family in Israel?

20 So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.

When he had heard this, he agreed to their words, and took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven god, and departed with them.

21 Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.

And when they were going forward, and had put before them the children and the cattle and all that was valuable,

22 After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.

And were now at a distance from the house of Michas, the men that dwelt in the houses of Michas gathering together followed them,

23 When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”

And began to shout out after them. They looked back, and said to Michas: What aileth thee? Why dost thou cry?

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

And he answered: You have taken away my gods which I have made me and the priest, and all that I have, and do you say: What aileth thee?

25 The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”

And the children of Dan said to him: See thou say no more to us, lest men enraged come upon thee, and thou perish with all thy house.

26 So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.

And so they went on the journey they had begun. But Michas seeing that they were stronger than he, returned to his house.

27 After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.

And the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we spoke of before, and came to Lais to a people that was quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword: and the city was burnt with fire,

28 There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.

There being no man at all who brought them any succour, because they dwelt far from Sidon, and had no society or business with any man. And the city was in the land of Rohob: and they rebuilt it and dwelt therein.

29 They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.

Calling the name of the city Dan after the name of their father, who was the son of Israel, which before was called Lais.

30 The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

And they set up to themselves the graven idol, and Jonathan the son of Gersam the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests in the tribe of Dan, until the day of their captivity.

31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.

And the idol of Michas remained with them all the time that the house of God was in Silo. In those days there was no king in Israel.