Judges 18

1 In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of Dan sought for itself an inheritance to inhabit, because no inheritance had fallen to it until that day in the midst of the tribes of the children of Israel.

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 to that day [all their] inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.

2 And the sons of Dan sent from their families five men of valour, from Saraa and from Esthaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, Go and search out the land. And they came as far as the mount of Ephraim to the house of Michaias and they lodged there,

And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their borders, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to explore the land, and to search it; and they said to them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

3 in the house of Michaias, and they recognised the voice of the young man the Levite, and turned in thither; and said to him, Who brought thee in hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

When they [were] by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said to him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this [place]? and what hast thou here?

4 And he said to them, Thus and thus did Michaias to me, and he hired me, and I became his priest.

And he said to them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.

5 And they said to him, Enquire now of God, and we shall know whether our way will prosper, on which we are going.

And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

6 And the priest said to them, Go in peace; your way in which ye go, [is] before the Lord.

And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before the LORD [is] your way in which ye go.

7 And the five men went on, and came to Laisa; and they saw the people in the midst of it dwelling securely, at ease as [is] the manner of the Sidonians, and there is no one perverting or shaming a matter in the land, no heir extorting treasures; and they are far from the Sidonians, and they have no intercourse with any one.

Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that [were] in it, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and [there was] no magistrate in the land, that might put [them] to shame in [any] thing; and they [were] far from the Zidonians, and had no business with [any] man.

8 And the five men came to their brethren to Saraa and Esthaol, and said to their brethren, Why sit ye here [idle]?

And they came to their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said to them, What [say] ye?

9 And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and, behold, [it is] very good, yet ye are still: delay not to go, an to enter in to possess the land.

And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and behold, it [is] very good: and [are] ye still? be not slothful to go, [and] to enter to possess the land.

10 And whensoever ye shall go, ye shall come in upon a people secure, and the land [is] extensive, for God has given it into your hand; a place where there is no want of anything that the earth affords.

When ye go, ye shall come to a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where [there] is no want of any thing that [is] on the earth.

11 And there departed thence of the families of Dan, from Saraa and from Esthaol, six hundred men, girded with weapons of war.

And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

12 And they went up, and encamped in Cariathiarim in Juda; therefore it was called in that place the camp of Dan, until this day: behold, [it is] behind Cariathiarim.

And they went up, and encamped in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day: behold, [it is] behind Kirjath-jearim.

13 And they went on thence to the mount of Ephraim, and came to the house of Michaias.

And they passed thence to mount Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

14 And the five men who went to spy out the land of Laisa answered, and said to their brethren, Ye know that there is in this place an ephod, and theraphin, and a graven and a molten image; and now consider what ye shall do.

Then answered the five men that went to explore the country of Laish, and said to their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.

15 And they turned aside there, and went into the house of the young man, the Levite, [even] into the house of Michaias, and asked him how he was.

And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, [even] to the house of Micah, and saluted him.

16 And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan who were girded with their weapons of war stood by the door of the gate.

And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, who [were] of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

17 And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered into the house of Michaias, and the priest stood.

And the five men that went to explore the land went up, [and] came in thither, [and] took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men [that were] appointed with weapons of war.

18 And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphin, and the molten image; and the priest said to them, What are ye doing?

And these went into Micah's house, and brought the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest to them, What do ye?

19 And they said to him, Be silent, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: [is it] better for thee to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?

And they said to him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: [Is it] better for thee to be a priest to the house of one man, or that thou shouldst be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?

20 And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the theraphin, and the graven image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.

And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

21 So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property and their baggage before them.

So they turned and departed, and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the furniture before them.

22 They went some distance from the house of Michaias, and, behold, Michaias and the men in the houses near Michaias' house, cried out, and overtook the children of Dan.

[And] when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that [were] in the houses near to Micah's house were collected, and overtook the children of Dan.

23 And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Michaias, What is the matter with thee that thou hast cried out?

And they cried to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

24 And Michaias said, Because ye have taken my graven image which I made, and my priest, and are gone; and what have I remaining? and what [is] this [that] ye say to me, Why criest thou?

And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye have gone away: and what have I more? and what [is] this [that] ye say to me, What aileth thee?

25 And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard with us, lest angry men run upon thee, and take away thy life, and the lives of thy house.

And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows rush upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

26 And the children of Dan went their way; and Michaias saw that they were stronger than himself, and he returned to his house.

And the children of Dan departed: and when Micah saw that they [were] too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

27 And the children of Dan took what Michaias had made, and the priest that he had, and they came to Laisa, to a people quiet and secure; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

And they took [the things] which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came to Laish, to a people [that were] at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

28 And there was no deliverer, because [the city] is far from the Sidonians, and they have no intercourse with men, and it [is] in the valley of the house of Raab; and they built the city, and dwelt in it.

And [there was] no deliverer, because it [was] far from Zidon, and they had no business with [any] man; and it was in the valley that [lieth] by Beth-rehob. And they built a city and dwelt in it.

29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; and the name of the city was Ulamais before.

And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel: but the name of the city [was] Laish at the first.

30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gerson son of Manasse, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan till the time of the carrying away of the nation.

And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

31 And they set up for themselves the graven image which Michaias made, all the days that the house of God was in Selom; and it was so in those days [that] there was no king in Israel.

And they set up for themselves Micah's graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.