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 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.

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,

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.

3 in the house of Michaias, and they recognised the voice of the young man the Levite, and turned in there; and said to him, Who brought you in hither? and what do you in this place? and what have you here?

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?”

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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 you are still: delay not to go, an to enter in to possess the land.

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!

10 And whenever you shall go, you 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 lack of anything that the earth affords.

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.”

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

So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed 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.

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.

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

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

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

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.”

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.

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

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

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 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.

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 you doing?

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?”

19 And they said to him, Be silent, lay your hand upon your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: [is it] better for you 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?

“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?”

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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?”

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

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?’”

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

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.”

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

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

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 struck them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

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.

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 lived in it.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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