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 Dan sought a possession for themselves, so that they might live in it. For even to that day, they had not received their lot among the other tribes.

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,

Therefore, the sons of Dan sent five very strong men, of their stock and family, from Zorah and Eshtaol, so that they might explore the land and diligently inspect it. And they said to them, “Go, and consider the land.” And after traveling, they arrived at mount Ephraim, and they entered into the house of Micah. There they rested.

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 they recognized the speech of the youth who was a Levite. And while making use of an inn with him, they said to him: “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? For what reason did you want to come 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 answered them, “Micah has offered me one thing and another, and he has paid me wages, so that I may 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 begged him to consult the Lord, so that they might be able to know whether the journey they undertook would be prosperous, and whether the matter would have success.

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

And he responded to them, “Go in peace. The Lord looks with favor on your path, and on the journey that you have undertaken.”

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.

And so the five men, going on, arrived at Laish. And they saw the people, living in it without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and peaceful, having hardly anyone to oppose them, and with great wealth, and living separately, far from Sidon and from all men.

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

And they returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, who questioned them as to what they had done. And they responded:

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.

“Rise up. Let us ascend to them. For we have seen that the land is very wealthy and fruitful. Do not delay; do not refrain. Let us go out and possess it. There will be no difficulty.

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.

We shall enter to those who dwell securely, in a very wide region, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, a place in which there is no lack of anything that grows upon 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 so, those of the kindred of Dan set out, that is, six hundred men from Zorah and Eshtaol, girded with the weapons of warfare.

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 going up, they stayed at Kiriath-jearim of Judah. And so the place, from that time, received the name the Camp of Dan, and it is behind the back of Kiriath-jearim.

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

From there, they crossed over to mount Ephraim. And when they had arrived at the house of Micah,

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.

the five men, who before had been sent to consider the land of Laish, said to the rest of their brothers: “You know that in these houses there is an ephod and theraphim, and a molten idol and a graven image. Consider what it may please you 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 when they had turned aside a little, they entered the house of the Levite youth, who was in the house of Micah. And they greeted him with peaceful words.

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.

Now the six hundred men, who were all armed, were standing before the door.

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.

But those who had entered the house of the youth strove to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. But the priest was standing in front of the door, with the six hundred very strong men waiting not far away.

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?

And so, those who had entered took away the graven image, the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. And 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?

And they responded to him: “Be silent and place your finger over your mouth. And come with us, so that we may have you as a father as well as a priest. For which is better for you: to be a priest in the house of one man, or in one 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.

And when he had heard this, he agreed to their words. And he took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven image, and he set out with them.

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

And while traveling, they had also sent the children, and the cattle, and all that was valuable to go ahead of 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 far from the house of Micah, the men who were living in the houses of Micah, crying out together, followed them.

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

And they began to shout behind their backs. And when they had looked back, they said to Micah: “What do you want? Why are you crying out?”

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?

And he responded: “You have taken away my gods, which I made for myself, and the priest, and all that I have. And do you say, ‘What is it that you want?’”

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.

And the sons of Dan said to him, “Take care that you no longer speak to us, otherwise men with a mind for violence may overwhelm you, and you yourself would perish with all your house.”

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 so, they continued on the journey that they had begun. But Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he was, returned 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 struck them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

Now the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we stated above, and they went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and they struck them down with the edge of the sword. And they burned 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 lived in it.

For no one at all sent reinforcements, because they lived far away from Sidon, and they had no association or business with any man. Now the city was situated in the region of Rehob. And building it up again, they lived 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.

calling the name of the city Dan, according to the name of their father, who had been born of Israel, though before it was called 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.

And they established for themselves the graven image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, with his sons, were priests in the tribe of Dan, even until the day of their captivity.

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 the idol of Micah remained with them during the entire time that the house of God was in Shiloh. In those days, there was no king in Israel.