Judges 18
1 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.
At that time Israel didn't have a king. The tribe of Dan was looking for territory where they could live, because up until then they hadn't gained possession of the land granted to them among the tribes of Israel.
2 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:
So the Danites chose from among them five leading men from Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. When the men came to the hill country of Ephraim, they arrived at Micah's house where they spent the night.
3 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?
While they were there, they recognized the young Levite's accent, so they went to him and asked him, “So who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4 He answered them: Michas hath done such and such things for me, and hath hired me to be his priest.
“Micah arranged things for me, and he hired me as his priest,” he told them.
5 Then they desired him to consult the Lord, that they might know whether their journey should be prosperous, and the thing should have effect.
“Please ask the Lord for us so we can find out if our journey will be successful,” they asked him.
6 He answered them: Go in peace, the Lord looketh on your way, and the journey that you go.
“Go in peace,” the priest replied. “The journey you are taking is being observed by the Lord.”
7 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.
The five men left and went to the town of Laish. They observed that the people there lived in safety, and followed the customs of the Sidonians. The people were unsuspecting and confident of their security, at home in a productive land. They didn't have a strong ruler, they lived a long way from the Sidonians, and had no other allies to help them.
8 And they returned to their brethren in Saraa and Esthaol, who asked them what they had done? to whom they answered:
The men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you…?”
9 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.
“Come on, let's go and attack them!” the men interrupted. “We've surveyed the land, and it's excellent! Aren't you going to do something? Don't put off going there and occupying the land!
10 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.
When you get there you'll find the people are unsuspecting and the land is extensive. God has given you a place where there's no shortage of anything!”
11 There went therefore of the kindred of Dan, to wit, from Saraa and Esthaol, six hundred men, furnished with arms for war,
So six hundred Danite armed men left Zorah and Eshtaol, ready to attack.
12 And going up they lodged in Cariathiarim of Juda: which place from that time is called the camp of Dan, and is behind Cariathiarim.
En route they camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That's why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called the Camp of Dan to this very day.
13 From thence they passed into mount Ephraim. And when they were come to the house of Michas,
Then they left from there and went into the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.
14 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.
Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land of Laish told the other tribesmen, “Do you realize that here in these houses there's an ephod, household gods, and a carved idol, an image made with molten silver? So you know what you should do.”
15 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.
The five men left the road and went to where the young Levite was living in Micah's home to ask how he was.
16 And the six hundred men stood before the door, appointed with their arms.
The six hundred Danite armed men stood at the entrance by the gate.
17 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.
The five men went inside and took the carved idol, the ephod, the household idols, and the image made with molten silver. The priest was standing by the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18 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?
When the priest saw them taking all the religious objects from Micah's home, he asked them, “What are you doing?”
19 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?
“Be quiet! Don't say anything! Come with us, and you can be our ‘father’ and priest. Wouldn't it be better for you if instead of being a priest for just one man's household that you were the priest of an Israelite tribe and family?”
20 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.
This seemed like a good idea to the priest and he left with them. Carrying the ephod, the household idols, and the image made with molten silver, he marched with the people all around him.
21 And when they were going forward, and had put before them the children and the cattle and all that was valuable,
They continued their journey, putting their children, livestock, and possessions ahead of them.
22 And were now at a distance from the house of Michas, the men that dwelt in the houses of Michas gathering together followed them,
The Danites were already quite a way from Micah's home when men from Micah's village caught up with them,
23 And began to shout out after them. They looked back, and said to Michas: What aileth thee? Why dost thou cry?
shouting at them. The Danites turned around to face them and asked Micah, “What's the matter with you? Why call out these men to come after us?”
24 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?
“You stole the gods I made, and my priest too, and then left. What have you left me with? How can you ask me, ‘What's the matter with you?’”
25 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.
“Don't complain to us!” Danites replied. “Otherwise some hot-tempered people here might attack you and you and your family will lose your lives!”
26 And so they went on the journey they had begun. But Michas seeing that they were stronger than he, returned to his house.
The Danites carried on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him to fight so he turned around and went back home.
27 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,
So the Danites took with them the idols that Micah had made, as well as his priest. They attacked Laish with its peaceful and unsuspecting people, killed them with swords, and burned down the town.
28 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.
No one could save them because they were a long way from Sidon and had no other allies to help them. The town was in the valley belonging to Beth-rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
29 Calling the name of the city Dan after the name of their father, who was the son of Israel, which before was called Lais.
They renamed the city Dan after their forefather, the son of Israel. Laish was its former name.
30 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.
The Danites erected the carved idol to worship, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons became priests for the tribe of Dan until the time when the people went into captivity from the land.
31 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.
They worshiped the carved idol that Micah had made the whole time God's Temple was at Shiloh.
