Judges 18

1 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.

In the days those there not [was] a king in Israel and in the days those [the] tribe of the Danite[s] [was] seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in for not it had fallen to it until the day that in among [the] tribes of Israel an inheritance.

2 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.

And they sent [the] descendants of Dan - from tribe their five men from ends their men sons of strength from Zorah and from Eshtaol to spy out the land and to explore it and they said to them go explore the land and they went [the] hill country of Ephraim to [the] house of Micah and they spent [the] night there.

3 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?”

They [were] near [the] house of Micah and they they recognized [the] voice of the young man the Levite and they turned aside there and they said to him who? did he bring you here and what? [are] you doing in this [place] and what? [belongs] to you here.

4 “Micah arranged things for me, and he hired me as his priest,” he told them.

And he said to them like this and like this he has done for me Micah and he has hired me and I have become of him a priest.

5 “Please ask the Lord for us so we can find out if our journey will be successful,” they asked him.

And they said to him enquire please by God so let us know ¿ will it succeed journey our which we [are] going on it.

6 “Go in peace,” the priest replied. “The journey you are taking is being observed by the Lord.”

And he said to them the priest go to peace [is] before Yahweh way your which you go in it.

7 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.

And they went [the] five the men and they came Laish towards and they saw the people which in midst its [was] dwelling to security according to [the] custom of [the] Sidonians at peace - and secure and there not [was one] putting to shame anything in the land [one] possessing oppression and [were] far they from [the] Sidonians and anything not [belonged] to them with anyone.

8 The men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you…?”

And they came to brothers their Zorah and Eshtaol and they said to them brothers their what? you.

9 “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!

And they said arise! so we may go up on them for we have seen the land and there! [it is] good very and you [are] inactive may not you hesitate to go to go to take possession of the land.

10 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!”

When go you you will come - to a people secure and the land [is] broad of both hands for he has given it God in hand your a place where there not there [is] lack of any thing which [is] on the earth.

11 So six hundred Danite armed men left Zorah and Eshtaol, ready to attack.

And they set out from there of [the] tribe of the Danite[s] from Zorah and from Eshtaol six hundred man girded weapons of war.

12 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.

And they went up and they encamped at Kiriath Jearim in Judah there-fore they called the place that Mahaneh Dan until the day this there! behind Kiriath Jearim.

13 Then they left from there and went into the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.

And they passed through from there [the] hill country of Ephraim and they came to [the] house of Micah.

14 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.”

And they answered [the] five the men who had gone to spy out the land Laish and they said to brothers their ¿ do you know that there in the houses these [are] an ephod and teraphim and a carved image and a molten image and therefore consider what? will you do.

15 The five men left the road and went to where the young Levite was living in Micah's home to ask how he was.

And they turned aside there and they came to [the] house of the young man the Levite [the] house of Micah and they asked of him to welfare.

16 The six hundred Danite armed men stood at the entrance by the gate.

And six hundred man girded [the] weapons of war their [were] standing [the] entrance of the gate who [were] of [the] descendants of Dan.

17 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.

And they went up [the] five the men who had gone to spy out the land they went there they took the carved image and the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image and the priest [was] standing [the] entrance of the gate and six hundred the man girded [the] weapons of war.

18 When the priest saw them taking all the religious objects from Micah's home, he asked them, “What are you doing?”

And these [men] they went [the] house of Micah and they took [the] carved image of the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image and he said to them the priest what? [are] you doing.

19 “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?”

And they said to him keep quiet put hand your over mouth your and come with us and become of us a father and a priest ¿ good - [is] being you a priest of [the] house of a man one or? being you a priest of a tribe and of a clan in Israel.

20 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.

And it was good [the] heart of the priest and he took the ephod and the teraphim and the carved image and he went in [the] midst of the people.

21 They continued their journey, putting their children, livestock, and possessions ahead of them.

And they turned and they went and they put the little one[s] and the livestock and the valuable[s] before them.

22 The Danites were already quite a way from Micah's home when men from Micah's village caught up with them,

They they had gone far away from [the] house of Micah and the men who [were] in the houses which [were] near [the] house of Micah they were called together and they overtook [the] descendants of Dan.

23 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?”

And they called out to [the] descendants of Dan and they turned round faces their and they said to Micah what? [is that] to you that you have been called together.

24 “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?’”

And he said gods my which I made you have taken and the priest and you have gone and what? [belongs] to me still and why? this are you saying to me what? [is] to you.

25 “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!”

And they said to him [the] descendants of Dan may not you make heard voice your with us lest they should fall on you men bitter of appetite and you will gather life your and [the] life of household your.

26 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.

And they went [the] descendants of Dan to way their and he saw Micah that [were too] strong they for him and he turned and he returned to house his.

27 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.

And they they took [that] which he had made Micah and the priest who he belonged to him and they went to Laish to a people at peace and secure and they struck them to [the] mouth of [the] sword and the city they burned with fire.

28 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.

And there not [was] a deliverer for [was] far it from Sidon and anything not [belonged] to them with anyone and it [was] in the valley which [belongs] to Beth Rehob and they rebuilt the city and they dwelt in it.

29 They renamed the city Dan after their forefather, the son of Israel. Laish was its former name.

And they called [the] name of the city Dan by [the] name of Dan ancestor their who he was born to Israel and but [was] Laish [the] name of the city to the former [time].

30 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.

And they set up for themselves [the] descendants of Dan the carved image and Jonathan [the] son of Gershom [the] son of Manasseh he and sons his they were priests of [the] tribe of the Danite[s] until [the] day went into exile of the land.

31 They worshiped the carved idol that Micah had made the whole time God's Temple was at Shiloh.

And they set up for themselves [the] carved image of Micah which he had made all [the] days of [the] being of [the] house of God at Shiloh.