Judges 18

1 In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites were seeking for themselves an inheritance to dwell in; for there had not fallen to their share up to that day among the tribes of Israel a [sufficient] inheritance.

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.

2 And the children of Dan sent from their family five men from among themselves, men of valor, from Zor'ah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land. And they came to the mountain of Ephraim, as far as the house of Micah, and lodged there.

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:

3 They were just by the house of Micah, when they recognized the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

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?

4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus hath Micah done unto me; and he hired me, and I became his priest.

He answered them: Michas hath done such and such things for me, and hath hired me to be his priest.

5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way on which we are going shall be prosperous.

Then they desired him to consult the Lord, that they might know whether their journey should be prosperous, and the thing should have effect.

6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way on which ye will go.

He answered them: Go in peace, the Lord looketh on your way, and the journey that you go.

7 And the five men departed, and came to Layish, and saw the people that were therein, dwelling in security, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and no one inflicted any wrong in the land, as hereditary ruler; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no concern with any man.

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.

8 And they came unto their brethren to Zor'ah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What [news bring] ye?

And they returned to their brethren in Saraa and Esthaol, who asked them what they had done? to whom they answered:

9 And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and you keep still! be not slothful, to go, to enter to take possession of the land.

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.

10 When ye enter, ye will come unto a secure people, and the land is roomy; for God hath given it into your hand; a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth.

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.

11 And there went from there of the family of the Danites, out of Zor'ah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girded with weapons of war.

There went therefore of the kindred of Dan, to wit, from Saraa and Esthaol, six hundred men, furnished with arms for war,

12 And they went up, and encamped in Kiryath-ye'arim, in Judah; wherefore they called that place Machaneh-dan until this day; behold, it is behind Kiryath-ye'arim.

And going up they lodged in Cariathiarim of Juda: which place from that time is called the camp of Dan, and is behind Cariathiarim.

13 And they passed thence unto the mountain of Ephraim, and came as far as the house of Micah.

From thence they passed into mount Ephraim. And when they were come to the house of Michas,

14 Then commenced the five men that had gone to spy out the country of Layish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there are in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven and molten image? and now consider what ye have to do.

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.

15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, unto the house of Micah, and asked him after his welfare.

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.

16 And the six hundred men who were of the children of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, remained standing by the entrance of the gate.

And the six hundred men stood before the door, appointed with their arms.

17 And the five men that had gone to spy out 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 girded with the weapons of war.

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.

18 And these went into Micah's house, and took the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest said unto them, What are ye doing?

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?

19 And they said unto him, Be still, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and become to us a father and a priest: is it better that thou be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

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?

20 And the priest's heart became glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and came into the midst of the people.

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.

21 And they turned and went away, and placed the little ones and the cattle and the heavy things before them.

And when they were going forward, and had put before them the children and the cattle and all that was valuable,

22 When they were at a distance from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were called together, and they overtook the children of Dan.

And were now at a distance from the house of Michas, the men that dwelt in the houses of Michas gathering together followed them,

23 And they called unto the children of Dan, who turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou hast called out thy people?

And began to shout out after them. They looked back, and said to Michas: What aileth thee? Why dost thou cry?

24 And he said, My god which I made have ye taken away, and the priest, and are gone away; and what have I more? and what is this ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

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?

25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Cause not thy voice to be heard among us, lest men of an embittered spirit assail thee, and thou lose thy life, with the life of thy household.

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.

26 And the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

And so they went on the journey they had begun. But Michas seeing that they were stronger than he, returned to his house.

27 And they took what Micah had made, and the priest whom he had had, and came over Layish, over a people that were quiet and secure; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the city they burnt with fire.

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,

28 And there was no deliverer; because it was far from Zidon, and the people had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rechob. And they rebuilt the city, and dwelt therein.

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.

29 And they called the name of the city, Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: nevertheless, Layish was the name of the city at first.

Calling the name of the city Dan after the name of their father, who was the son of Israel, which before was called Lais.

30 And the children of Dan erected for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Menasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the exile of the land.

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.

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

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.