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. The tribe of the descendants of Dan was looking for a territory to live in, for up to that day they had not received any inheritance from among the tribes of Israel.

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.

The people of Dan sent five men from the whole number of their tribe, men who were experienced warriors from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to scout the land on foot, and to look it over. They said to them, “Go and look over the land.” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and they spent the night 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?

When they were near Micah's house, they recognized the speech of the young Levite. So they stopped and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

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

He said to them, “This is what Micah has done for me: He has hired me to become 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.

They said to him, “Please seek the advice of God, so we may know whether the journey we are going on will be successful.”

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

The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Yahweh will lead you in the way you should 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.

Then the five men left and came to Laish, and they saw that the people were living in safety, in the same way the Sidonians lived, undisturbed and secure. There was no one who conquered them or who oppressed them in any way in the land. They lived far away from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.

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

They returned to their tribe in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their relatives asked them, “What is your report?”

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.

They said, “Come! Let us attack them! We have seen the land and it is very good. Are you doing nothing? Do not be slow to attack and conquer the land.

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.

When you go, you will come to a people who think they are secure, and the land is wide! God has given it to you—a place that does not lack anything in the land.”

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.

Six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.

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.

They went up and camped at Kiriath Jearim, in Judah. This is why people called that place Mahaneh Dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath Jearim.

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

They went away from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

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.

Then the five men who had gone to scout the country of Laish said to their relatives, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved figure, and a cast metal figure? Decide now what you will 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.

So they turned in there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the house of Micah, and they greeted him.

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.

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

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.

The five men who had gone to scout out the land went there and they took the carved figure, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast metal figure, while the priest stood by the opening of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

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?

When these went into Micah's house and took the carved figure, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast metal figure, 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?

They said to him, “Be quiet! Put your hand on your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man, or to be priest for a tribe and a clan 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.

The priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the carved figure, and went along with the people.

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

So they turned and went away. They put the small children in front of themselves, as well as the cattle and their possessions.

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.

When they were a good distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called together, and they caught up with the Danites.

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?

They shouted to the Danites, and they turned and said to Micah, “Why have you been called together?”

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?

He said, “You stole the gods that I made, you have taken my priest, and you are leaving. What else do I have left? How can you ask me, 'What is bothering you?'”

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.

The people of Dan said to him, “You should not let us hear you say anything, or some very angry men will attack you, and you and your family will be killed.”

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.

Then the people of Dan went their way. When Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back 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.

The people of Dan took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and they came to Laish, to a people who were undisturbed and secure and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city.

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 was no one to rescue them because it was a long way from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that is near Beth Rehob. 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 unto Israel: nevertheless, Layish was the name of the city at first.

They named the city Dan, the name of Dan their ancestor, who was one of Israel's sons. But the name of the city used to be Laish.

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.

The people of Dan set up the carved figure for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the day of the land's 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.

So they worshiped Micah's carved figure that he made as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.