Judges 18

1 In those days, there was no king in Israel, —and, in those days, the tribe of the Danites was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in for there had not fallen to them, unto that day, in the midst of the tribes of Israel, enough for an inheritance.

In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

2 So then the sons of Dan sent, out of their family, five men out of their bounds—men who were sons of valour—out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol—to spy out the land, and to explore it, and they said unto them, Go! explore the land. And they came into the hill country of Ephraim, as far as the house of Micah, and lodged there.

So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.

3 They, being by the house of Micah, knew the voice of the young man, the Levite, —so they turned aside there, and said to him—Who brought thee in hither? and what art thou doing in this place, and what hast thou here?

And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over 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 so, hath Micah dealt with me, and hath hired me, and I am become his priest.

“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”

5 So they said unto him—Ask of God, we pray thee, —that we may know whether the journey on which we are going shall have good success.

Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”

6 And the priest said unto them—Go! and prosper, —before Yahweh, is your journey on which ye go.

And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”

7 So the five men went their way, and entered Laish, —and saw the people who were therein, dwelling securely, after the manner of the Zidonians, quietly and securely, and there was no one to reproach them with anything in the land, none to possess himself of dominion, they being, far away, from the Zidonians, and having no dealings with any one.

So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.

8 So they came unto their brethren, in Zorah and Eshtaol, —and their brethren said unto them—Why are ye minded to do nothing?

When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”

9 And they said—Arise! and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and lo! it is very good, —are, ye, then, minded to do nothing? do not be too slothful to go, and enter, and take possession of the land.

They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!

10 When ye do enter, ye will enter amongst a people secure, and, the land, is of ample bounds, —yea God hath delivered it into your hands, —a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.

When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”

11 So there brake up from thence, out of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war.

So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.

12 And they went up and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah, —wherefore they have called that place, Mahaneh-dan—unto this day, lo! it is behind Kiriath-jearim.

They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.

13 And they passed on from thence unto the hill country of Ephraim, —and came as far as the house of Micah.

And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.

14 Then responded the five men who had been to spy out the land of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Know ye that there are in these houses, an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image, —now, therefore, know what ye will do!

Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”

15 So they turned aside thither, and entered into the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, —and asked him of his welfare.

So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.

16 Now, the six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war, were standing at the entrance of the gate, —they being of the sons of Dan.

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

17 Then went up the five men who had been to spy out the land, they came in thither, they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, —now, the priest, was standing at the entrance of the gate, with the six hundred men who were begirt with weapons of war.

And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.

18 But, when, these, had entered the house of Micah, and taken the graven image and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What are ye doing?

When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

19 And they said unto him—Hold thy peace, 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 priest to the house of one man, or that thou be priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?

“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”

20 Then was the heart of the priest glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, —and came into the midst of the people.

So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.

21 So they turned, and went their way, —and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the goods, before them.

Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.

22 They, had gone a good way from the house of Micah, when, the men that were in the houses near to the house of Micah, were called out and overtook the sons of Dan.

After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.

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

When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”

24 And he said—My gods which I had made, ye have taken away, and the priest, and have departed, and what have I more? How then is it that ye can say unto me, What aileth thee?

He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”

25 And the sons of Dan said unto him, Do not let thy voice be heard among us, —lest men embittered in soul fall upon you, and thou gather in thy life and the lives of thy household.

The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”

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

So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.

27 They, therefore, took what Micah had made, and the priest that he had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword, —the city also, burned they with fire.

After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.

28 And there was no one to rescue, because it was, far, from Zidon, and they had no, dealings, with any one, it, being in the vale that pertaineth to Beth-rehob. Then built they the city, and dwelt therein,

There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.

29 and called the name of the city, Dan, by the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel, —howbeit, Laish, was the name of the city, at the first.

They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.

30 And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image, —and, Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons, became priests to the tribe of the Danites, until the day of the captivity of the land.

The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

31 So they set up for themselves the graven image of Micah, which he had made, —[and let it remain] all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh.

So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.