Judges 18

1 in/on/with day [the] they(masc.) nothing king in/on/with Israel and in/on/with day [the] they(masc.) tribe [the] Danite to seek to/for him inheritance to/for to dwell for not to fall: allot to/for him till [the] day [the] he/she/it in/on/with midst tribe Israel in/on/with inheritance

At that time the Israelis had no king. Also at that time, the tribe of Dan was still searching for some land where they could live. The other Israeli tribes had [been able to] ([capture/take possession of]) [the] land that had been allotted to them, but the tribe of Dan had not been able to do that.

2 and to send: depart son: descendant/people Dan from family their five human from end their human son: descendant/people strength from Zorah and from Eshtaol to/for to spy [obj] [the] land: country/planet and to/for to search her and to say to(wards) them to go: went to search [obj] [the] land: country/planet and to come (in): come mountain: hill country Ephraim till house: home Micah and to lodge there

So they chose five soldiers from their clans, men who lived in Zorah and Eshtaol [cities], to go through the land and explore it [and try to find some land where their tribe could live]. They came to Micah’s house in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lived, and they stayed there that night.

3 they(masc.) with house: home Micah and they(masc.) to recognize [obj] voice [the] youth [the] Levi and to turn aside: turn aside there and to say to/for him who? to come (in): bring you here and what? you(m. s.) to make: do in/on/with this and what? to/for you here

While they were in his house and they heard the young man who had become Micah’s priest talking, they recognized from (his accent/the way that he talked) [that he was from the southern part of Israel]. So they went to him and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? Why did you come here?”

4 and to say to(wards) them like/as this and like/as this to make: do to/for me Micah and to hire me and to be to/for him to/for priest

He told them the things that Micah had done for him. And he said, “Micah (has hired me/is paying me to work for him), and I have become his priest.”

5 and to say to/for him to ask please in/on/with God and to know to prosper way: journey our which we to go: went upon her

So they said to him, “Please ask God if we will succeed [in what we are trying to do] on this journey.”

6 and to say to/for them [the] priest to go: went to/for peace before LORD way: journey your which to go: went in/on/with her

The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this journey.”

7 and to go: went five [the] human and to come (in): come Laish [to] and to see: see [obj] [the] people which in/on/with entrails: among her to dwell to/for security like/as justice: custom Sidonian to quiet and to trust and nothing be humiliated word: thing in/on/with land: country/planet to possess: possess magistrate and distant they(masc.) from Sidonian and word: thing nothing to/for them with man

[The next day] the five men left. When they came to Laish [city], they saw that the people there lived safely, like the people in Sidon [city] did. The people there thought that they were safe/protected [from any enemies], and they had plenty of [good fertile] land. They lived very far from the people of Sidon, [so the people of Sidon would not be able to help defend/protect them]. They had no other (allies/groups nearby that would help them in battles).

8 and to come (in): come to(wards) brother: compatriot their Zorah and Eshtaol and to say to/for them brother: compatriot their what? you(m. p.)

When those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”

9 and to say to arise: rise [emph?] and to ascend: rise upon them for to see: see [obj] [the] land: country/planet and behold pleasant much and you(m. p.) be silent not be sluggish to/for to go: went to/for to come (in): come to/for to possess: take [obj] [the] land: country/planet

They replied, “We have found some land, and it is very good. We should go and attack the people [who live there]. Why are you staying here and doing nothing [RHQ]? Do not wait any longer! We should go immediately and take possession of that land!

10 like/as to come (in): come you to come (in): come to(wards) people to trust and [the] land: country/planet broad: wide hand: spacious for to give: give her God in/on/with hand: power your place which nothing there need all word: thing which in/on/with land: country/planet

When you go there, you will see that there is plenty of land, and it has everything [that we will need]. The people there are not expecting anyone to attack them. Surely God is giving that land to us.”

11 and to set out from there from family [the] Danite from Zorah and from Eshtaol six hundred man to gird article/utensil battle

So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.

12 and to ascend: rise and to camp in/on/with Kiriath-jearim Kiriath-jearim in/on/with Judah upon so to call: call by to/for place [the] he/she/it Mahaneh-dan Mahaneh-dan till [the] day: today [the] this behold after Kiriath-jearim Kiriath-jearim

On their way they set up their tents near Kiriath-Jearim [city] in [the area where the tribe of] Judah [lives]. That is why the area west of Kiriath-Jearim was named ‘Camp of Dan’, and that is still its name.

13 and to pass from there mountain: hill country Ephraim and to come (in): come till house: home Micah

From there, they went to the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. And they arrived at Micah’s house.

14 and to answer five [the] human [the] to go: went to/for to spy [obj] [the] land: country/planet Laish and to say to(wards) brother: compatriot their to know for there in/on/with house: home [the] these ephod and teraphim and idol and liquid and now to know what? to make: do

The five men who had explored the land near Laish said to their fellow Israelis, “Do you know that in one of these houses there is a sacred vest, several idols, and a statue? [We think that] you know what you should do.” [RHQ]

15 and to turn aside: turn aside there [to] and to come (in): come to(wards) house: home [the] youth [the] Levi house: home Micah and to ask to/for him to/for peace: well-being

So they went to the house where the man from the tribe of Levi lived, which was the house where Micah lived, and they greeted the young man from the tribe of Levi [who had become Micah’s priest].

16 and six hundred man to gird article/utensil battle their to stand entrance [the] gate which from son: descendant/people Dan

The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.

17 and to ascend: rise five [the] human [the] to go: went to/for to spy [obj] [the] land: country/planet to come (in): come there [to] to take: take [obj] [the] idol and [obj] [the] ephod and [obj] [the] teraphim and [obj] [the] liquid and [the] priest to stand entrance [the] gate and six hundred [the] man [the] to gird article/utensil [the] battle

The five men who had explored the land went into Micah’s house, and took all the idols, the sacred vest, and the statue. While they did that, the 600 men stood outside the gate, [talking] with the priest.

18 and these to come (in): come house: home Micah and to take: take [obj] idol [the] ephod and [obj] [the] teraphim and [obj] [the] liquid and to say to(wards) them [the] priest what? you(m. p.) to make: do

When the priest saw them bringing out the idols and the sacred vest and the statue, he said to them, “What are you doing?”

19 and to say to/for him be quiet to set: put hand your upon lip your and to go: come with us and to be to/for us to/for father and to/for priest pleasant to be you priest to/for house: home man one or to be you priest to/for tribe and to/for family in/on/with Israel

They replied, “Be quiet! Do not say anything! You come with us and be [like] a father to us and a priest for us. Is it better for you to [stay here and] be a priest for the people in the house of one man, or to be a priest for a clan, and a priest for a whole tribe of Israelis?” [RHQ]

20 and be good heart [the] priest and to take: take [obj] [the] ephod and [obj] [the] teraphim and [obj] [the] idol and to come (in): come in/on/with entrails: among [the] people

The priest liked what they were suggesting. So he took the sacred vest and the idols, and he [prepared to] go with the men from the tribe of Dan.

21 and to turn and to go: went and to set: put [obj] [the] child and [obj] [the] livestock and [obj] [the] riches to/for face: before their

They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.

22 they(masc.) to remove from house: home Micah and [the] human which in/on/with house: home which with house: home Micah to cry out and to cleave [obj] son: descendant/people Dan

After they had gone a little distance from Micah’s house, Micah [saw what was happening. He] quickly summoned the men who lived near him, and they ran and caught up with the men from the tribe of Dan.

23 and to call: call out to(wards) son: descendant/people Dan and to turn: turn face their and to say to/for Micah what? to/for you for to cry out

They shouted at them. The men of the tribe of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What is the problem? Why have you gathered these men [to pursue us]?”

24 and to say [obj] God my which to make to take: take and [obj] [the] priest and to go: went and what? to/for me still and what? this to say to(wards) me what? to/for you

Micah shouted, “You took the silver idols that were made for me! You also took my priest! I do not have anything left [RHQ]! So why do you ask me, ‘What is the problem?’”

25 and to say to(wards) him son: descendant/people Dan not to hear: hear voice your with us lest to fall on in/on/with you human bitter soul: appetite and to gather soul: life your and soul: life house: household your

The men from the tribe of Dan replied, “You should not shout loudly like that! One of our angry men might attack you and kill you and your family!”

26 and to go: went son: descendant/people Dan to/for way: journey their and to see: examine Micah for strong they(masc.) from him and to turn and to return: return to(wards) house: home his

Then the men from the tribe of Dan continued walking. Micah realized that there was a very large group of them, [so that it would be useless for him to try to fight them]. So he turned around and went home.

27 and they(masc.) to take: take [obj] which to make Micah and [obj] [the] priest which to be to/for him and to come (in): come upon Laish upon people to quiet and to trust and to smite [obj] them to/for lip: edge sword and [obj] [the] city to burn in/on/with fire

The men of the tribe of Dan were carrying the things that had been made for Micah, and they also took his priest, and they continued traveling to Laish. They attacked the people who were peacefully living there, and killed them with their swords, and then they burned everything in the city.

28 and nothing to rescue for distant he/she/it from Sidon and word: thing nothing to/for them with man and he/she/it in/on/with valley which to/for Beth-rehob Beth-rehob and to build [obj] [the] city and to dwell in/on/with her

Laish was far from [the city of] Sidon, [so the people of Sidon could not rescue the people of Laish]. And the people of Laish had no other allies. Laish was in a valley near Beth-Rehob [town]. The people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the city and started to live there.

29 and to call: call by name [the] city Dan in/on/with name Dan father their which to beget to/for Israel and but Laish name [the] city to/for first

They gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.

30 and to arise: establish to/for them son: descendant/people Dan [obj] [the] idol and Jonathan son: child Gershom son: child Moses he/she/it and son: child his to be priest to/for tribe [the] Danite till day to reveal: remove [the] land: country/planet

The people of the tribe of Dan set up [in the city] the idols [that had been made for Micah]. Jonathan, who was the son of Gershom and the grandson of Moses, was appointed to be their priest. His descendants continued to be priests until the Israelis were captured and taken [to Assyria].

31 and to set: make to/for them [obj] idol Micah which to make all day to be house: temple [the] God in/on/with Shiloh

After the people of the tribe of Dan set up the idols that had been made for Micah, [they worshiped those idols, even though] the Sacred Tent [where they had been commanded to worship] God, was at Shiloh.