Judges 18

1 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.

In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of Dan sought for itself an inheritance to inhabit, because no inheritance had fallen to it until that day in the midst of the tribes of the children of Israel.

2 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.

And the sons of Dan sent from their families five men of valour, from Saraa and from Esthaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, Go and search out the land. And they came as far as the mount of Ephraim to the house of Michaias and they lodged there,

3 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?”

in the house of Michaias, and they recognized the voice of the young man the Levite, and turned in there; and said to him, Who brought you in hither? and what do you in this place? and what have you here?

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

And he said to them, Thus and thus did Michaias to me, and he hired me, and I became his priest.

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

And they said to him, Enquire now of God, and we shall know whether our way will prosper, on which we are going.

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

And the priest said to them, Go in peace; your way in which you go, [is] before the Lord.

7 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.

And the five men went on, and came to Laisa; and they saw the people in the midst of it dwelling securely, at ease as [is] the manner of the Sidonians, and there is no one perverting or shaming a matter in the land, no heir extorting treasures; and they are far from the Sidonians, and they have no intercourse with any one.

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

And the five men came to their brethren to Saraa and Esthaol, and said to their brethren, Why sit you here [idle]?

9 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.

And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and, behold, [it is] very good, yet you are still: delay not to go, an to enter in to possess the land.

10 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.”

And whenever you shall go, you shall come in upon a people secure, and the land [is] extensive, for God has given it into your hand; a place where there is no lack of anything that the earth affords.

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

And there departed thence of the families of Dan, from Saraa and from Esthaol, six hundred men, girded with weapons of war.

12 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.

And they went up, and encamped in Cariathiarim in Juda; therefore it was called in that place the camp of Dan, until this day: behold, [it is] behind Cariathiarim.

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

And they went on thence to the mount of Ephraim, and came to the house of Michaias.

14 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.”

And the five men who went to spy out the land of Laisa answered, and said to their brethren, You know that there is in this place an ephod, and theraphin, and a graven and a molten image; and now consider what you shall do.

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

And they turned aside there, and went into the house of the young man, the Levite, [even] into the house of Michaias, and asked him how he was.

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

And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan who were girded with their weapons of war stood by the door of the gate.

17 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.

And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered into the house of Michaias, and the priest stood.

18 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?”

And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphin, and the molten image; and the priest said to them, What are you doing?

19 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?”

And they said to him, Be silent, lay your hand upon your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: [is it] better for you to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?

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

And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the theraphin, and the graven image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.

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

So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property and their baggage before them.

22 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.

They went some distance from the house of Michaias, and, behold, Michaias and the men in the houses near Michaias' house, cried out, and overtook the children of Dan.

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

And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Michaias, What is the matter with you that you have cried out?

24 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?'”

And Michaias said, Because you have taken my graven image which I made, and my priest, and are gone; and what have I remaining? and what [is] this [that] you say to me, Why cry you?

25 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.”

And the children of Dan said to him, Let not your voice be heard with us, lest angry men run upon you, and take away your life, and the lives of your house.

26 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.

And the children of Dan went their way; and Michaias saw that they were stronger than himself, and he returned to his house.

27 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.

And the children of Dan took what Michaias had made, and the priest that he had, and they came to Laisa, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

28 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.

And there was no deliverer, because [the city] is far from the Sidonians, and they have no intercourse with men, and it [is] in the valley of the house of Raab; and they built the city, and lived in it.

29 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.

And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; and the name of the city was Ulamais before.

30 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.

And the children of Dan set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gerson son of Manasse, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan till the time of the carrying away of the nation.

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

And they set up for themselves the graven image which Michaias made, all the days that the house of God was in Selom; and it was so in those days [that] there was no king in Israel.