Judges 18

1 In those days there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them amongst the tribes of Israel.

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.

2 The children of Dan sent five men of their family from their whole number, men of valour, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land!” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

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.

3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; so they went over there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What do you do in this place? What do you have here?”

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?

4 He said to them, “Thus and thus has Micah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I have become his priest.”

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

5 They said to him, “Please ask counsel of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.”

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.

6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Your way in which you go is before the LORD.”

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

7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in safety, in the way of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one in the land possessing authority, that might put them to shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with anyone else.

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.

8 They came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers asked them, “What do you say?”

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

9 They said, “Arise, and let’s go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. Do you stand still? Don’t be slothful to go and to enter in to possess 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: and you keep still! be not slothful, to go, to enter to take possession of the land.

10 When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”

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.

11 The family of the Danites set out from Zorah and Eshtaol with six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

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.

12 They went up and encamped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. Behold, it is behind Kiriath Jearim.

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.

13 They passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

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

14 Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brothers, “Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a carved image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have to do.”

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.

15 They went over there and came to the house of the young Levite man, even to the house of Micah, and asked him how he was doing.

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.

16 The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

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.

17 The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

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.

18 When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

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?

19 They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

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?

20 The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.

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.

21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods before them.

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

22 When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

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.

23 As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”

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?

24 He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’”

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?

25 The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard amongst us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”

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.

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

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.

27 They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; then they burnt the city with fire.

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.

28 There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else; and it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. They built the city and lived in it.

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.

29 They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; however 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 unto Israel: nevertheless, Layish was the name of the city at first.

30 The children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

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.

31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s engraved image which he made, and it remained all the time that God’s house was in Shiloh.

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.