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 among the tribes of Israel.

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 The children of Dan sent five men of their family from their whole number, men of valor, 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.

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 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?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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 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?”

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 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?”

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 The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with 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 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods 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 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 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 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?”

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

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?’”

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

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 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 burned the city 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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