1 I n those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance had been acquired by them among the tribes of Israel.

In those days there was no king of Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day an inheritance had not been allotted to them as a possession among the tribes of Israel.

2 S o the Danites sent from the whole number of their tribe five brave men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and to explore it, and they said to them, Go, explore the land. They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

So the sons of Dan sent from their family five men out of their whole number, valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, “Go, search the land.” And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

3 W hen they went by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, and they turned aside there and said to him, Who brought you here? And what do you do in this place? And what have you here?

When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place ? And what do you have here?”

4 A nd he said to them, Thus and thus Micah deals with me and has hired me, and I am his priest.

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

5 A nd they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God that we may know whether our journey will be successful.

They said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be prosperous.”

6 A nd the priest said to them, Go in peace. The way in which you go is before (under the eye of) the Lord.

The priest said to them, “Go in peace; your way in which you are going has the Lord’s approval.”

7 T hen the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they dwelt securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and feeling safe; and there was no magistrate in the land, who might put them to shame in anything or injure them; and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.

Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were in it living in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no ruler humiliating them for anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.

8 T he five men came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, What do you say?

When they came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report ?”

9 T hey said, Arise, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very fertile. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go and enter in and possess the land.

They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land.

10 W hen you go, you will come to people safe and secure. The land is broad; and God has given it into your hands—a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth.

When you enter, you will come to a secure people with a spacious land; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”

11 A nd there went from there of the tribe of the Danites, out of Zorah and Eshtaol, 600 men armed with weapons of war.

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

12 A nd they went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim.

They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim.

13 A nd they passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.

They passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. Danites Take Micah’s Idols

14 T hen the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish said to their brethren, Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, teraphim, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you have to do.

Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, “Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod and household idols and a graven image and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do.”

15 A nd they turned in that direction and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and saluted him.

They turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.

16 N ow the 600 Danites with their weapons of war stood at Micah’s gate.

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

17 A nd the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up and entered the house and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.

Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there, and took the graven image and the ephod and household idols and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

18 A nd when these went into Micah’s house and took the carved 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 graven image, the ephod and household idols and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

19 A nd they said to him, Be still, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and family in Israel?

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

20 A nd the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod and household idols and the graven image and went among the people.

21 S o they turned and departed and put the little ones, the cattle, and the baggage in front of them.

Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the valuables in front of them.

22 W hen they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were Micah’s near neighbors were called out and overtook the Danites.

When they had gone some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house assembled and overtook the sons of Dan.

23 T hey shouted to the Danites, who turned and said to Micah, What ails you, that you come with such a company?

They cried to the sons of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you have assembled together?”

24 A nd he said, You take away my gods which I made and the priest, and go away; and what have I left? How can you say to me, What ails you?

He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”

25 A nd the men of Dan said to him, Let not your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you and you lose your life with the lives of your household.

The sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, or else fierce men will fall upon you and you will lose your life, with the lives of your household.”

26 A nd the Danites went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

So the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

27 A nd they took the things which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and feeling secure, and they smote them with the sword and burned the city.

Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire.

28 A nd there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no business with anyone. It was in the valley which belongs to Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and dwelt in it.

And there was no one to deliver them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it.

29 T hey named the city Dan, after Dan their forefather who was born to Israel; however, the name of the city was Laish at first.

They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel; however, the name of the city formerly was Laish.

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

The sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

31 S o they set them up Micah’s graven image which he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image which he had made, all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh.