1 I n those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them.

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 children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. They said to them, “Go, search the land.” So they went to the mountains 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 hile they were at the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have 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 H e said to them, “Thus and so Micah did for me. He has hired me, and I have become 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 S o they said to him, “Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous.”

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 presence of the Lord be with you on your way.”

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

7 S o the five men departed and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there, how they dwelt safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There were no rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians, and they had no ties 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 hen the spies came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, “What is your report? ”

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

9 S o they said, “Arise, let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and indeed it is very good. Would you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, and enter to 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 a secure people and a large land. For God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on 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 six hundred men of the family of the Danites went from there, from Zorah and Eshtaol, 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 T hen they went up and encamped in Kirjath Jearim in Judah. (Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. There it is, west of Kirjath 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 mountains of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

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 answered and said to their brethren, “Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, household idols, a carved image, and a molded image? Now therefore, consider what you should 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 S o they turned aside there, and came to the house of the young Levite man—to the house of Micah—and greeted 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 T he six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the 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 T hen the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up. Entering there, they took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image. The priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were 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 W hen these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded 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 quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a 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 S o the priest’s heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and took his place among 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 T hen they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods 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 in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

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 A nd they called out to the children of Dan. So they turned around and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you have gathered 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 S o he said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have? 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 children of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men 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 T hen 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. Danites Settle in Laish

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

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 T here was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there.

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 A nd 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 formerly was Laish.

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 T hen the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, 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 up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in 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.