1 T here was no king of Israel in those days. At that time the family of the Danites was looking for their own land to live in. For no land had been given to them yet among the families of Israel.

In 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.

2 S o the people of Dan sent five men from all those in their family. They were men with strength of heart, from Zorah and Eshtaol, sent to look over the land. The people of Dan said to them, “Go and look over the land.” And the men came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim. They stayed there.

So 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.

3 W hen they were near the house of Micah, they heard the voice of the young man, the Levite. They knew who he was, and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?”

When 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?

4 T he Levite said to them, “This is what Micah has done for me. He has hired me. I have become his religious leader.”

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

5 T hey said to him, “We beg you to ask God if all will go well for us as we travel.”

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

6 T he religious leader said to them, “Go in peace. The way you are going is pleasing to the Lord.”

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

7 T hen the five men left and came to Laish. They saw how the people lived there, quiet and feeling safe, like the Sidonians. There was no ruler in the land who would put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians and had nothing to do with anyone.

Then 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.

8 T he five men returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol. Their brothers said to them, “What do you have to say?”

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

9 T hey answered, “Get ready. Let us go up against them. For we have seen their land and it is very good. Will you sit and do nothing? Do not wait. Go into the land and take it.

They 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.

10 W hen you go in, you will come to people who feel very safe. They have much land, but God has given it to you. It will be a place where you will have all you need on earth.”

When 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.

11 T hen 600 men from the family of Dan, from Zorah and Eshtaol, went out ready for war.

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

12 T hey went to Kiriath-jearim in Judah and set up their tents. They called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is west of Kiriath-jearim.

And 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.

13 T hey went from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

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

14 T hen the five men who had gone to look over the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are gods, a holy vest, and objects made to look like gods? So think about what you should do.”

Then 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.

15 T hey turned there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, at the home of Micah. They asked him how he was getting along.

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

16 T he 600 men of the sons of Dan who were ready for war were standing by the gate.

Now the 600 Danites with their weapons of war stood at Micah’s gate.

17 T he five men who had gone to look over the land went in the house. They took the objects made to look like gods, the holy vest and the other gods. The religious leader stood by the gate with the 600 men who were ready for war.

And 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.

18 W hen the men went into Micah’s house and took the objects made to look like gods, the holy vest and the other gods, the religious leader said to them, “What are you doing?”

And 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?

19 T hey said to him, “Be quiet. Put your hand over your mouth and come with us. Be a father and a religious leader to us. Is it better for you to be a religious leader to the house of one man, or to a family in Israel?”

And 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?

20 T he religious leader felt glad in his heart. He took the holy vest, the house gods and objects made to look like gods. And he went among the people.

And 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.

21 T hen they turned and left. They put the little ones, the animals and their riches in front of them.

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

22 T hey had gone a long way from the house of Micah. And the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and went after them. When they came to the sons of Dan,

When 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.

23 t hey called out to them. The sons of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What is wrong with you? Why have you gathered together?”

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

24 M icah said, “You have taken away my gods which I made. And you go away with the religious leader. What do I have left? How can you say to me, ‘What is wrong with you?’”

And 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?

25 T he sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us. Or angry men will kill you and those of your house.”

And 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.

26 T hen the sons of Dan went on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him. So he returned to his house.

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

27 T he men of Dan took what Micah had made and the religious leader who had belonged to him. They came to Laish, to people who were quiet and felt safe. And they killed them with the sword. They burned the city with fire.

And 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.

28 T here was no one to take them away from their trouble, because it was far from Sidon and they had nothing to do with anyone. It was in the valley near Beth-rehob. The sons of Dan built the city again, and lived in it.

And 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.

29 T hey called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel. The name of the city had been Laish before.

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

30 T he people of Dan set up for themselves the object made to look like a god. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were religious leaders to the family of Dan until the day their land was taken.

And 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.

31 T hey set up the false god that Micah had made, while the house of God was at Shiloh.

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