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 Dan sought a possession for themselves to dwell in, for unto that day their lot had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel for an inheritance.

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.

And the sons of Dan sent five men from their family of their borders, men of valour, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it, and they said unto them, Go, search the land. These came unto Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, and they 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 were near the house of Micah, they recognized the accent of the voice of the young man the Levite, and they turned in there and said unto him, Who brought thee here? And what doest thou in this place? And what hast thou 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 unto them, Thus and thus Micah has done with me and has hired me that I may be 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 unto him, Ask counsel now, therefore, of God, that we may know whether he shall prosper our journey which we do.

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

And the priest replied unto them, Go in peace. Your journey which ye do is before 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 that the people that dwelt there were secure, idle, and confident after the manner of the Zidonians; and there was no one in that land that might hinder them in any way from possessing that land; furthermore they were far from the Zidonians and had no business 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?”

And they retuned unto their brethren in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?

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.

And they said, Arise, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good; and are ye to remain still? Do not be slothful to go and to enter to 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 ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure and to a large land, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no want of any thing 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 family of Dan, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred 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 pitched camp in Kirjathjearim in Judah; therefore, they called that place the camp of Dan unto this day; it is behind Kirjathjearim.

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

And they passed from there unto Mount Ephraim and came unto the house of Micah.

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 that had gone to spy out the land of Laish said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod and teraphim and a graven image and a molten image? Now, therefore, consider what ye 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 there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and greeted him.

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

And 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 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 that went to spy out the land went up and went in there and took the graven image and the ephod, and the teraphim and the molten image while the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were 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?”

So they entered into Micah’s house and took the graven image the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image. Then the priest said unto 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 unto him, Silence, lay thy hand upon thy mouth and go with us to be our father and priest; is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family of 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 and 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 and the cattle and the baggage before 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,

And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah’s house were gathered together and overtook the sons of Dan.

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?”

And they cried unto the sons of Dan. And these turned their faces and said unto Micah, What ails thee that thou dost 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, Ye have taken away my gods which I made and the priest, and ye are gone away; and what is left to me? And why do ye say unto me, What ails thee?

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 sons of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us lest peradventure angry fellows run upon thee and thou lose thy life with the lives of thy 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 sons of Dan went their way, and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto 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 together with the priest which he had and came unto Laish unto a people that were at quiet and secure, and they smote them with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire.

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 Zidon, and they had no business with anyone; and it was in the valley that lies by Bethrehob. Then they rebuilt the city and dwelt therein.

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.

And they called the name of the city Dan after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel; however, the name of the city was Laish at the 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 sons of Dan set up the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershon, the son of Manasseh, he 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.

And they set up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.