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. 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.

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.

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.

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 by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; so they turned aside there, and said to him, “Who brought you here? What do you do in this place? What do you have 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.”

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

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

They said to him, “Please ask counsel of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.”

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

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

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 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.

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

They came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers asked 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, and let us 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.

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 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.”

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

The family of the Danites set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, with 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.

They went up and encamped in Kiriath Jearim, in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh Dan, to this day. Behold, it is behind Kiriath Jearim.

13 T hey went from there to the hill country 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.

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 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 an engraved 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.

They turned aside there, and came to the house of the young Levite man, even to the house of Micah, and asked him how he was doing.

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

The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children 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.

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.

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?”

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?”

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?”

They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. 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?”

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.

The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with 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 livestock, and the goods 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,

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.

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?”

As they cried to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, 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?’”

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?’”

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.