The death of Samson

23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, ‘Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.’

24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying,

‘Our god has delivered our enemy
    into our hands,
the one who laid waste our land
    and multiplied our slain.’

25 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, ‘Bring out Samson to entertain us.’ So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.

When they stood him among the pillars, 26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, ‘Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.’ 27 Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. 28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, ‘Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.’ 29 Then Samson reached towards the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’ Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

31 Then his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led[a] Israel for twenty years.

Micah’s idols

17 Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim said to his mother, ‘The eleven hundred shekels[b] of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse – I have that silver with me; I took it.’

Then his mother said, ‘The Lord bless you, my son!’

When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, ‘I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you.’

So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels[c] of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house.

Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest. In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way[d] he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

Micah asked him, ‘Where are you from?’

‘I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,’ he said, ‘and I’m looking for a place to stay.’

10 Then Micah said to him, ‘Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels[e] of silver a year, your clothes and your food.’ 11 So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him. 12 Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. 13 And Micah said, ‘Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.’

The Danites settle in Laish

18 In those days Israel had no king.

And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. So the Danites sent five of their leading men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all the Danites. They told them, ‘Go, explore the land.’

So they entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. When they were near Micah’s house, they recognised the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, ‘Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?’

He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, ‘He has hired me and I am his priest.’

Then they said to him, ‘Please enquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.’

The priest answered them, ‘Go in peace. Your journey has the Lord’s approval.’

So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, at peace and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous.[f] Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else.[g]

When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their fellow Danites asked them, ‘How did you find things?’

They answered, ‘Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate to go there and take it over. 10 When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever.’

11 Then six hundred men of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 12 On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan[h] to this day. 13 From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 16:31 Traditionally judged
  2. Judges 17:2 That is, about 13 kilograms
  3. Judges 17:4 That is, about 2.3 kilograms
  4. Judges 17:8 Or To carry on his profession
  5. Judges 17:10 That is, about 115 grams
  6. Judges 18:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  7. Judges 18:7 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts with the Arameans
  8. Judges 18:12 Mahaneh Dan means Dan’s camp.