Judges 18
Revised Geneva Translation
18 In those days, there was no king in Israel. And at the same time, the tribe of Dan sought an inheritance for themselves to dwell in. For up to that time, their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.
2 Therefore, the children of Dan sent from their family five men of their territory, men expert in war, out of Zorah and Eshtaol, to view the land and spy it out. And they said to them, “Go! Spy out the land!” Then they came to Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah and lodged there.
3 When they were in the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite. And turning aside, they said to him, “Who brought you here? What do you make in this place? What are you doing here?”
4 And he answered them, “Micah has dealt thus and so with me…He has hired me. I am his priest.”
5 Again, they said to him, “Ask counsel now of God, so that we may know whether the way which we go shall be prosperous.”
6 And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. For the LORD guides your way which you go.”
7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, who dwelt securely, just as the Sidonians, quiet and sure, because no man made any trouble in the land or usurped any dominion. Also, they were far from the Sidonians and had no business with anyone.
8 So, they came back to their brethren, to Zorah and Eshtaol. And their brethren said to them, “What have you to say?”
9 And they answered, “Arise, so that we may go up against them. For we have seen the land and surely it is very good. And do you sit still? Do not be slothful to go and enter to possess the land.
10 “If you will go, you shall come to a carefree people and a large country. For God has given it into your hand, a place which lacks nothing that is in the world.”
11 Then, there departed from there of the family of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with instruments of war.
12 And they went up and camped in Kirjath Jearim in Judah. Therefore, they called that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. And it is behind Kirjath Jearim.
13 And they went there, to Mount Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
14 Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brethren, “Do you not know that there is, in these houses, an ephod and teraphim and a graven and a molten image? Now, therefore, consider what you have to do.”
15 And they turned that way and came to the house of the young Levite man, to the house of Micah, and greeted him peaceably.
16 And the six hundred men, appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.
17 Then the five men who went to spy out the land went in there and took the graven image and the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image. And the priest stood in the entrance of the gate, with the six hundred men who were appointed with weapons of war.
18 And the other went into Micah’s house and fetched the graven image, the ephod and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 And they answered him, “Hold your peace. Lay your hand upon your mouth and come with us to be our father and priest. Which is better: that you should be a priest to the house of one man or that you should be a priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?”
20 And the priest’s heart was glad. And he took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image and went among the people.
21 And they turned and departed and put the children and the cattle and the substance before them.
22 When they were far away from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and pursued after the children of Dan
23 and cried to the children of Dan, who turned their faces and said to Micah, “What ails you that you make such an outcry?”
24 And he said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone your ways. And what more do I have? How, then, can you say to me, ‘What ails you?’”
25 And the children of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest our angry friends run upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.”
26 So the children of Dan went their ways. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came to Laish, to that quiet and trusting people, and struck them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
28 And there was no one to help, because Laish was far from Sidon, and they had no business with anyone. Also, it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. Afterward, they built the city and dwelt in it,
29 and 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 was Laish at the beginning.
30 Then the children of Dan set up the graven image for themselves. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons, were the priests in the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 So, they set up the graven image for themselves which Micah had made during the whole time the House of God was in Shiloh.
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