Chapter 18

In those days [there was] no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought¹⁸ them an inheritance to dwell in;² for unto that day [all their] inheritance had not fallen¹ unto them among the tribes of Israel.

And the children of Dan sent⁴ of their family five men from their coasts, men ¹¹²¹ of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out¹⁵ the land, and to search² it; and they said⁴ unto them, Go,³ search³ the land: who when they came⁴ to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged⁴ there.

When they [were] by the house of Micah, they knew⁵² the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in⁴ thither, and said⁴ unto him, Who brought⁵² thee hither? and what makest⁶ thou in this [place]? and what hast thou here?

And he said⁴ unto them, Thus and thus dealeth¹ Micah with me, and hath hired⁴ me, and I am his priest.

And they said⁴ unto him, Ask³ counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know⁴ whether our way which we go⁶ shall be prosperous.⁵⁵

And the priest said⁴ unto them, Go³ in peace: before the LORD [is] your way wherein ye go.⁴

Then the five men departed,⁴ and came⁴ to Laish, and saw⁴ the people that [were] therein, how they dwelt⁶ careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet⁶ and secure;⁶ and [there was] no magistrate^{6 6114} in the land, that might put [them] to shame⁵⁶ in [any] thing; and they [were] far from the Zidonians, and had no business with [any] man.

And they came⁴ unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said⁴ unto them, What [say] ye?

And they said,⁴ Arise,³ that we may go up⁴ against them: for we have seen¹ the land, and, behold, it [is] very good: and [are] ye still?⁵⁶ be not slothful¹¹ to go,² [and] to enter² to possess² the land.

When ye go,² ye shall come⁴ unto a people secure,⁶ and to a large land: ³⁰²⁷ for God hath given¹ it into your hands; a place where [there is] no want of any thing that [is] in the earth.

And there went⁴ from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed⁷ with weapons of war.

And they went up,⁴ and pitched⁴ in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called¹ that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, [it is] behind Kirjathjearim.

And they passed⁴ thence unto mount Ephraim, and came⁴ unto the house of Micah.

Then answered⁴ the five men that went⁶ to spy out¹⁵ the country of Laish, and said⁴ unto their brethren, Do ye know¹ that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider³ what ye have to do.⁴

And they turned⁴ thitherward, and came⁴ to the house of the young man the Levite, [even] unto the house of Micah, and saluted^{4 7965} him.

And the six hundred men appointed⁷ with their weapons of war, which [were] of the children of Dan, stood¹² by the entering of the gate.

And the five men that went⁶ to spy out¹⁵ the land went up,⁴ [and] came in¹ thither, [and] took¹ the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood¹² in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men [that were] appointed⁷ with weapons of war.

And these went¹ into Micah's house, and fetched⁴ the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said⁴ the priest unto them, What do⁶ ye?

And they said⁴ unto him, Hold thy peace,⁵⁴ lay³ thine hand upon thy mouth, and go³ with us, and be to us a father and a priest: [is it] better for thee to be² a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

And the priest's heart was glad,⁴ and he took⁴ the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in⁴ the midst of the people.

So they turned⁴ and departed,⁴ and put⁴ the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.

[And] when they were a good way⁵² from the house of Micah, the men that [were] in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together,⁸ and overtook⁵⁵ the children of Dan.

And they cried⁴ unto the children of Dan. And they turned⁵⁵ their faces, and said⁴ unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?⁸

And he said,⁴ Ye have taken away¹ my gods which I made,¹ and the priest, and ye are gone away:⁴ and what have I more? and what [is] this [that] ye say⁴ unto me, What aileth thee?

And the children of Dan said⁴ unto him, Let not thy voice be heard⁵⁵ among us, lest angry ⁵³¹⁵ fellows run⁴ upon thee, and thou lose¹ thy life, with the lives of thy household.

And the children of Dan went⁴ their way: and when Micah saw⁴ that they [were] too strong for him, he turned⁴ and went back⁴ unto his house.

And they took¹ [the things] which Micah had made,¹ and the priest which he had, and came⁴ unto Laish, unto a people [that were] at quiet⁶ and secure:⁶ and they smote⁵⁵ them with the edge of the sword, and burnt¹ the city with fire.

And [there was] no deliverer,⁵⁶ because it [was] far from Zidon, and they had no business with [any] man; and it was in the valley that [lieth] by Bethrehob. And they built⁴ a city, and dwelt⁴ therein.

And they called⁴ the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born²⁷ unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city [was] Laish at the first.

And the children of Dan set up⁵⁵ the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity² of the land.

And they set them up⁴ Micah's graven image, which he made,¹ all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.