Judges 18
1. In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought * them an inheritance to dwell in * ; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen * unto them among the tribes of Israel.
2. And the children of Dan sent * of their family five men from their coasts, 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:who when they came * to mount Ephraim,to the house of Micah, they lodged * there.
3. When they were by the house of Micah, they knew * the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in * thither, and said * unto him, Who brought * thee hither? and what makest * thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
4. And he said * unto them, Thus and thus dealeth * Micah with me, and hath hired * me, and I am his priest.
5. And they said * unto him, Ask counsel * , we pray thee, of God, that we may know * whether our way which we go * shall be prosperous * .
6. And the priest said * unto them, Go * in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go * .
7. Then the five men departed * , and came * to Laish, and saw * the people that were therein, how they dwelt * careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet * and secure * ; and there was no magistrate * in the land, that might put them to shame * in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
8. And they came * unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said * unto them, What say ye?
9. And they said * , Arise * , that we may go up * against them: for we have seen * the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still * ? be not slothful * to go * , and to enter * to possess * the land.
10. When ye go * , ye shall come * unto a people secure * , and to a large land: for God hath given * it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
11. And there went * from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed * with weapons of war.
12. And they went up * , and pitched * in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called * that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.
13. And they passed * thence unto mount Ephraim, and came * unto the house of Micah.
14. Then answered * the five men that went * to spy out * the country of Laish, and 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. And they turned * thitherward, and came * to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted * him.
16. And the six hundred men appointed * with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood * by the entering of the gate.
17. And the five men that went * to spy out * the land went up * , and came in * thither, and took * the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood * in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed * with weapons of war.
18. And these went * into Micah's house, and fetched * the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said * the priest unto them, What do * ye?
19. And they said * unto him, Hold thy peace * , lay * thine hand upon thy mouth, and go * with us, and be to us * a father and a 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 in Israel?
20. 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. So they turned * and departed * , and put * the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
22. 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 children of Dan.
23. And they cried * unto the children of Dan. And they turned * their faces,and said * unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company * ?
24. And he said * , Ye have taken away * my gods which I made * , and the priest, and ye are gone away * : and what have I more? and what is this that ye say * unto me, What aileth thee?
25. And the children of Dan said * unto him, Let not thy voice be heard * among us, lest angry fellows run * upon thee, and thou lose * thy life, with the lives of thy household.
26. And the children 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. And they took * the things which Micah had made * , and 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. And there was no deliverer * , 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 built * a city, and dwelt * therein.
29. And they called * the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born * unto Israel:howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
30. And the children of Dan set up * 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 captivity * of the land.
31. And they set them up * Micah's graven image, which he made * , all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
