18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in; for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them.
18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking for itself a territory to live in; for until then no territory among the tribes of Israel had been allotted to them.

18:2 So the Danites sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Esh'ta-ol, to spy out the land and to explore it; and they said to them, "Go and explore the land." And they came to the hill country of E'phraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.
18:2 So the Danites sent five valiant men from the whole number of their clan, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it; and they said to them, "Go, explore the land." When they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they stayed there.

18:3 When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; and they turned aside and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?"
18:3 While they were at Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?"

18:4 And he said to them, "Thus and thus has Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest."
18:4 He said to them, "Micah did such and such for me, and he hired me, and I have become his priest."

18:5 And they said to him, "Inquire of God, we pray thee, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed."
18:5 Then they said to him, "Inquire of God that we may know whether the mission we are undertaking will succeed."

18:6 And the priest said to them, "Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD."
18:6 The priest replied, "Go in peace. The mission you are on is under the eye of the LORD."

18:7 Then the five men departed, and came to La'ish, and saw the people who were there, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Sido'nians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth, and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sido'nians and had no dealings with any one.
18:7 The five men went on, and when they came to Laish, they observed the people who were there living securely, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing on earth, and possessing wealth. Furthermore, they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with Aram.

18:8 And when they came to their brethren at Zorah and Esh'ta-ol, their brethren said to them, "What do you report?"
18:8 When they came to their kinsfolk at Zorah and Eshtaol, they said to them, "What do you report?"

18:9 They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very fertile. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, and enter in and possess the land.
18:9 They said, "Come, let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, but enter in and possess the land.

18:10 When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is broad; yea, God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth."
18:10 When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is broad--God has indeed given it into your hands--a place where there is no lack of anything on earth."

18:11 And six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set forth from Zorah and Esh'ta-ol,
18:11 Six hundred men of the Danite clan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol,

18:12 and went up and encamped at Kir'iath-je'arim in Judah. On this account that place is called Ma'haneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kir'iath-je'arim.
18:12 and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim.

18:13 And they passed on from there to the hill country of E'phraim, and came to the house of Micah.
18:13 From there they passed on to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

18:14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of La'ish said to their brethren, "Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, teraphim, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you will do."
18:14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land (that is, Laish) said to their comrades, "Do you know that in these buildings there are an ephod, teraphim, and an idol of cast metal? Now therefore consider what you will do."

18:15 And they turned aside thither, and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.
18:15 So they turned in that direction and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and greeted him.

18:16 Now the six hundred men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate;
18:16 While the six hundred men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate,

18:17 and the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up, and entered and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
18:17 the five men who had gone to spy out the land proceeded to enter and take the idol of cast metal, the ephod, and the teraphim. The priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

18:18 And when these went into Micah's house and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"
18:18 When the men went into Micah's house and took the idol of cast metal, the ephod, and the teraphim, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

18:19 And they said to him, "Keep quiet, put your hand upon your mouth, and come 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 family in Israel?"
18:19 They said to him, "Keep quiet! Put your hand over your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one person, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?"

18:20 And the priest's heart was glad; he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
18:20 Then the priest accepted the offer. He took the ephod, the teraphim, and the idol, and went along with the people.

18:21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the cattle and the goods in front of them.
18:21 So they resumed their journey, putting the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them.

18:22 When they were a good way from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called out, and they overtook the Danites.
18:22 When they were some distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called out, and they overtook the Danites.

18:23 And they shouted to the Danites, who turned round and said to Micah, "What ails you that you come with such a company?"
18:23 They shouted to the Danites, who turned around and said to Micah, "What is the matter that you come with such a company?"

18:24 And he said, "You take my gods which I made, and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, `What ails you?'"
18:24 He replied, "You take my gods that I made, and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then can you ask me, 'What is the matter?'"

18:25 And the Danites said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household."
18:25 And the Danites said to him, "You had better not let your voice be heard among us or else hot-tempered fellows will attack you, and you will lose your life and the lives of your household."

18:26 Then the Danites went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.
18:26 Then the Danites went their way. When Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.

18:27 And taking what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, the Danites came to La'ish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire.
18:27 The Danites, having taken what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, put them to the sword, and burned down the city.

18:28 And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any one. It was in the valley which belongs to Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city, and dwelt in it.
18:28 There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with Aram. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city, and lived in it.

18:29 And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was La'ish at the first.
18:29 They named the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was formerly Laish.

18:30 And the Danites set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
18:30 Then the Danites set up the idol for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the time the land went into captivity.

18:31 So they set up Micah's graven image which he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.
18:31 So they maintained as their own Micah's idol that he had made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.