^aIn those days there was no king in Israel; and ^bin those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance of land for themselves to live in, for until then an ¹inheritance had not been allotted to them as a possession among the tribes of Israel. 2 So the sons of Dan sent from the total number of their extended family five brave men from ^aZorah and Eshtaol, to scout the land and to explore it; and they said to them, “Go, explore the land.” They came to the ^bhill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3 When they passed near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite, and they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?” 4 And he said to them, “Micah has done this and that for me, and he has hired me and ^aI have become his priest.” 5 And they said to him, “Please ask of God, so that we may know whether our journey on which we are going will be successful.” 6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace; the journey on which you are going is acceptable to the LORD.”

7 Then the five men went on and came to ^aLaish and saw the people who were there, how they were living securely in the style of the Sidonians, quiet and peaceful; and there was no oppressive magistrate in the land humiliating them in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 The five men came back home to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, “What do you have to report?” 9 They said, “Arise, let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good (fertile) . Will you sit still and do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, to enter, to take possession of the land. 10 When you enter, you will come to people feeling safe and secure with a spacious land widely extended on all sides; for God has given it into your hands—^aa place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”

11 Then from the tribal family of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war set out. 12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they have called that place ^1aMahaneh-dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 They went on from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.

14 Then the five men who had gone to scout the country of Laish said to their relatives, “Do you know that there are in these houses ^aan ephod, teraphim, an image of silver-plated wood, and a cast image of solid silver? Now therefore, consider what you should do.” 15 So they turned in that direction and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him how he was doing. 16 Now the six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood at the entrance of the gate. 17 Now the five men who had gone to scout the land went up and entered the house and took ^athe image of silver-plated wood, the ephod, the teraphim, and the cast image of solid silver, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war. 18 When these five men went into Micah’s house and took the plated image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the cast image, the priest asked them, “What are you doing?” 19 They said to him, “Keep quiet, ^aput your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be ^ba father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be a priest to a tribe and family in Israel?” 20 The priest’s heart was glad to hear that, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the image, and went among the people.

21 So they turned and left, and they put the children, the livestock, and the valuables and supplies in front of them. 22 When they had gone some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were living in the houses near Micah’s house assembled as a militia and overtook the sons of Dan. 23 They shouted to the Danites, who turned and said to Micah, “What is your reason for assembling against us?” 24 He said, “You have taken away my gods which I have made, and the priest, and have gone away; what else do I have left? How can you say to me, ‘What is your reason?’” 25 The sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice of complaint be heard among us, or else angry men will assault you and you will lose your life, along with the lives of everyone in your household.” 26 Then the Danites went on their way; and Micah saw that they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back to his house.

27 They took the idolatrous things that Micah had made, and his priest, and they came to ^aLaish, to a people who were quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no one to rescue them because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley which belongs to ^aBeth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 ^aThey named the city Dan, after Dan their forefather who was born to Israel (Jacob) ; however, the original name of the city was Laish. 30 The tribe of the sons of Dan set up ^athe image of silver-plated wood for themselves; and Jonathan the son of ^bGershom, the son of ¹Moses, and ^chis sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity and exile from the land. 31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s silver-plated wooden image which he had made, and kept it throughout the time that the ^ahouse (tabernacle) of God was at Shiloh.

^aIn those days there was no king of Israel; and ^bin those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day the land among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them as an inheritance. 2 So the sons of Dan sent from their family five men out of their whole number, ¹men of valor from ^aZorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, “Go, search the land.” And they came to ^bthe hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3 They were near the house of Micah, and they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite. So they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?” 4 And he said to them, “Thus and so has Micah done to me, and he has hired me, and ^aI have become his priest.” 5 And they said to him, “Ask of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be successful.” 6 So the priest said to them, “Go in peace; your way in which you are going is before Yahweh.”

7 Then the five men went forth and came to ^aLaish and saw the people who were in it living in security, after the ¹manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no ²oppressive conqueror dishonoring them for anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 So they came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” 9 And they said, “Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you be silent? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land. 10 When you enter, you will come to a secure people and a spacious land; for God has given it into your hand, ^aa place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”

11 Then from the family of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, 600 men armed with weapons of war set out. 12 And they went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place ^1aMahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is ²west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 Then they passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

14 And the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their relatives, “Do you know that there are in these houses ^aan ephod and ¹household idols and a graven image and a molten image? So now, know what you should do.” 15 Then they turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare. 16 Now the 600 men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, were standing by the entrance of the gate. 17 Then the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there, and took ^athe graven image and the ephod and household idols and the molten image. And the priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. 18 Now these had entered into Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod and household idols and the molten image. Then the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 And they said to him, “Be silent; ^aput your hand over your mouth and come with us and be to us ^ba father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?” 20 And the priest’s heart was merry, and he took the ephod and household idols and the graven image and entered among the people.

21 Then they turned and went away and put the little ones and the livestock and the valuables in front of them. 22 They had gone some distance from the house of Micah, and the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were summoned and then overtook the sons of Dan. 23 And they called out to the sons of Dan, who turned ¹around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you were summoned together?” 24 And he said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’” 25 Then the sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest men, bitter of soul, fall upon you and you ¹lose your life, with the lives of your household.” 26 So the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

27 Now they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and they came to ^aLaish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no one to deliver them because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near ^aBeth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 ^aAnd they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel; however, the name of the city formerly was Laish. 30 Then the sons of Dan set up for themselves ^athe graven image; and Jonathan, the son of ^bGershom, the son of ¹Moses, ^che and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the exile of the land. 31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image which he had made, all the time that the ^ahouse of God was at Shiloh.

^aIn those days there was no king of Israel; and ^bin those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day ¹an inheritance had not ²been allotted to them as a possession among the tribes of Israel. 2 So the sons of Dan sent from their family five men out of their whole number, ¹valiant men from ^aZorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, “Go, search the land.” And they came to ^bthe hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3 When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?” 4 He said to them, “Thus and so has Micah done to me, and he has hired me and ^aI have become his priest.” 5 They said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be prosperous.” 6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace; your way in which you are going ¹has the LORD’S approval.”

7 Then the five men departed and came to ^aLaish and saw the people who were in it living in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no ¹ruler humiliating them for anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 When they came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” 9 They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you ¹sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land. 10 When you enter, you will come to a secure people with a spacious land; for God has given it into your hand, ^aa place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”

11 Then from the family of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war set out. 12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place ^1aMahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is ²west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 They passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

14 Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, “Do you know that there are in these houses ^aan ephod and ¹household idols and a graven image and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do.” 15 They turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare. 16 The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17 Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there, and took ^athe graven image and the ephod and ¹household idols 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 When these went into Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod and ¹household idols and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 They said to him, “Be silent, ^aput your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be to us ^ba father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?” 20 The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod and ¹household idols and the graven image and went among the people.

21 Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the valuables in front of them. 22 When they had gone some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house assembled and overtook the sons of Dan. 23 They cried to the sons of Dan, who turned ¹around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you have assembled together?” 24 He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’” 25 The sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, or else ¹fierce men will fall upon you and you will ²lose your life, with the lives of your household.” 26 So the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

27 Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to ^aLaish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no one to deliver them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near ^aBeth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 ^aThey called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel; however, the name of the city formerly was Laish. 30 The sons of Dan set up for themselves ^athe graven image; and Jonathan, the son of ^bGershom, the son of ¹Manasseh, ^che and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image which he had made, all the time that the ^ahouse of God was at Shiloh.