Judges 18:16-31

Amplified Bible

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 the 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, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be a 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 Laish, 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 Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it. ²⁹ They 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 the image [of silver-plated wood] for themselves; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of ^[a]Moses, and his 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 house (tabernacle) of God was at Shiloh.