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Judges 17
English Standard Version
Judges 17
English Standard Version
Micah and the Levite
17 There was a man of (A)the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, (B)“Blessed be my son by the Lord.” 3 And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make (C)a carved image and (D)a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.” 4 So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother (E)took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made (F)an ephod and (G)household gods, and (H)ordained[a] one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 (I)In those days there was no king in Israel. (J)Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man of (K)Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to (L)the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. 9 And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.” 10 And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me (M)a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” And the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite (N)was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 And Micah (O)ordained the Levite, and the young man (P)became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”
Footnotes
- Judges 17:5 Hebrew filled the hand of; also verse 12
Judges 17
New American Standard Bible
Judges 17
New American Standard Bible
Micah’s Idolatry
17 Now there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse and also spoke it in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.” 3 He then returned the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, “I wholly consecrate the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son (A)to make a carved image and a cast metal image; so now I will return [a]them to you.” 4 So when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, who made [b]them into a carved image and a cast metal image, and [c]they were in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had a [d](B)shrine and he made an (C)ephod and [e](D)household idols, and [f]consecrated one of his sons, (E)so that he might become his priest. 6 In those days (F)there was no king in Israel; (G)everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man from (H)Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he was [g]staying there. 8 Then the man left the city, Bethlehem in Judah, to [h]stay wherever he would find a place; and as he made his journey, he came to the (I)hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah. 9 Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to [i]stay wherever I may find a place.” 10 Micah then said to him, “Stay with me and be (J)a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a supply of clothing, and your sustenance.” So the Levite went in. 11 The Levite agreed to live with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 So Micah [j]consecrated the Levite, and the young man (K)became his priest and [k]lived in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as a priest.”
Footnotes
- Judges 17:3 Lit it
- Judges 17:4 Lit it
- Judges 17:4 Lit it was
- Judges 17:5 Lit house of gods
- Judges 17:5 Heb teraphim
- Judges 17:5 Lit filled the hand of
- Judges 17:7 Or sojourning
- Judges 17:8 Or sojourn
- Judges 17:9 Or sojourn
- Judges 17:12 Lit filled the hand of
- Judges 17:12 Lit was
Judges 17
New International Version
Judges 17
New International Version
Micah’s Idols
17 Now a man named Micah(A) from the hill country of Ephraim 2 said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels[a] of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have that silver with me; I took it.”
Then his mother said, “The Lord bless you,(B) my son!”
3 When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord for my son to make an image overlaid with silver.(C) I will give it back to you.”
4 So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels[b] of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol.(D) And it was put in Micah’s house.
5 Now this man Micah had a shrine,(E) and he made an ephod(F) and some household gods(G) and installed(H) one of his sons as his priest.(I) 6 In those days Israel had no king;(J) everyone did as they saw fit.(K)
7 A young Levite(L) from Bethlehem in Judah,(M) who had been living within the clan of Judah, 8 left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way[c] he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.
9 Micah asked him, “Where are you from?”
“I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,(N)” he said, “and I’m looking for a place to stay.”
10 Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father(O) and priest,(P) and I’ll give you ten shekels[d] of silver a year, your clothes and your food.” 11 So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him. 12 Then Micah installed(Q) the Levite, and the young man became his priest(R) and lived in his house. 13 And Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”(S)
Footnotes
- Judges 17:2 That is, about 28 pounds or about 13 kilograms
- Judges 17:4 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
- Judges 17:8 Or To carry on his profession
- Judges 17:10 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
Judges 17
New Living Translation
Judges 17
New Living Translation
Micah’s Idols
17 There was a man named Micah, who lived in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 One day he said to his mother, “I heard you place a curse on the person who stole 1,100 pieces[a] of silver from you. Well, I have the money. I was the one who took it.”
“The Lord bless you for admitting it,” his mother replied. 3 He returned the money to her, and she said, “I now dedicate these silver coins to the Lord. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast.”
4 So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah’s house. 5 Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest.
6 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
7 One day a young Levite, who had been living in Bethlehem in Judah, arrived in that area. 8 He had left Bethlehem in search of another place to live, and as he traveled, he came to the hill country of Ephraim. He happened to stop at Micah’s house as he was traveling through. 9 “Where are you from?” Micah asked him.
He replied, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.”
10 “Stay here with me,” Micah said, “and you can be a father and priest to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver[b] a year, plus a change of clothes and your food.” 11 The Levite agreed to this, and the young man became like one of Micah’s sons.
12 So Micah installed the Levite as his personal priest, and he lived in Micah’s house. 13 “I know the Lord will bless me now,” Micah said, “because I have a Levite serving as my priest.”
Judges 18
English Standard Version
Judges 18
English Standard Version
Danites Take the Levite and the Idol
18 (A)In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days (B)the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them. 2 So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, (C)from Zorah and from Eshtaol, (D)to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came (E)to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 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?” 4 And he said to them, “This is how Micah dealt with me: (F)he has hired me, and I have become his priest.” 5 And they said to him, (G)“Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” 6 And the priest said to them, (H)“Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.”
7 Then the five men departed and came to (I)Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, (J)quiet and unsuspecting, lacking[a] nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how (K)they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 And when they came to their brothers at (L)Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” 9 They said, (M)“Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. (N)And will you do nothing? (O)Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. 10 As soon as you go, you will come to an (P)unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, (Q)a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”
11 So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, (R)armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, 12 and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called (S)Mahaneh-dan[b] to this day; behold, it is west of (T)Kiriath-jearim. 13 And they passed on from there to (U)the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
14 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that (V)in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do.” 15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and (W)asked him about his welfare. 16 Now the 600 men of the Danites, (X)armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17 And (Y)the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took (Z)the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. 18 And when these went into Micah's house and took (AA)the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 And they said to him, “Keep quiet; (AB)put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us (AC)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 clan in Israel?” 20 And the priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.
21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and (AD)the goods in front of them. 22 When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. 23 And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?” 24 And he said, (AE)“You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’” 25 And the people of Dan 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.” 26 Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.
27 But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people (AF)quiet and unsuspecting, and (AG)struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer because it was (AH)far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to (AI)Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 And they named the city (AJ)Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but (AK)the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, (AL)son of Moses,[c] (AM)and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day (AN)of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up Micah's carved image that he made, (AO)as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.
Footnotes
- Judges 18:7 Compare 18:10; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Judges 18:12 Mahaneh-dan means camp of Dan
- Judges 18:30 Or Manasseh
Judges 18
New American Standard Bible
Judges 18
New American Standard Bible
Danites Seek Territory
18 (A)In those days there was no king of Israel; and (B)in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day [a]an inheritance had not [b]been 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, [c]valiant men from (C)Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it; and they said to them, “Go, explore the land.” And they came to (D)the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and stayed overnight 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, “Micah has done this and that for me, and he has hired me and (E)I have become his priest.” 5 Then they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be successful.” 6 And the priest said to them, “Go in peace; your way in which you are going [d]has the Lord’s approval.”
7 So the five men departed and came to (F)Laish, and saw the people who were in it living in security, in the way of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting; for there was no [e]oppressive ruler 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 say?” 9 And they said, “Arise, and let’s go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you [f]sit still? Do not hesitate to go, to enter, to take possession of the land. 10 When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people with a spacious land; for God has handed it over to you, (G)a 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 [g](H)Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is [h]west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 And they passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
Danites Take Micah’s Idols
14 Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish [i]said to their kinsmen, “Do you know that there are in these houses (I)an ephod and [j]household idols, and a carved image and a cast metal image? Now then, consider what you should do.” 15 So they turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked [k]him how he was doing. 16 Meanwhile, the six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, were positioned at the entrance of the gate. 17 Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there; they took (J)the carved image, the ephod, the [l]household idols, and the cast metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war. 18 When these men entered Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, [m]household idols, and the cast metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 And they said to him, “Be silent, (K)put your hand over your mouth, and go with us, and be to us (L)a 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, the [n]household idols, and the carved image, and went among the people.
21 Then they turned and left, and put the children, the livestock, and the valuables in front of them. 22 When they had distanced themselves from Micah’s house, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house assembled by command and overtook the sons of Dan. 23 Then they called out to the sons of Dan, who turned [o]around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you have assembled together?” 24 And he said, “You have taken my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away; what more do I have? 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, or else [p]fierce men will attack you, and you will [q]lose your life and 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 (M)Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no one to save them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near (N)Beth-rehob. So they rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 And (O)they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born to Israel; however, the name of the city was previously Laish. 30 The sons of Dan set up for themselves (P)the carved image; and Jonathan, the son of (Q)Gershom, the son of [r]Manasseh, (R)he 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 carved image which he had made, all the time that the (S)house of God was in Shiloh.
Footnotes
- Judges 18:1 Lit it
- Judges 18:1 Lit fallen
- Judges 18:2 Lit men, sons of valor
- Judges 18:6 Lit is before the Lord
- Judges 18:7 Or oppressive conqueror; lit possessor of oppression
- Judges 18:9 Lit be
- Judges 18:12 I.e., the camp of Dan
- Judges 18:12 Lit behind
- Judges 18:14 Lit answered and said
- Judges 18:14 Heb teraphim
- Judges 18:15 Lit his well-being
- Judges 18:17 Heb teraphim
- Judges 18:18 Heb teraphim
- Judges 18:20 Heb teraphim
- Judges 18:23 Lit their faces
- Judges 18:25 Lit bitter of soul
- Judges 18:25 Lit take away
- Judges 18:30 Some ancient versions Moses
Judges 18
New International Version
Judges 18
New International Version
The Danites Settle in Laish
18 In those days Israel had no king.(A)
And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.(B) 2 So the Danites(C) sent five of their leading men(D) from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out(E) the land and explore it. These men represented all the Danites. They told them, “Go, explore the land.”(F)
So they entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah,(G) where they spent the night. 3 When they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite;(H) so they turned in there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4 He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, “He has hired me and I am his priest.(I)”
5 Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God(J) to learn whether our journey will be successful.”
6 The priest answered them, “Go in peace(K). Your journey has the Lord’s approval.”
7 So the five men(L) left and came to Laish,(M) where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, at peace and secure.(N) And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous.[a] Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians(O) and had no relationship with anyone else.[b]
8 When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their fellow Danites asked them, “How did you find things?”
9 They answered, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate to go there and take it over.(P) 10 When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing(Q) whatever.(R)”
11 Then six hundred men(S) of the Danites,(T) armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 12 On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim(U) in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan[c](V) to this day. 13 From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.(W)
14 Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish(X) said to their fellow Danites, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod,(Y) some household gods and an image overlaid with silver?(Z) Now you know what to do.” 15 So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him. 16 The six hundred Danites,(AA) armed for battle, stood at the entrance of the gate. 17 The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods(AB) while the priest and the six hundred armed men(AC) stood at the entrance of the gate.
18 When the five men went into Micah’s house and took(AD) the idol, the ephod and the household gods,(AE) the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 They answered him, “Be quiet!(AF) Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest.(AG) Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan(AH) in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?” 20 The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people. 21 Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.
22 When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. 23 As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?”
24 He replied, “You took(AI) the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”
25 The Danites answered, “Don’t argue with us, or some of the men may get angry and attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” 26 So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him,(AJ) turned around and went back home.
27 Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a people at peace and secure.(AK) They attacked them with the sword and burned(AL) down their city.(AM) 28 There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon(AN) and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob.(AO)
The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. 29 They named it Dan(AP) after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city used to be called Laish.(AQ) 30 There the Danites set up for themselves the idol, and Jonathan son of Gershom,(AR) the son of Moses,[d] and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. 31 They continued to use the idol Micah had made,(AS) all the time the house of God(AT) was in Shiloh.(AU)
Footnotes
- Judges 18:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Judges 18:7 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts with the Arameans
- Judges 18:12 Mahaneh Dan means Dan’s camp.
- Judges 18:30 Many Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; many other Hebrew manuscripts and some other Septuagint manuscripts Manasseh
Judges 18
New Living Translation
Judges 18
New Living Translation
Idolatry in the Tribe of Dan
18 Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. 2 So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out a land for them to settle in.
When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah’s house and spent the night there. 3 While at Micah’s house, they recognized the young Levite’s accent, so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” 4 He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah’s personal priest.
5 Then they said, “Ask God whether or not our journey will be successful.”
6 “Go in peace,” the priest replied. “For the Lord is watching over your journey.”
7 So the five men went on to the town of Laish, where they noticed the people living carefree lives, like the Sidonians; they were peaceful and secure.[a] The people were also wealthy because their land was very fertile. And they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby.
8 When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find?”
9 The men replied, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. What are you waiting for? Don’t hesitate to go and take possession of it. 10 When you get there, you will find the people living carefree lives. God has given us a spacious and fertile land, lacking in nothing!”
11 So 600 men from the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 12 They camped at a place west of Kiriath-jearim in Judah, which is called Mahaneh-dan[b] to this day. 13 Then they went on from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
14 The five men who had scouted out the land around Laish explained to the others, “These buildings contain a sacred ephod, as well as some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol. What do you think you should do?” 15 Then the five men turned off the road and went over to Micah’s house, where the young Levite lived, and greeted him kindly. 16 As the 600 armed warriors from the tribe of Dan stood at the entrance of the gate, 17 the five scouts entered the shrine and removed the carved image, the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the cast idol. Meanwhile, the priest was standing at the gate with the 600 armed warriors.
18 When the priest saw the men carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah’s shrine, he said, “What are you doing?”
19 “Be quiet and come with us,” they said. “Be a father and priest to all of us. Isn’t it better to be a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man?”
20 The young priest was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the carved image. 21 They turned and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.
22 When the people from the tribe of Dan were quite a distance from Micah’s house, the people who lived near Micah came chasing after them. 23 They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter? Why have you called these men together and chased after us like this?”
24 “What do you mean, ‘What’s the matter?’” Micah replied. “You’ve taken away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!”
25 The men of Dan said, “Watch what you say! There are some short-tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your family.” 26 So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and went home.
27 Then, with Micah’s idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground. 28 There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob.
Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there. 29 They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had originally been called Laish.
30 Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses,[c] as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. 31 So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New Living Translation (NLT)
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