Judges 18
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
The Migration of Dan
18 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. 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. 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?’ 4 He said to them, ‘Micah did such and such for me, and he hired me, and I have become his priest.’ 5 Then they said to him, ‘Inquire of God that we may know whether the mission we are undertaking will succeed.’ 6 The priest replied, ‘Go in peace. The mission you are on is under the eye of the Lord.’
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[a] nothing on earth, and possessing wealth.[b] Furthermore, they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with Aram.[c] 8 When they came to their kinsfolk at Zorah and Eshtaol, they said to them, ‘What do you report?’ 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. 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.’
11 Six hundred men of the Danite clan, 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 Mahaneh-dan[d] to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 From there they passed on to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
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.’ 15 So they turned in that direction and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and greeted him. 16 While the six hundred men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate, 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.[e] The priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war. 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?’ 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?’ 20 Then the priest accepted the offer. He took the ephod, the teraphim, and the idol, and went along with the people.
21 So they resumed their journey, putting the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them. 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. 23 They shouted to the Danites, who turned around and said to Micah, ‘What is the matter that you come with such a company?’ 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?”’ 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.’ 26 Then the Danites went on their way. When Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.
The Danites Settle in Laish
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. 28 There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with Aram.[f] It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city, and lived in it. 29 They named the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was formerly Laish. 30 Then the Danites set up the idol for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses,[g] and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the time the land went into captivity. 31 So they maintained as their own Micah’s idol that he had made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.
Footnotes
- Judges 18:7 Cn Compare 18.10: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Judges 18:7 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Judges 18:7 Symmachus: Heb with anyone
- Judges 18:12 That is Camp of Dan
- Judges 18:17 Compare 17.4, 5; 18.14: Heb teraphim and the cast metal
- Judges 18:28 Cn Compare verse 7: Heb with anyone
- Judges 18:30 Another reading is son of Manasseh
Judges 18
New Life Version
Micah and the Danites
18 There was no king of Israel in those days. At that time the family of the Danites was looking for their own land to live in. For no land had been given to them yet among the families of Israel. 2 So the people of Dan sent five men from all those in their family. They were men with strength of heart, from Zorah and Eshtaol, sent to look over the land. The people of Dan said to them, “Go and look over the land.” And the men came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim. They stayed there. 3 When they were near the house of Micah, they heard the voice of the young man, the Levite. They knew who he was, and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?” 4 The Levite said to them, “This is what Micah has done for me. He has hired me. I have become his religious leader.” 5 They said to him, “We beg you to ask God if all will go well for us as we travel.” 6 The religious leader said to them, “Go in peace. The way you are going is pleasing to the Lord.”
7 Then the five men left and came to Laish. They saw how the people lived there, quiet and feeling safe, like the Sidonians. There was no ruler in the land who would put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians and had nothing to do with anyone. 8 The five men returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol. Their brothers said to them, “What do you have to say?” 9 They answered, “Get ready. Let us go up against them. For we have seen their land and it is very good. Will you sit and do nothing? Do not wait. Go into the land and take it. 10 When you go in, you will come to people who feel very safe. They have much land, but God has given it to you. It will be a place where you will have all you need on earth.”
11 Then 600 men from the family of Dan, from Zorah and Eshtaol, went out ready for war. 12 They went to Kiriath-jearim in Judah and set up their tents. They called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 They went from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
14 Then the five men who had gone to look over the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are gods, a holy vest, and objects made to look like gods? So think about what you should do.” 15 They turned there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, at the home of Micah. They asked him how he was getting along. 16 The 600 men of the sons of Dan who were ready for war were standing by the gate. 17 The five men who had gone to look over the land went in the house. They took the objects made to look like gods, the holy vest and the other gods. The religious leader stood by the gate with the 600 men who were ready for war. 18 When the men went into Micah’s house and took the objects made to look like gods, the holy vest and the other gods, the religious leader said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 They said to him, “Be quiet. Put your hand over your mouth and come with us. Be a father and a religious leader to us. Is it better for you to be a religious leader to the house of one man, or to a family in Israel?” 20 The religious leader felt glad in his heart. He took the holy vest, the house gods and objects made to look like gods. And he went among the people.
21 Then they turned and left. They put the little ones, the animals and their riches in front of them. 22 They had gone a long way from the house of Micah. And the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and went after them. When they came to the sons of Dan, 23 they called out to them. The sons of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What is wrong with you? Why have you gathered together?” 24 Micah said, “You have taken away my gods which I made. And you go away with the religious leader. What do I have left? How can you say to me, ‘What is wrong with you?’” 25 The sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us. Or angry men will kill you and those of your house.” 26 Then the sons of Dan went on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him. So he returned to his house.
27 The men of Dan took what Micah had made and the religious leader who had belonged to him. They came to Laish, to people who were quiet and felt safe. And they killed them with the sword. They burned the city with fire. 28 There was no one to take them away from their trouble, because it was far from Sidon and they had nothing to do with anyone. It was in the valley near Beth-rehob. The sons of Dan built the city again, and lived in it. 29 They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel. The name of the city had been Laish before. 30 The people of Dan set up for themselves the object made to look like a god. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were religious leaders to the family of Dan until the day their land was taken. 31 They set up the false god that Micah had made, while the house of God was at Shiloh.
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