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Judges 18
King James Version
Judges 18
King James Version
18 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.
3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.
5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go.
7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.
13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.
14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.
23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?
24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?
25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.
26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Jueces 18
Reina-Valera Antigua
Jueces 18
Reina-Valera Antigua
18 EN aquellos días no había rey en Israel. Y en aquellos días la tribu de Dan buscaba posesión para sí donde morase, porque hasta entonces no le había caído suerte entre las tribus de Israel por heredad.
2 Y los hijos de Dan enviaron de su tribu cinco hombres de sus términos, hombres valientes, de Sora y Esthaol, para que reconociesen y explorasen bien la tierra; y dijéronles: Id y reconoced la tierra. Estos vinieron al monte de Ephraim, hasta la casa de Michâs, y allí posaron.
3 Y como estaban cerca de la casa de Michâs, reconocieron la voz del joven Levita; y llegándose allá, dijéronle: ¿Quién te ha traído por acá? ¿y qué haces aquí? ¿y qué tienes tú por aquí?
4 Y él les respondió: De esta y de esta manera ha hecho conmigo Michâs, y me ha tomado para que sea su sacerdote.
5 Y ellos le dijeron: Pregunta pues ahora á Dios, para que sepamos si ha de prosperar nuestro viaje que hacemos.
6 Y el sacerdote les respondió: Id en paz, que vuestro viaje que hacéis es delante de Jehová.
7 Entonces aquellos cinco hombres se partieron, y vinieron á Lais: y vieron que el pueblo que habitaba en ella estaba seguro, ocioso y confiado, conforme á la costumbre de los de Sidón; no había nadie en aquella región que los perturbase en cosa alguna para poseer aquel estado; demás de esto, estaban lejos de los Sidonios, y no tenían negocios con nadie.
8 Volviendo pues ellos á sus hermanos en Sora y Esthaol, sus hermanos les dijeron: ¿Qué hay? y ellos respondieron:
9 Levantaos, subamos contra ellos; porque nosotros hemos explorado la región, y hemos visto que es muy buena: ¿y vosotros os estáis quedos? no seáis perezosos en poneros en marcha para ir á poseer la tierra.
10 Cuando allá llegareis, vendréis á una gente segura, y á una tierra de ancho asiento; pues que Dios la ha entregado en vuestras manos; lugar donde no hay falta de cosa que sea en la tierra.
11 Y partiendo los de Dan de allí, de Sora y de Esthaol, seiscientos hombres armados de armas de guerra,
12 Fueron y asentaron campo en Chîriath-jearim, en Judá; de donde aquel lugar fué llamado el campo de Dan, hasta hoy: está detrás de Chîriath-jearim.
13 Y pasando de allí al monte de Ephraim, vinieron hasta la casa de Michâs.
14 Entonces aquellos cinco hombres que habían ido á reconocer la tierra de Lais, dijeron á sus hermanos: ¿No sabéis como en estas casas hay ephod y teraphim, é imagen de talla y de fundición? Mirad pues lo que habéis de hacer.
15 Y llegándose allá, vinieron á la casa del joven Levita en casa de Michâs, y preguntáronle cómo estaba.
16 Y los seiscientos hombres, que eran de los hijos de Dan, estaban armados de sus armas de guerra á la entrada de la puerta.
17 Y subiendo los cinco hombres que habían ido á reconocer la tierra, entraron allá, y tomaron la imagen de talla, y el ephod, y el teraphim, y la imagen de fundición, mientras estaba el sacerdote á la entrada de la puerta con los seiscientos hombres armados de armas de guerra.
18 Entrando pues aquellos en la casa de Michâs, tomaron la imagen de talla, el ephod, y el teraphim, y la imagen de fundición. Y el sacerdote les dijo: ¿Qué hacéis vosotros?
19 Y ellos le respondieron: Calla, pon la mano sobre tu boca, y vente con nosotros, para que seas nuestro padre y sacerdote. ¿Es mejor que seas tú sacerdote en casa de un hombre solo, que de una tribu y familia de Israel?
20 Y alegróse el corazón del sacerdote; el cual tomando el ephod y el teraphim, y la imagen, vínose entre la gente.
21 Y ellos tornaron y fuéronse; y pusieron los niños, y el ganado y el bagaje, delante de sí.
22 Y cuando ya se habían alejado de la casa de Michâs, los hombres que habitaban en las casas cercanas á la casa de Michâs, se juntaron, y siguieron á los hijos de Dan.
23 Y dando voces á los de Dan, éstos volvieron sus rostros, y dijeron á Michâs: ¿Qué tienes que has juntado gente?
24 Y él respondió: Mis dioses que yo hice, que lleváis juntamente con el sacerdote, y os vais: ¿qué más me queda? ¿y á qué propósito me decís: Qué tienes?
25 Y los hijos de Dan le dijeron: No des voces tras nosotros, no sea que los de ánimo colérico os acometan, y pierdas también tu vida, y la vida de los tuyos.
26 Y yéndose los hijos de Dan su camino, y viendo Michâs que eran más fuertes que él, volvióse y regresó á su casa.
27 Y ellos llevando las cosas que había hecho Michâs, juntamente con el sacerdote que tenía, llegaron á Lais, al pueblo reposado y seguro; y metiéronlos á cuchillo, y abrasaron la ciudad con fuego.
28 Y no hubo quien los defendiese, porque estaban lejos de Sidón, y no tenían comercio con nadie. Y la ciudad estaba en el valle que hay en Beth-rehob. Luego reedificaron la ciudad, y habitaron en ella.
29 Y llamaron el nombre de aquella ciudad Dan, conforme al nombre de Dan su padre, hijo de Israel, bien que antes se llamaba la ciudad Lais.
30 Y los hijos de Dan se levantaron imagen de talla; y Jonathán, hijo de Gersón, hijo de Manasés, él y sus hijos fueron sacerdotes en la tribu de Dan, hasta el día de la transmigración de la tierra.
31 Y levantáronse la imagen de Michâs, la cual él había hecho, todo el tiempo que la casa de Dios estuvo en Silo.
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 King James Version
Judges 18
New King James Version
The Danites Adopt Micah’s Idolatry
18 In (A)those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days (B)the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them. 2 So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from (C)Zorah and Eshtaol, (D)to spy out the land and search it. They said to them, “Go, search the land.” So they went to the mountains of Ephraim, to the (E)house of Micah, and lodged there. 3 While they were at the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?”
4 He said to them, “Thus and so Micah did for me. He has (F)hired me, and I have become his priest.”
5 So they said to him, “Please (G)inquire (H)of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous.”
6 And the priest said to them, (I)“Go in peace. [a]The presence of the Lord be with you on your way.”
7 So the five men departed and went to (J)Laish. They saw the people who were there, (K)how they dwelt safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There were no rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything. They were far from the (L)Sidonians, and they had no ties [b]with anyone.
8 Then the spies came back to their brethren at (M)Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, “What is your report?”
9 So they said, (N)“Arise, let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and indeed it is very good. Would you (O)do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, and enter to possess the land. 10 When you go, you will come to a (P)secure people and a large land. For God has given it into your hands, (Q)a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”
11 And six hundred men of the family of the Danites went from there, from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war. 12 Then they went up and encamped in (R)Kirjath Jearim in Judah. (Therefore they call that place (S)Mahaneh Dan[c] to this day. There it is, west of Kirjath Jearim.) 13 And they passed from there to the mountains of Ephraim, and came to (T)the house of Micah.
14 (U)Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brethren, “Do you know that (V)there are in these houses an ephod, household idols, a carved image, and a molded image? Now therefore, consider what you should do.” 15 So they turned aside there, and came to the house of the young Levite man—to the house of Micah—and greeted him. 16 The (W)six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17 Then (X)the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up. Entering there, they took (Y)the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image. The priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with weapons of war.
18 When these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 And they said to him, “Be quiet, (Z)put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; (AA)be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?” 20 So the priest’s heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and took his place among the people.
21 Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them. 22 When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan. 23 And they called out to the children of Dan. So they turned around and said to Micah, (AB)“What ails you, that you have gathered such a company?”
24 So he said, “You have (AC)taken away my [d]gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What ails you?’ ”
25 And the children of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest [e]angry men fall upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household!” 26 Then the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
Danites Settle in Laish
27 So they took the things Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; (AD)and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28 There was no deliverer, because it was (AE)far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs (AF)to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there. 29 And (AG)they called the name of the city (AH)Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city formerly was Laish.
30 Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of [f]Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan (AI)until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, (AJ)all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Footnotes
- Judges 18:6 Lit. The Lord is before the way in which you go
- Judges 18:7 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX with Syria
- Judges 18:12 Lit. Camp of Dan
- Judges 18:24 idols
- Judges 18:25 Lit. bitter of soul
- Judges 18:30 LXX, Vg. Moses
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New King James Version (NKJV) 
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