Font Size
Richteren 18
BasisBijbel
Richteren 18
BasisBijbel
De verkenners van de stam van Dan
18 In die tijd was er geen koning in Israël. En de stam van Dan had nog steeds geen eigen gebied dat groot genoeg was,[a] zoals de andere stammen van Israël. 2 Daarom ging deze stam op zoek naar een gebied om te veroveren. Ze stuurden vijf dappere mannen van hun stam uit Zora en Estaol op weg om het land te verkennen. Ze kwamen in de bergen van Efraïm bij het huis van Micha. Daar bleven ze slapen. 3 En het accent van de Levitische jongeman viel hun op. Ze vroegen hem: "Hoe ben jij hier gekomen? Wat doe je hier?" 4 Hij antwoordde: "Micha heeft mij gehuurd als priester." 5 Ze zeiden tegen hem: "Wil jij voor ons aan God vragen of we succes zullen hebben op deze reis?" 6 De priester antwoordde: "Jullie kunnen gerust zijn. De Heer zal jullie reis zegenen."
7 Toen gingen de vijf mannen op weg en kwamen in Laïs. En ze zagen dat de bewoners daar veilig woonden, net als de bewoners van Sidon. Ze leefden vredig en onbezorgd. Er was geen heerser die hen lastig viel. Ook woonden ze ver bij Sidon vandaan. Ze gingen met helemaal niemand om.
8 Toen ze bij hun stamgenoten in Zora en Estaol terugkwamen, vroegen die aan hen: "En? Wat hebben jullie gevonden?" 9 Ze antwoordden: "Maak je klaar voor de strijd! We hebben wat gevonden. Het is er geweldig! Wat zitten jullie hier nog? Kom snel mee om dat land te veroveren. 10 Want de mensen daar leven onbezorgd en verwachten helemaal geen gevaar. Als we daar gaan wonen, zullen we meer dan genoeg ruimte hebben en aan niets tekort hebben. God zal het ons geven."
11 Toen vertrokken er 600 gewapende mannen uit Zora en Estaol. 12 Ze gingen naar Kirjat-Jearim in Juda en zetten daar in de buurt hun tentenkamp op. Daarom wordt die plek nog steeds Machane-Dan (= 'kamp van Dan') genoemd. 13 Van daar trokken ze naar de bergen van Efraïm. Ze kwamen bij het huis van Micha.
De stam van Dan steelt het godenbeeld van Micha
14 Toen zeiden de vijf verkenners tegen hun stamgenoten: "Weten jullie dat er in één van deze huizen een priesterborsttas is waarmee je God om raad kan vragen, en een aantal godenbeeldjes? Eén beeld is helemaal bedekt met zilver! Nou, dan weten jullie wel wat we moeten doen!" 15 Ze gingen naar het huis van Micha, waar ook de Levitische jongeman woonde. Een aantal van hen hield de Leviet aan de praat. 16 De 600 gewapende mannen uit Dan bleven bij de poort staan. 17 Maar de vijf verkenners slopen naar binnen. Ze namen het zilveren beeld, de borsttas en de godenbeeldjes mee. De priester stond nog bij de poort, bij de gewapende mannen. 18 Maar toen hij zag dat de andere mannen het huis van Micha binnengingen en de priesterborsttas, de godenbeeldjes en het zilveren beeld meenamen, riep hij tegen hen: "Hé, wat doen jullie daar?" 19 Maar ze zeiden tegen hem: "Stil, houd je mond en kom met ons mee. Dan mag je ónze raadgever en priester worden. Wat is nou beter: priester zijn voor het huis van één man, of voor een hele stam van Israël?" 20 Toen werd de priester blij. Hij nam de borsttas, de godenbeeldjes en het zilveren beeld en ging met hen mee. 21 Zo vertrokken ze. Ze lieten hun vrouwen en kleine kinderen voorop gaan met al hun vee en alles wat ze bezaten.
22 Pas toen ze al een heel eind verder waren, riep Micha de mannen uit het dorp bij elkaar en ging hen achterna. Ze haalden hen in. 23 De mannen van Dan hoorden hen achter zich roepen. Ze draaiden zich om en vroegen Micha: "Wat is er? Wat komen jullie doen?" 24 Micha riep: "Jullie hebben de goden meegenomen die ik heb gemaakt, en ook mijn priester. Ik heb niets meer! En dan vragen jullie 'Wat is er?' " 25 Toen zeiden de mannen van Dan tegen hem: "Je kan maar beter je mond houden. Want als je ons kwaad maakt, doden we jou en je hele familie." 26 Toen vertrok de stam van Dan. En omdat Micha zag dat ze sterker waren dan hij, ging hij naar huis terug.
De stam van Dan verovert Laïs
27 Zo namen ze de godenbeelden van Micha mee en ook zijn priester. Ze kwamen bij Laïs. Ze overvielen de bewoners, die helemaal geen aanval verwachtten. Ze doodden iedereen en staken de stad in brand. 28 Niemand kwam de bewoners van Laïs helpen. Want de stad lag ver bij Sidon vandaan, in het dal van Bet-Rechob. De bewoners gingen met helemaal niemand om. Daarna herbouwde de stam van Dan de stad en ging er wonen. 29 Ze noemden de stad Dan, naar hun voorvader Dan, een zoon van Israël. Maar daarvoor heette de stad Laïs. 30 Ze zetten het beeld er neer en Jonatan, de zoon van Gersom, die een zoon was van Manasse, werd priester. Na zijn dood werden zijn zonen priesters voor de stam van Dan. En dat bleef zo totdat de hele bevolking gevangen werd meegenomen door de koning van Assur.[b] 31 Sindsdien stond het beeld van Micha dus in Dan. In die tijd stond het heiligdom van God in Silo.
Footnotes
- Richteren 18:1 Lees Jozua 19:40-48.
- Richteren 18:30 Dat gebeurde pas ruim 200 jaar later. Lees 2 Koningen 17:1-6.
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 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
BasisBijbel (BB)
© stichting BasisBijbel 2013 Gecorrigeerde tekst © 2015 Alle rechten voorbehouden Uitgegeven bij de ZakBijbelBond: 2016
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.