Judges 18

In those days there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of Dan was seeking an inheritance to live in, for until that day no inheritance had fallen to them among the tribes of Israel. The Danites sent five men from their clan, from among their number, valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out and explore the land. They said to them, “Go and explore the land.” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to Micah’s house, and spent the night there. When they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?” He said to them, “Micah has done this and that for me. He has hired me, and I have become his priest.” They said to him, “Please inquire of God, so that we may know whether the journey we are taking will succeed.” The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The way you are taking is before the LORD.” The five men went on and came to Laish. They saw that the people in it lived securely, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and confident. There was no ruler in the land to humiliate them in anything. They were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. They came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Will you sit still? Do not be slow to go in and possess the land. When you enter, you will come to a confident people and a spacious land, for God has given it into your hand—a place lacking nothing that is on the earth.” Six hundred men from the clan of Dan set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, equipped with weapons of war. They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is west of Kiriath-jearim. From there they passed on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house. The five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that these houses contain an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a cast image? Now consider what you should do.” They turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, Micah’s house, and asked him how he was. The six hundred Danites, equipped with their weapons of war, stood at the entrance of the gate. The five men who had gone to spy out the land went up, entered there, and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast image. The priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men equipped with weapons of war. These men entered Micah’s house and took the carved image of the ephod, the household gods, and the cast image. The priest said to them, “What are you doing?” They said to him, “Be quiet. Put your hand over your mouth and come with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to one man’s household, or to be priest to a tribe and a clan in Israel?” The priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the carved image, and went among the people. They turned and departed, putting the little ones, the livestock, and the possessions ahead of them. When they were far from Micah’s house, the men from the houses near Micah’s house were summoned and overtook the Danites. They called out to the Danites, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is wrong, that you have rallied?” He said, “You have taken my gods that I made, and the priest, and gone away. What do I have left? How can you say to me, ‘What is wrong?’” The Danites said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men attack you and you lose your life and the lives of your household.” The Danites went on their way. Micah saw that they were stronger than he was, so he turned and went back to his house. They took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came against Laish, against a quiet and confident people. They struck them down by the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. There was no one to deliver them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley of Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city and lived in it. They named the city Dan, after Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel. Previously the city’s name had been Laish. The Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day the land went into captivity. They set up for themselves the carved image Micah had made, all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh.

Rights and attribution