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
.
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.
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?
And he said unto them, Thus
and thus
dealeth
Micah
with me, and hath hired
me, and I am his priest
.
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
.
And the priest said
unto them, Go
in peace
: before
the LORD
is your way
wherein ye go
.
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
.
And they came unto their brethren
to Zorah
and Eshtaol
: and their brethren
said
unto them, What say ye?
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
.
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
.
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
.
And they went up, and pitched
in Kirjathjearim
, in Judah
: wherefore they called
that place
Mahanehdan
unto this day
: behold, it is behind
Kirjathjearim
.
And they passed thence unto mount
Ephraim
, and came
unto the house
of Micah
.
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
.
And they turned thitherward, and came
to the house
of the young man
the Levite
, even unto the house
of Micah
, and saluted
him.
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
.
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
.
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?
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
?
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
.
So they turned and departed
, and put
the little ones
and the cattle
and the carriage
before
them.
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
.
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
?
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?
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
.
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
.
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
.
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.
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
.
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
.
And they set them up Micah's
graven image
, which he made
, all the time
that the house
of God
was in Shiloh
.