Judges 18
18In 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.H3117H4428H3478H3117H7626H1839H1245H5159H3427H3117H5159H5307H8432H7626H34782So 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.H1121H1835H7971H4940H2568H582H7098H1121H2428H6881H847H7270H776H2713H559H3212H2713H776H935H2022H669H1004H4318H38853While 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?"H1004H4318H5234H6963H5288H3881H5493H559H935H1988H62134He said to them, "Micah did such and such for me, and he hired me, and I have become his priest."H559H2090H2090H6213H4318H7936H35485Then they said to him, "Inquire of God that we may know whether the mission we are undertaking will succeed."H559H7592H430H3045H1870H1980H67436The priest replied, "Go in peace. The mission you are on is under the eye of the LORD."H3548H559H3212H7965H5227H3068H1870H32127The 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 nothing on earth, and possessing wealth. Furthermore, they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with Aram.H2568H582H3212H935H3919H7200H5971H7130H3427H983H4941H6722H8252H982H3423H6114H776H3637H1697H7350H6722H1697H1208When they came to their kinsfolk at Zorah and Eshtaol, they said to them, "What do you report?"H935H251H6881H847H251H5599They 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.H559H6965H5927H7200H776H3966H2896H2814H6101H3212H935H3423H77610When 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."H935H935H5971H982H7342H776H430H5414H3027H4725H4270H1697H77611Six hundred men of the Danite clan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol,H5265H4940H1839H6881H847H8337H3967H376H2296H3627H442112and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim.H5927H2583H7157H3063H7121H4725H4265H3117H310H715713From there they passed on to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.H5674H2022H669H935H1004H431814Then 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."H6030H2568H582H1980H7270H776H3919H559H251H3045H3426H1004H646H8655H6459H4541H3045H621315So they turned in that direction and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and greeted him.H5493H935H1004H5288H3881H1004H4318H7592H796516While the six hundred men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate,H8337H3967H376H2296H3627H4421H1121H1835H5324H6607H817917the 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. The priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.H2568H582H1980H7270H776H5927H935H3947H6459H646H8655H4541H3548H5324H6607H8179H8337H3967H376H2296H3627H442118When 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?"H935H4318H1004H3947H6459H646H8655H4541H559H3548H621319They 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?"H559H2790H7760H3027H6310H3212H1961H1H3548H2896H3548H1004H259H376H3548H7626H4940H347820Then the priest accepted the offer. He took the ephod, the teraphim, and the idol, and went along with the people.H3548H3820H3190H3947H646H8655H6459H935H7130H597121So they resumed their journey, putting the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them.H6437H3212H7760H2945H4735H3520H644022When 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.H7368H1004H4318H582H1004H4318H1004H2199H1692H1121H183523They shouted to the Danites, who turned around and said to Micah, "What is the matter that you come with such a company?"H7121H1121H1835H5437H6440H559H4318H219924He 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?'"H559H3947H430H6213H3548H3212H55925And 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."H1121H1835H559H6963H8085H4751H5315H582H6293H622H5315H5315H100426Then the Danites went their way. When Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.H1121H1835H3212H1870H4318H7200H2389H6437H7725H100427The 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.H3947H4318H6213H3548H935H3919H5971H8252H982H5221H6310H2719H8313H5892H78428There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with Aram. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city, and lived in it.H5337H7350H6721H1697H120H6010H1050H1129H5892H342729They named the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was formerly Laish.H7121H8034H5892H1835H8034H1835H1H3205H3478H199H8034H5892H3919H722330Then the Danites set up the idol for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the time the land went into captivity.H1121H1835H6965H6459H3083H1121H1647H1121H4519H1121H3548H7626H1839H3117H1540H77631So they maintained as their own Micah's idol that he had made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.H7760H4318H6459H6213H3117H1004H430H7887
Columbus, OH
