Judges, 18

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0. When you go, you shall meet a quiet people; the land is vast and God has given it into our hands, a place which does not lack anything."

1. 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.

1. At that time there was no king in Israel. The tribe of Dan was looking for a territory to dwell in, because until that day they had not received a share in the inheritance of 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.

2. So the Danites sent five valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol - all from the Danite tribe - to go around the land and explore it. They said to them, "Go and explore the country." These men came to the mountains of Ephraim near the house of Micah and spent the night 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?

3. When they were near the house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, so they went in. They asked him, "Who has brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?"

4. And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.

4. He answered, "Such and such a thing Micah has done for me. He has hired me to become 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.

5. They said to him, "Ask God so we may know whether the journey we are making shall be successful or not."

6. And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD [is] your way wherein ye go.

6. The priest answered them, "Go in peace, the journey you make is under the eye of Yahweh."

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.

7. The five men left and came to Laish. They saw that the inhabitants of that place were living in security according to the customs of the Sidonians - quiet and trusting people - with no one creating trouble. They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.

8. And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What [say] ye?

8. Upon their return to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol,

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.

9. they were asked, "What news do you bring?" They answered, "Come on, let us go and attack them for the country we have seen is an excellent place. But why are you silent? Do not delay in setting out to conquer 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.

10.

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.

11. So six hundred armed men of the tribe of Dan set out from Zorah and Eshtaol;

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.

12. they went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah.

13. And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.

13. From there they passed through the mountains of Ephraim and came to 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.

14. Then the five men who had gone to explore the land addressed their brothers and said, "Do you not know that in one of these houses, there is an ephod used to consult Yahweh, some small idols and a statue cast in metal? Now decide what you 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.

15. The troops made a detour and entered the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah. They greeted 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.

16. while the six hundred armed Danites stood at the threshold 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.

17. Then the five men who had earlier gone up to explore the land went up again, entered Micah's house

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?

18. and took the statue, the ephod that is used to consult Yahweh and the small idols, while the priest stood at the gate with the six hundred armed men. The priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

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?

19. They said to him, "Be quiet!" Put your hand on your mouth and come with us. You shall be a father and priest to us. Do you prefer to be a priest in the house of one individual or to be a priest for a tribe of 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.

20. This made the priest happy, so he took the ephod, the small idols and the statue, and went with the troops.

21. So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.

21. The Danites went on their way, putting the women, children, livestock and precious objects in front of 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.

22. They were already far from the house of Micah when the people of the neighboring houses started shouting and set out to pursue them.

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?

23. But the Danites turned around and said to Micah, "Why are you shouting?"

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?

24. He answered, "You have taken the gods which I made, and my priest is going away with you. What else is left to me? And yet you still ask me: 'What is the matter with you?'"

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.

25. The Danites answered him, "Be quiet now lest some ill-tempered men fall upon you, and kill you and your 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.

26. So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were stronger, returned home.

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.

27. As for them, they now had the gods which Micah had fashioned and the priest he had in his service, and they marched on against Laish, a quiet and trusting people. They put the inhabitants to the sword and burned the city.

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.

28. No one came to help them for they lived far from Sidon, and had no relationship with anyone else. This city was in the valley which extended to Beth-rehob.

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.

29. The Danites rebuilt the city and lived there, and they gave it the name Dan in memory of their ancestor Dan, son of Israel, though the city was formerly called Laish.

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.

30. They set aside a place for the statue, and Jonathan - a descendant of Gershom, son of Moses - and his sons after him, became priests of the tribe of Dan until the people were driven out 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.

31. They set up the image Micah had made, and there it remained all the time the house of God was in Shiloh.