Shoftim - Chapter 18

1. In those days (there was) no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance (in which) to dwell, for until that day there had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel an inheritance.

2. And the children of Dan sent from their families five men, part of them (being) men of valor, from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, "Go search the land." And they came to the mountain of Ephraim, up to Micah's house, and lodged there.

3. (When) they (were) by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the lad, the Levite. And they turned aside there and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? And what (profit) have you here?"

4. And he said to them, "Such and such has Micah done for me, and he has hired me, and I have become his priest."

5. And they said to him, "Ask now of God, that we may know whether we shall be prosperous on our way upon which we are going."

6. And the priest said to them, "Go in peace; before the Lord is (revealed) the way in which you shall go."

7. And the five men went, and arrived in Laish. And they saw the people that were therein dwelling in security, after the manner of the Zidonians, tranquil and secure; for there was none in the land to put them to shame for any thing; (their) heirs being few, and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no bond with any man.

8. And they came to their brothers, (to) Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers said to them, "What do you (have to respond)?"

9. And they said, "Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good; and you are silent, do not be lazy to go and enter to possess the land.

10. When you arrive, you will come to a secure people, and the land is sufficiently large, for God has given it into your hands; a place where there is nothing lacking of anything which is in the land."

11. And there journeyed from there, of the Danite family, out of Zorah and Eshtaol, six hundred men girded with weapons.

12. And they went up and encamped near Kiryath-jearim, in Judah; therefore they called that place "The camp of Dan" until this day; behold (it is) behind Kiryath-jearim.

13. And they passed from there to the mountain of Ephraim, and came up to Micah's house.

14. And the five men that went to spy out the area of Laish spoke up, and said to their brothers, "Do you know that in these houses there is an ephod, teraphim, a graven image, and a molten one? And now know what you have to do."

15. And they turned there, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, in Micah's house, and greeted him.

16. Now the six hundred men of the children of Dan girded with their weapons, stood by the entrance of the gate.

17. And the five men that went to spy out the land went up; they came in there, (and) took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with six hundred men that were girded with weapons.

18. And these came into Micah's house, and took the graven image with the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

19. And they said to him, "Be still, put your hand over your mouth and go with us, and be to us an instructor and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be a priest to a tribe and family in Israel?"

20. And the priest was pleased, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the graven image, and he came in the midst of the people.

21. And they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the cattle, and the goods before them.

22. They were at a distance from the house of Michah, when the men that were in the houses which were near Micah's house were gathered, and they overtook the children of Dan.

23. And they called to the children of Dan, and they turned their faces. And they said to Micah, "What is with you, that you are gathered?"

24. And he said, "My god which I made you took away, in addition to the priest, and you have gone away. What else have I? How then can you say to me, 'What is with you?' "

25. And the children of Dan said to him, "Let not your voice be heard among us, lest men of embittered souls assail you, and you will lose your life, and the lives of your household."

26. And the children of Dan went their way. And Micah saw that they were stronger than he, and he turned and went back to his house.

27. And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had; and they came to Laish, to a people tranquil and secure, and they struck them with the edge of the sword. And the city they burnt with fire.

28. And there was no one to save (them), because it was far from Zidon, and they had no bond with any man, and it was in the valley that lies by Beth-rehob. And they built the city and dwelt therein.

29. And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel, but actually Laish was the name of the city at first.

30. And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image. And Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Menasseh, (both) he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the exile of the land.

31. And they accepted for themselves the graven image of Micah which he had made, throughout the period that the house of God was in Shiloh.