The Danites Settle in Laish 1 AKJV 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 to that day all their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel. BSB BSB: In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
2 AKJV And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. BSB BSB: So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
3 AKJV 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 to him, Who brought you here? and what make you in this place? and what have you here? BSB BSB: And while they were near 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? Why are you here?”
4 AKJV And he said to them, Thus and thus deals Micah with me, and has hired me, and I am his priest. BSB BSB: “Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
5 AKJV And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. BSB BSB: Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
6 AKJV And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein you go. BSB BSB: And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
7 AKJV Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelled 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. BSB BSB: So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.
8 AKJV And they came to their brothers to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brothers said to them, What say you? BSB BSB: When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
9 AKJV 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 you still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. BSB BSB: They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!
10 AKJV When you go, you shall come to a people secure, and to a large land: for God has given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth. BSB BSB: When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”
11 AKJV And there went from there of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. BSB BSB: So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
12 AKJV And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: why they called that place Mahanehdan to this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim. BSB BSB: They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.
13 AKJV And they passed there to mount Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. BSB BSB: And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
The Danites Take Micah’s Idols 14 AKJV Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said to their brothers, Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what you have to do. BSB BSB: Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”
15 AKJV And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Micah, and saluted him. BSB BSB: So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.
17 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18 AKJV 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 to them, What do you? BSB BSB: When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 AKJV And they said to him, Hold your peace, lay your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel? BSB BSB: “Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”
20 AKJV And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the middle of the people. BSB BSB: So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.
21 AKJV So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them. BSB BSB: Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
22 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.
23 AKJV And they cried to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to Micah, What ails you, that you come with such a company? BSB BSB: When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”
24 AKJV And he said, You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that you say to me, What ails you? BSB BSB: He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”
25 AKJV And the children of Dan said to him, Let not your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household. BSB BSB: The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
26 AKJV And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house. BSB BSB: So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.
27 AKJV And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came to Laish, to a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. BSB BSB: After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.
28 AKJV 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 lies by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelled therein. BSB BSB: There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
31 AKJV And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. BSB BSB: So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
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