The Danites Settle in Laish 1 ULT In those days a king{ was} not in Israel. Now in those days, the tribe of the Danite{ was} seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell, for one had not fallen to it up to that day in the midst of the tribes of Israel for an inheritance. 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 ULT And the sons of Dan sent from their clan five men, men from their borders, sons of valor from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy on the land and to examine it. And they said to them,“Go, examine the land.” And they entered the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and 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 ULT They{ were} near the house of Micah, and they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite. So they turned aside there and said to him,“Who brought you here? And what{ are} you doing in this{ place}? And what{ is} to 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 ULT And he said to them,“Like this and like this Micah has done for me: now he has hired me, and I am to him for a priest.” BSB BSB: “Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
5 ULT And they said to him,“Please inquire of God that we may know, will our way prosper, upon which we{ are} going?” BSB BSB: Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
6 ULT And the priest said to them,“Go in peace, your way upon which you are going is before Yahweh.” BSB BSB: And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
7 ULT So the five men went, and they came{ to} Laish. And they saw the people who{ were} in the midst of it dwelling in security, according to the manner of the Sidonians, reposing and being secure. And no one possessing restraint{ was} humiliating{ for} a thing in the land. And they{ were} far from the Sidonians, and no thing{ was} to them with 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 ULT So they came to their brothers{ in} Zorah and Eshtaol. And their brothers said to them,“What you?” BSB BSB: When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
9 ULT And they said,“Arise, and let us go up against them! For we have seen the land, and behold,{ it is} very good. And{ are} you being silent? May you not slacken yourselves to go 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 ULT When you go, you will come to a people being secure, and the land is broad{ at} two hands. For God has given it into your hand, a place where no lack{ is} there of any thing that{ is} on 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 ULT So they journeyed from there, from the clan of the Danite, from Zorah and Eshtaol, 600 men girded{ with} weapons of war. BSB BSB: So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
12 ULT And they went up and camped at Kiriath Jearim in Judah. Upon this they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. Behold,{ it is} beside Kiriath Jearim. 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 ULT And they passed over from there{ to} the hill country of Ephraim, and they 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 ULT Then the five men having gone to spy on the land of Laish answered and said to their brothers,“Do you know that in these houses{ are} an ephod and teraphim and an idol and a molded image? And now, consider what you shall 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 ULT So they turned aside there, and they entered into the house of the young man, the Levite, at the house of Micah, and they asked of him concerning peace. BSB BSB: So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16 ULT Now the 600 men girded with weapons of war who{ were} from the sons of Dan had stationed themselves at the entrance of the gate. BSB BSB: The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.
17 ULT And the five men having gone to spy on the land came up. They entered there. They took the idol and the ephod and the teraphim and the molded image. And the priest{ was} stationing himself at the entrance of the gate with the 600 men girded{ 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 ULT And these entered the house of Micah and took the idol, the ephod and the teraphim and the molded image. And the priest said to them,“What{ are} you doing?” 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 ULT And they said to him,“Be quiet! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be to us for a father and for a priest.{ Is} the good your being a priest for the house of one man or your being a priest for a tribe and for a clan 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 ULT And the heart of the priest was good, and he took the ephod and the teraphim and the idol, and he went in the midst 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 ULT And they turned and they went. And they put the children and the livestock and the wealth to their faces. BSB BSB: Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
22 ULT They themselves had gone far from the house of Micah, and the men who{ were} in the houses that were near the house of Micah assembled themselves, and they overtook the sons 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 ULT And they called to the sons of Dan, and they turned their faces and they said to Micah,“What to you, that you have assembled yourself?” 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 ULT And he said,“My gods, which I made, you took, and the priest, and you went. And what{ is} still to me? So what is this, you say to me,‘What to 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 ULT And sons of Dan said to him,“You should not make your voice heard among us, lest men bitter of soul strike you and you gather your soul and the soul of your house.” 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 ULT And the sons of Dan went on their way, for Micah perceived that they were stronger than him. And he turned and returned 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 ULT But they themselves took what Micah had made and the priest who was to him. And they came to Laish, to a people reposing and being secure. And they struck them to the mouth of the sword, and they burned 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 ULT And there was not a deliverer, for it was far from Sidon and no thing{ was} to them with man. Now it{ was} in the valley that{ is} to Beth Rehob. And they built the city, and they dwelled in it. 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 ULT So they set up for themselves the idol of Micah that he had made, all of the days of the being of the house of God at 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.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.