The Danites Settle in Laish 1 UST At that time the Israelites had no king. And at that time people of the tribe of Dan wanted more land where they could live. The other Israelite tribes had been able to occupy the territories that their leaders had assigned to them. But the tribe of Dan had not yet been able to occupy all of their territory. 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 UST So the Danites chose five strong soldiers from their tribe to look carefully for more land where they could live. These men lived in the part of their territory that the tribe had been able to occupy, in the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol. When the tribe sent them out to explore the land, the men went to the hilly area where the people of the tribe of Ephraim live. They stayed overnight in the area where Micah lived. 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 UST Since they were close to his house, they could hear the people there talking. They recognized from the way he spoke that the young Levite was from the southern part of Israel, as they were. So they went and asked him,“How did you come here? What are your duties here? How do you support yourself?” 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 UST He answered,“Let me explain exactly what Micah has done for me. He has given me the job of being his priest.” BSB BSB: “Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
5 UST So they said to him,“Please ask God to tell us whether we will succeed in what we are trying to do on this journey.” BSB BSB: Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
6 UST The young man replied,“You should not worry. Yahweh will make you successful in what you are trying to do on your journey.” BSB BSB: And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
7 UST Then the five men left. They came to the city of Laish, and they saw that the people there were not warlike. Instead, they engaged in trading, as the people of the city of Sidon do. The people there thought that they were safe. No ruler was controlling them. Their city was far from Sidon, and they were not part of a defensive league of cities. 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 UST When those five men returned to their tribe in Zorah and Eshtaol, the other Danites asked them“What do you have to report?” BSB BSB: When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
9 UST They replied,“We have found some land, and we can assure you that it is very good. So we should go and attack the people who live there. We should not stay here and do nothing. We should go right away and take possession of that 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 UST When you get there, you will find that the people there are not expecting anyone to attack them. There is plenty of land, and it has everything that we will need.{ We should certainly go there,} because God will enable us to conquer that land.” 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 UST So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol. They brought their weapons with them{ so they could attack the people of Laish}. BSB BSB: So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
12 UST On their way, they set up their tents near the city of Kiriath Jearim in the area where the tribe of Judah lives. That is why people call the area west of Kiriath Jearim Mahaneh Dan. People still call it that now. 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 UST From there, they went to the hilly area where the people of the tribe of Ephraim live. And they arrived at Micah’ s house. 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 UST The five men who had explored the land near Laish said to their fellow Danites,“We want to inform you that in one of these houses, there is a sacred vest, several household idols, and a silver molded figure. Think about the advantages of having those things for ourselves.” 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 UST So they interrupted their journey and went to the house on Micah’ s property where the young Levite lived. They told him they hoped he was doing well. BSB BSB: So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16 UST The 600 soldiers from the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate to the compound, holding their weapons. BSB BSB: The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.
17 UST The five men who had explored the land went into the house where Micah himself lived. They took the sacred vest, the household idols, and the silver molded figure. They made the priest go out and stand outside the gate with the 600 soldiers who were holding weapons. 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 UST He saw them bringing out the sacred vest, the household idols, and the silver molded figure from Micah’ s house. The priest told them it was wrong to take those things. 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 UST They replied,“Do not object. Just come quietly with us and advise us and be our priest. It is certainly better for you to be the priest for a whole tribe of Israelites than to stay here and be the priest just for one man’ s family and servants.” 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 UST The priest liked what they were suggesting. So he took the sacred vest, the household idols, and the silver molded figure and he left with the Danites. BSB BSB: So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.
21 UST When they left, the soldiers had their children and cattle walk in front of them. They also had the animals that were carrying their baggage{, including the items they had taken from Micah,} walk in front of them.{ That was to protect them from an attack from the rear.} BSB BSB: Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
22 UST Micah gathered together the men who lived near him and they formed an army. Although the Danites had gotten some distance away by the time they started pursuing them, they were able to catch up with them. 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 UST Micah and his men shouted at the men of the tribe of Dan. They turned around and asked Micah,“Why have you come after us with this army?” 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 UST Micah replied,“You took away my own silver idols and my priest! Those were the things I valued the most. So you should not be asking me why I have come after you with an army.” 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 UST The men from the tribe of Dan replied,“You had better not say anything further about this to us. Otherwise some of our men will become angry and attack you, and they would kill you and your relatives and servants!” 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 UST Then the men from the tribe of Dan continued walking. Micah realized that those soldiers would defeat him and his neighbors if they fought. So he turned around and went home. 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 UST The men of the tribe of Dan kept Micah’ s household idols and his priest, and they continued traveling to Laish. They attacked the people who were living there, who had thought that they were safe. They killed all of them, and then they burned everything in the city. 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 UST There was no group of people to rescue the people of Laish. The city was far from Sidon, so the people who lived there could not help them. And the people of Laish had no other allies.(Laish was in a valley near the town of Beth Rehob.) The people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the city and lived there themselves. 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 UST Even though the sacred tent was in Shiloh at this time{ and Israelites were supposed to worship there}, the people of the tribe of Dan worshiped the silver molded figure that had belonged to Micah. 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.