1 GLT In those days there was not a king in Israel. Now in those days the tribe of the Danite was looking for a territory for itself to settle, because up to that day one had not fallen to it among 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 GLT The sons of Dan sent five men from their family, from their members men, sons of valor from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to scout out the land on foot, and to examine it thoroughly. They said to them,“Go! Search out the land thoroughly.” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, as far as the house of Micah, and they spent the night 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 GLT They were among the house of Micah and they recognized the voice of the young Levite man. So they turned aside there and they said to him,“Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have 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 GLT He replied to them,“Like this and like this Micah has done for me; he has hired me and I am to him as a priest.” BSB BSB: “Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
5 GLT They said to him,“Inquire, please, of God, that we may know whether our journey will have success, which we are going on it.” BSB BSB: Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
6 GLT The priest said to them,“Go in peace, before Yahweh is your journey which you are going on it.” BSB BSB: And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
7 GLT Then the five men left and they came to Laish. They saw the people who were in the midst of it were living in safety as the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There was no one causing them shame in any way in the land. Possessing restraint, they were far away from the Sidonians and there was no interaction for them with anyone. 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 GLT Then they went to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their brothers said to them,“How are you?” BSB BSB: When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
9 GLT They responded,“Get up at once that we may go up against them! For we have seen the land and look, it is exceedingly good. Yet you are keeping still. You must not be sluggish to go to enter in 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 GLT When you go, you will come to a people living securely, and the land is spacious on both hands! For God has given it into your hands, a place where there is not a lack 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 GLT So they journeyed away from there, six hundred men from the family of the Danite, out from Zorah and Eshtaol, girded with weapons of war. BSB BSB: So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
12 GLT They went up and they camped at Kiriath Jearim, in Judah. On account of this they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. It is back behind 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 GLT They crossed over from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and they came up to the house of Micah. BSB BSB: And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
14 GLT Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land of Laish on foot responded to their brothers and they said,“Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, family idols, a carved image, and a cast image? So now, consider what you will 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 GLT So they turned in there and they came to the house of the young man, the Levite, at the house of Micah, and they asked about his welfare. BSB BSB: So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16 GLT Now six hundred men who were from the sons of Dan, the ones who were girded in their weapons of war, were stationed 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 GLT The five men who had gone to scout out the land by foot went up, they came there. They took the carved image, the ephod, the family idols, and the cast image, while the priest was standing at the entrance of the gate along with the six hundred men who were girded with the 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 GLT When these came into the house of Micah, and they took the carved image, the ephod, the family idols, and the cast image, 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 GLT They said to him,“Be quiet! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be for us as a father and as a priest. Is it better your being a priest for the house of one man, or your being a priest for a tribe and for 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 GLT The heart of the priest was agreeable, so he took the ephod, the family idols, and the carved image, 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 GLT Then they turned and they went away. They put the little children, the catle, and the property of value in front of themselves. BSB BSB: Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
22 GLT They had gone a great distance from the house of Micah, when the men who were in the houses which were near the house of Micah were called together, 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 GLT They called to the sons of Dan. They turned their faces around and they said to Micah,“What has happened to you that you have assembled together?” 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 GLT He replied,“You took my gods that I made, and the priest, and you left. What do I have any longer? So how is it you can say to me,‘What has happened 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 GLT The sons of Dan responded to him,“You should not make your voice heard among us, lest some men fierce in temperment will come with hostility against you, with the result that you would reap the destruction of your soul and the soul 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 GLT So the sons of Dan went their way since Micah perceived that they were stronger than him. He turned back and he 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 GLT Now they had taken what Micah had made, and the priest who was his, and they came to Laish, to a people living undisturbed and feeling secure. They slaughtered them with 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 GLT There was not a deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and there was no involvement for them with any man. It was in the valley that is near Beth Rehob. They rebuilt the city and they lived 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 GLT So they set up for themselves the carved image belonging to Micah that he had made, all the days of the house of the true God being 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.