Judges 18

Danites Seek Territory

11In thoseH1992 daysH3117 thereH369 wasH369 noH369 kingH4428 of IsraelH3478; and 2in thoseH1992 daysH3117 the tribeH7626 of the DanitesH1839 was seekingH1245 an inheritanceH5159 for themselves to liveH3427 in, for untilH5704 that dayH3117 3an inheritanceH5159 had not 4been allottedH5307 to them as a possessionH5159 amongH8432 the tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478. 2So the sonsH1121 of DanH1835 sentH7971 from their familyH4940 fiveH2568 menH376 outH7971 of their wholeH7098 numberH7098, 5valiantH2428 menH376 from 6ZorahH6881 and EshtaolH847, to spyH7270 outH7270 the landH776 and to exploreH2713 it; and they saidH559 to them, “GoH1980, exploreH2713 the landH776.” And they cameH935 to 7the hillH2022 countryH2022 of EphraimH669, to the houseH1004 of MicahH4318, and stayedH3885 overnightH3885 thereH8033. 3When they were nearH5973 the houseH1004 of MicahH4318, they recognizedH5234 the voiceH6963 of the youngH5288 manH5288, the LeviteH3881; and they turnedH5493 asideH5493 thereH8033 and saidH559 to him, “WhoH4310 broughtH935 you hereH1988? And whatH4100 are you doingH6213 in thisH2088 place? And whatH4100 do you have hereH6311?” 4He saidH559 to them, “MicahH4318 has doneH6213 thisH2090 and thatH2088 for me, and he has hiredH7936 me and 8I have becomeH1961 his priestH3548.” 5Then they saidH559 to him, “InquireH7592 of GodH430, pleaseH4994, that we may knowH3045 whether our wayH1870 on whichH834 we are goingH1980 will beH6743 successfulH6743.” 6And the priestH3548 saidH559 to them, “GoH1980 in peaceH7965; your wayH1870 in whichH834 you are goingH1980 9has the Lord’sH3068 approvalH5227.”

7So the fiveH2568 menH376 departedH1980 and cameH935 to 10LaishH3919, and sawH7200 the peopleH5971 whoH834 were in it livingH3427 in securityH983, in the wayH4941 of the SidoniansH6722, quietH8252 and unsuspectingH982; for thereH369 wasH369 noH369 11oppressiveH6114 rulerH3423 humiliatingH3637 them for anythingH1697 in the landH776, and they were farH7350 from the SidoniansH6722 and hadH369 noH369 dealingsH1697 with anyoneH120. 8When they cameH935 back to their brothersH251 at ZorahH6881 and EshtaolH847, their brothersH251 saidH559 to them, “WhatH4100 do you say?” 9And they saidH559, “AriseH6965, and let’s goH5927 upH5927 againstH5921 them; for we have seenH7200 the landH776, and beholdH2009, it is veryH3966 goodH2896. And will you 12sitH2814 stillH2814? Do not hesitateH6101 to goH1980, to enterH935, to takeH3423 possessionH3423 of the landH776. 10When you enterH935, you will comeH935 to an unsuspectingH982 peopleH5971 with a spaciousH7342H3027 landH776; for GodH430 has handedH5414H3027 it overH5414 to you, 13a placeH4725 whereH834H8033 thereH369 isH369 noH369 lackH4270 of anythingH3605H1697 that is on the earthH776.”

11Then from the familyH4940 of the DanitesH1839, from ZorahH6881 and from EshtaolH847, sixH8337 hundredH3967 menH376 armedH2296 with weaponsH3627 of warH4421 setH5265 outH5265. 12They wentH5927 upH5927 and campedH2583 at Kiriath-jearimH7157 in JudahH3063. ThereforeH5921H3651 they calledH7121 that placeH4725 1415Mahaneh-danH4265 to thisH2088 dayH3117; beholdH2009, it is 16westH310 of Kiriath-jearimH7157. 13And they passedH5674 from thereH8033 to the hillH2022 countryH2022 of EphraimH669 and cameH935 to the houseH1004 of MicahH4318.

Danites Take Micah’s Idols

14Then the fiveH2568 menH376 who wentH1980 to spyH7270 outH7270 the countryH776 of LaishH3919 17saidH559 to their kinsmenH251, “Do you knowH3045 that thereH3426 areH3426 in theseH428 housesH1004 18an ephodH646 and 19householdH8655 idolsH8655, and a carvedH6459 imageH6459 and a castH4541 metalH4541 imageH4541? NowH6258 then, considerH3045 whatH4100 you should doH6213.” 15So they turnedH5493 asideH5493 thereH8033 and cameH935 to the houseH1004 of the youngH5288 manH5288, the LeviteH3881, to the houseH1004 of MicahH4318, and askedH7592 20him howH7965 he was doingH7965. 16Meanwhile, the sixH8337 hundredH3967 menH376 armedH2296 with their weaponsH3627 of warH4421, whoH834 were of the sonsH1121 of DanH1835, were positionedH5324 at the entranceH6607 of the gateH8179. 17Now the fiveH2568 menH376 who wentH1980 to spyH7270 outH7270 the landH776 wentH5927 upH5927 and enteredH935 thereH8033; they tookH3947 21the carvedH6459 imageH6459, the ephodH646, the 22householdH8655 idolsH8655, and the castH4541 metalH4541 imageH4541, while the priestH3548 was standingH5324 at the entranceH6607 of the gateH8179 with the sixH8337 hundredH3967 menH376 armedH2296 with weaponsH3627 of warH4421. 18When theseH428 men enteredH935 Micah’sH4318 houseH1004 and tookH3947 the carvedH6459 imageH6459, the ephodH646, 23householdH8655 idolsH8655, and the castH4541 metalH4541 imageH4541, the priestH3548 saidH559 to them, “WhatH4100 are you doingH6213?” 19And they saidH559 to him, “BeH2790 silentH2790, 24putH7760 your handH3027 overH5921 your mouthH6310, and goH1980 with us, and be to us 25a fatherH1 and a priestH3548. Is it betterH2896 for you to be a priestH3548 to the houseH1004 of oneH259 manH376, orH176 to be priestH3548 to a tribeH7626 and a familyH4940 in IsraelH3478?” 20The priest’sH3548 heartH3820 wasH3190 gladH3190, and he tookH3947 the ephodH646, the 26householdH8655 idolsH8655, and the carvedH6459 imageH6459, and wentH935 amongH7130 the peopleH5971.

21Then they turnedH6437 and leftH1980, and putH7760 the childrenH2945, the livestockH4735, and the valuablesH3520 in frontH6440 of them. 22When they had distancedH7368 themselvesH7368 from Micah’sH4318 houseH1004, the menH376 whoH834 were in the housesH1004 nearH5973 Micah’sH4318 houseH1004 assembledH2199 byH2199 commandH2199 and overtookH1692 the sonsH1121 of DanH1835. 23Then they calledH7121 outH7121 to the sonsH1121 of DanH1835, who turnedH5437 27aroundH6440 and saidH559 to MicahH4318, “WhatH4100 is the matter with you, that you have assembledH2199 togetherH2199?” 24And he saidH559, “You have takenH3947 my godsH430 whichH834 I madeH6213, and the priestH3548, and have goneH1980 awayH1980; whatH4100 moreH5750 do I have? So howH4100H2088 can you sayH559 to me, ‘WhatH4100 is the matter with you?’” 25Then the sonsH1121 of DanH1835 saidH559 to him, “Do not let your voiceH6963 be heardH8085 amongH5973 us, orH6435 elseH6435 28fierceH4751H5315 menH376 will attackH6293 you, and you will 29loseH622 your lifeH5315 and the livesH5315 of your householdH1004.” 26So the sonsH1121 of DanH1835 wentH1980 on their wayH1870; and when MicahH4318 sawH7200 that they were tooH4480 strongH2389 for him, he turnedH6437 and wentH7725 backH7725 to his houseH1004.

27Then they tookH3947 whatH834 MicahH4318 had madeH6213 and the priestH3548 whoH834 hadH1961 belongedH1961 to him, and cameH935 to 30LaishH3919, to a peopleH5971 quietH8252 and unsuspectingH982, and struckH5221 them with the edgeH6310 of the swordH2719; and they burnedH8313 the cityH5892 with fireH784. 28And thereH369 wasH369 noH369 oneH369 to saveH5337 them, becauseH3588 it was farH7350 from SidonH6721 and they hadH369 noH369 dealingsH1697 with anyoneH120, and it was in the valleyH6010 whichH834 is near 31Beth-rehobH1050. So they rebuiltH1129 the cityH5892 and livedH3427 in it. 29And 32they namedH7121H8034 the cityH5892 DanH1835, after the nameH8034 of DanH1835 their fatherH1 whoH834 was bornH3205 to IsraelH3478; howeverH199, the nameH8034 of the cityH5892 was previouslyH7223 LaishH3919. 30The sonsH1121 of DanH1835 setH6965 upH6965 for themselves 33the carvedH6459 imageH6459; and JonathanH3083, the sonH1121 of 34GershomH1647, the sonH1121 of 35ManassehH4519, 36he and his sonsH1121 were priestsH3548 to the tribeH7626 of the DanitesH1839 untilH5704 the dayH3117 of the captivityH1540 of the landH776. 31So they setH7760 upH7760 for themselves Micah’sH4318 carvedH6459 imageH6459 whichH834 he had madeH6213, allH3605 the timeH3117 that the 37houseH1004 of GodH430 was in ShilohH7887.