JudgesChapter 18

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¹In those days Israel had no king. The tribe of Dan was looking for land of its own to live in. Up to that time, they had not received their share of land among the tribes of Israel. ²So the people of Dan sent out five brave men from their clans. They came from Zorah and Eshtaol. They were sent to spy out the land and explore it. "Go and explore the land," they were told. The men went into the hill country of Ephraim. They came to Micah's house and stayed there for the night. ³While they were near Micah's house, they knew 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?" ⁴He answered, "Micah has done this and that for me. He has hired me to be his priest." ⁵Then they said to him, "Please ask God for us. Find out if our trip will go well." ⁶The priest told them, "Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your trip." ⁷So the five men left and came to Laish. They saw that the people there were living in safety, like the people of Sidon. They were peaceful and did not expect any trouble. The land had everything they needed. There was no harsh ruler. They lived far away from the people of Sidon. And they had no treaty with anyone. ⁸The men went back to Zorah and Eshtaol. Their relatives asked them, "What did you find?" ⁹They answered, "Come on, let's attack them! We have seen the land, and it's very good. Why are you sitting still? Don't wait to go there and take over the land! ¹⁰When you get there, you'll find people who don't expect any trouble. The land is wide and open. God has handed it over to you. It's a place that has everything in the world." ¹¹So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol. They carried weapons for war. ¹²They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is still called Mahaneh-dan today.a ¹³From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim. They came to Micah's house. ¹⁴Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish spoke to their relatives. "Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod and household gods?" they said. "It has a carved idol and a metal idol too. Now think about what you should do." ¹⁵So they turned off the road there. They went to the home of the young Levite at Micah's house and greeted him. ¹⁶The 600 men from Dan stood at the entrance of the gate. They carried their weapons for war. ¹⁷The five men who had spied out the land went inside. They took the carved idol, the ephod, the household idols, and the metal idol. Meanwhile, the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the 600 armed men. ¹⁸The men went into Micah's house. They took the carved idol, the ephod, the household idols, and the metal idol. The priest said to them, "What are you doing?" ¹⁹"Be quiet!" they told him. "Put your hand over your mouth. Come with us and be our father and priest. Which is better for you? Being a priest for one man's family? Or being a priest for a whole tribe and clan in Israel?" ²⁰This made the priest happy. He took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved idol. Then he went along with the people. ²¹They put their little children, their animals, and their belongings in front of them. Then they turned and left. ²²They had gone a short way from Micah's house. Then the men who lived near Micah were called together. They caught up with the people of Dan. ²³They shouted after the people of Dan. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, "What's wrong with you? Why have you called out all these men?" ²⁴Micah answered, "You took the gods I made, and my priest, and you left. What do I have left? How can you ask me, 'What's wrong with you?'" ²⁵The men of Dan said to him, "Don't argue with us. If you do, some angry men will attack you. Then you and your family will lose your lives." ²⁶So the men of Dan went on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him. So he turned around and went back home. ²⁷So they took the idols Micah had made, and his priest. Then they went to Laish. The people there were peaceful and did not expect any trouble. The men of Dan attacked them with their swords and burned down the city. ²⁸No one came to rescue them. The city was far from Sidon, and it had no treaty with anyone. It was in a valley near Beth-rehob. The people of Dan rebuilt the city and lived there. ²⁹They named it Dan, after their ancestor Dan, who was a son of Israel. But before that, the city was called Laish. ³⁰The people of Dan set up the idols for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons served as priests for the tribe of Dan. They did this until the time the people of the land were taken away as captives.b ³¹So they kept Micah's carved idol set up for themselves. It stayed there the whole time the house of God was at Shiloh.