18:1 In those days there was no king in
Israel; and in those days the tribe of Dan sought for itself an inheritance
to inhabit, because no inheritance had fallen to it until that day in the
midst of the tribes of the children of Israel.
18:2 And the sons of Dan sent from their families five men of valour, from
Saraa and from Esthaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said
to them, Go and search out the land. And they came as far as the mount of
Ephraim to the house of Michaias and they lodged there,
18:3 in the house of Michaias, and they recognised the voice of the young
man the Levite, and turned in thither; and said to him, Who brought thee in
hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
18:4 And he said to them, Thus and thus did Michaias to me, and he hired me,
and I became his priest.
18:5 And they said to him, Enquire now of God, and we shall know whether our
way will prosper, on which we are going.
18:6 And the priests said to them, Go in peace; your way in which ye go,
[is] before the Lord.
18:7 And the five men went on, and came to Laisa; and they saw the people in
the midst of it dwelling securely, at ease as [is] the manner of the
Sidonians, and there is no one perverting or shaming a matter in the land,
no heir extorting treasures; and they are far from the Sidonians, and they
have no intercourse with any one.
18:8 And the five men came to their brethren to Saraa and Esthaol, and said
to their brethren, Why sit ye here [idle]?
18:9 And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen
the land, and, behold, [it is] very good, yet ye are still: delay not to go,
an to enter in to possess the land.
18:10 And whensoever ye shall go, ye shall come in upon a people secure, and
the land [is] extensive, for God has given it into your hand; a place where
there is no want of anything that the earth affords.
18:11 And there departed thence of the families of Dan, from Saraa and from
Esthaol, six hundred men, girded with weapons of war.
18:12 And they went up, and encamped in Cariathiarim in Juda; therefore it
was called in that place the camp of Dan, until this day: behold, [it is]
behind Cariathiarim.
18:13 And they went on thence to the mount of Ephraim, and came to the house
of Michaias.
18:14 And the five men who went to spy out the land of Laisa answered, and
said to their brethren, Ye know that there is in this place an ephod, and
theraphin, and a graven and a molten image; and now consider what ye shall
do.
18:15 And they turned aside there, and went into the house of the young man,
the Levite, [even] into the house of Michaias, and asked him how he was.
18:16 And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan who were girded with their
weapons of war stood by the door of the gate.
18:17 And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered
into the house of Michaias, and the priest stood.
18:18 And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphin, and
the molten image; and the priest sad to them, What are ye doing?
18:19 And they said to him, Be silent, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and
come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: [is it] better for thee to
be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and
house for a family of Israel?
18:20 And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the
theraphin, and the graven image, and the molten image, and went in the midst
of the people.
18:21 So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property
and their baggage before them.
18:22 they went some distance from the house of Michaias, and, behold,
Michaias and the men in the houses near Michaias' house, cried out, and
overtook the children of Dan.
18:23 And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Michaias, What
is the matter with thee that thou hast cried out?
18:24 And Michaias said, Because ye have taken my graven image which I made,
and my priest, and are gone; and what have I remaining? and what [is] this
[that] ye say to me, Why criest thou?
18:25 And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard with
us, lest angry men run upon thee, and take away thy life, and the lives of
thy house.
18:26 And the children of Dan went their way; and Michaias saw that they
were stronger than himself, and he returned to his house.
18:27 And the children of Dan took what Michaias had made, and the priest
that he had, and they came to Laisa, to a people quiet and secure; and they
smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
18:28 And there was no deliverer, because [the city] is far from the
Sidonians, and they have no intercourse with men, and it [is] in the valley
of the house of Raab; and they built the city, and dwelt in it.
18:29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their
father, who was born to Israel; and the name of the city was Ulamais before.
18:30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image for themselves; and
Jonathan son of Gerson son of Manasse, he and his sons were priests to the
tribe of Dan till the time of the carrying away of the nation.
18:31 And they set up for themselves the graven image which Michaias made,
all the days that the house of God was in Selom; and it was so in those days
[that] there was no king in Israel. |
18:1 In those days there was no king in
Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an
inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not
fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
18:2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their
coasts, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and
to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they
came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.
18:3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young
man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought
thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
18:4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath
hired me, and I am his priest.
18:5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may
know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
18:6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way
wherein ye go.
18:7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that
were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians,
quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put
them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no
business with any man.
18:8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their
brethren said unto them, What say ye?
18:9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen
the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to
go, and to enter to possess the land.
18:10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land:
for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any
thing that is in the earth.
18:11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah
and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
18:12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore
they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind
Kirjathjearim.
18:13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of
Micah.
18:14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish,
and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an
ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore
consider what ye have to do.
18:15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man
the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
18:16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which
were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
18:17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in
thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the
molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six
hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
18:18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the
ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto
them, What do ye?
18:19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth,
and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to
be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe
and a family in Israel?
18:20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the
teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
18:21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle
and the carriage before them.
18:22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that
were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and
overtook the children of Dan.
18:23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces,
and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?
18:24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest,
and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say
unto me, What aileth thee?
18:25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard
among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the
lives of thy household.
18:26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they
were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
18:27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he
had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and
they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
18:28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they
had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by
Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
18:29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their
father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at
the first.
18:30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son
of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe
of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
18:31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time
that the house of God was in Shiloh. |