07:018:001 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.
07:018:002 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from
their coasts, men of valour, 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.
07:018:003 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?
07:018:004 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me,
and hath hired me, and I am his priest.
07:018:005 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.
07:018:006 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is
your way wherein ye go.
07:018:007 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.
07:018:008 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and
their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
07:018:009 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.
07:018:010 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.
07:018:011 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.
07:018:012 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah:
wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day:
behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.
07:018:013 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the
house of Micah.
07:018:014 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.
07:018:015 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the
young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and
saluted him.
07:018:016 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.
07:018:017 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.
07:018:018 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?
07:018:019 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?
07:018:020 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.
07:018:021 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the
cattle and the carriage before them.
07:018:022 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.
07:018:023 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?
07:018:024 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?
07:018:025 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.
07:018:026 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.
07:018:027 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.
07:018:028 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.
07:018:029 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.
07:018:030 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.
07:018:031 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all
the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.