Judges:18

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* In those days [there was ] no (note :)Meaning , no ordinary magistrate to punish vice according to God 's word .(:note ) 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 . * 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 , (note :)For the portion which Joshua gave them , was not sufficient for all their tribe .(:note ) Go , search the land : who when they came to mount Ephraim , to the house of Micah , they lodged there . * When they [were ] by the house of Micah , they knew the (note :)They knew by his speech that he was a stranger there .(:note ) 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 ? * And he answered them , Thus and thus dealeth Michah with me , and hath hired me , and I am his Priest . * Againe they said vnto him , Aske counsell nowe of God , that we may knowe whether the way which we goe , shalbe prosperous . * And the priest said unto them , (note :)Thus sometimes God grants the idolaters requests to the destruction of those who delight in errors .(:note ) Go in peace : before the LORD [is ] your way wherein ye go . * Then the fiue men departed and came to Laish , and sawe the people that were therein , which dwelt carelesse , after the maner of the Zidonians , quiet and sure , because no man made any trouble in the lande , or vsurped any dominion : also they were farre from the Zidonians , and had no businesse with other men . * So they came againe vnto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol : and their brethren saide vnto them , What haue ye done ? * And they said , Arise , that we may go up against them : for we have seen the land , and , behold , it [is ] very good : and (note :)Would you lose this good opportunity because of your laziness ?(:note ) [are ] ye still ? be not slothful to go , [and ] to enter to possess the land . * (If ye will goe , ye shall come vnto a carelesse people , and the countrey is large ) for God hath giuen it into your hande . It is a place which doeth lacke nothing that is in the worlde . * Then there departed thence of the familie of the Danites , from Zorah and from Eshtaol , sixe hundreth men appointed with instruments of warre . * And they went vp , and pitched in Kiriath-iearim in Iudah : wherefore they called that place , Mahaneh-Dan vnto this day : and it is behinde Kiriath-iearim . * And they went thence vnto mount Ephraim , and came to the house of Michah . * Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish , and said unto their brethren , (note :)Because before they had had good success , they wanted their brethren to be encouraged by hearing the same tidings .(:note ) 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 . * And they turned thitherward &amp ; came to the house of the yong man the Leuite , euen vnto the house of Michah , and saluted him peaceably . * And the six hundreth men appointed with their weapons of warre , which were of the children of Dan , stoode by the entring of the gate . * And the five men that went to spy out the land went up , [and ] came in thither , [and ] took the (note :)Superstition blinded them so that they thought God 's power was in the idols , and that they would have good success because of them , though they took them away by robbery and violence .(:note ) 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 . * And the other went into Michahs house and fet the grauen image , the Ephod , and the Teraphim , and the molten image . Then saide the Priest vnto them , What doe ye ? * And they answered him , Holde thy peace : lay thine hande vpon thy mouth , and come with vs to be our father and Priest . Whether is it better that thou shouldest be a Priest vnto ye house of one man , or that thou shouldest be a Priest vnto a tribe and to a familie in Israel ? * 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 (note :)With the six hundred men .(:note ) people . * So they turned and departed , and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage (note :)Suspecting them that pursued them .(:note ) before them . * When they were farre off from the house of Michah , the men that were in the houses neere to Michahs house , gathered together , and pursued after the children of Dan , * And cryed vnto the children of Dan : who turned their faces , and said vnto Michah , What ayleth thee , that thou makest an outcrie ? * And he said , Ye have taken away my (note :)This declares the opinion the idolaters have of their idols .(:note ) 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 ? * And the children of Dan sayde vnto him , Let not thy voyce be heard among vs , least angrie fellowes runne vpon thee , and thou lose thy life with the liues of thine housholde . * So the children of Dan went their wayes : and when Michah saw that they were too strong for him , hee turned , and went backe vnto his house . * And they took [the (note :)Meaning , the idols , as in ( Jdg_18:18 ).(:note ) 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 . * And there was none to helpe , because Laish was farre from Zidon , and they had no businesse with other men : also it was in the valley that lyeth by Beth-rehob . After , they built the citie , and dwelt therein , * And called the name of the citie Dan , after the name of Dan their father which was borne vnto Israel : howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the beginning . * And the children of Dan set up the (note :)Thus instead of giving glory to God , they attributed the victory to their idols , and honoured them therefore .(:note ) 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 That is , till the Ark was taken , ( 1Sa_5:1 ). captivity of the land . * So they set them vp the grauen image , which Michah had made , all the while the house of God was in Shiloh .

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