Judges:18

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* In those days there was no king in Israel . And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to inhabit . For to that day it had not fallen to them by inheritance among the tribes of Israel . * And the sons of Dan sent out of their family five men from their whole number , men , sons of valor , from Zorah and from Eshtaol , to spy out the land , and to search it . And they said to them , Go , search the land . And they came to the hills of Ephraim , to Micah 's house , and lodged there . * They were near the household of Micah , and they recognized the young man 's voice , the Levite . And they turned in there , and said to him , Who has brought you here ? And what are you doing in this place ? And what have you here ? * And he said to them , This and this Micah has done to me . And he hired me , and I am a priest to him . * And they said to him , Please ask of God and we will know whether our way in which we are going will be prosperous . * And the priest said to them , Go in peace . Your way in which you go is before Jehovah . * And the five men departed , and came to Laish . And they saw the people living securely in its midst , according to the custom of the Sidonians , quiet and secure . And there were none to put to shame in a thing , nor possessing authority . And they were far away from the Sidonians , and they had no word with any men . * And they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol . And their brothers said to them , What did you do ? * And they said , Rise up , and we shall go against them , for we have seen the land , and , behold , it is very good . And would you be silent ? Do not hesitate to go to enter in to possess the land . * When you go you shall come to a secure people , and the land is large on both hands ; for God has given it into your hand , a place in which there is no lack of anything which is in the land . * And six hundred men of the family of the Danites from Zorah and from Eshtaol girded themselves with weapons of war , moving from there . * And they went up and camped in Kirjath-jearim , in Judah . Therefore they called that place a camp of Dan until this day . Behold , it is behind Kirjathjearim . * And they passed on from there to the hills of Ephraim , and came into the house of Micah . * And the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish answered and said to their brothers , Do you not know that there are in these houses an ephod and household idols , and a graven image , and a molten image ? And now , you know what you are to do . * And they turned in there , and came into the house of the young man , the Levite in Micah 's house . And they asked him for the peace . * And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan girded with their weapons of war were standing at the opening of the gate . * And the five men , those who went to spy out the land came in there , and they took the graven image , and the ephod , and the household idols , and the casted image . And the priest was standing at the opening of the gate , and the six hundred men who were girded with weapons of war . * And when these went into the house of Micah and took the graven image , the ephod , and the household idols , and the casted image , even the priest said to them , What are you doing ? * And they said to him , Be quiet ! Lay your hand on your mouth , and go with us , and be a father and a priest to us . Is it better for you to be a priest for one man 's house , or for you to be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel ? * And the heart of the priest was glad . And he took the ephod , and the household idols , and the graven image , and went among the people . * And they turned and departed , and put the little ones , and the livestock , and the valuables before them . * They had gone far away from Micah 's house , and the men who were in the houses near Micah 's house had been called together , and had overtaken the sons of Daniel . * And they called to the sons of Dan , and they turned their faces and said to Micah , What ails you , that you have been called together ? * And he said , You have taken my gods which I made , and the priest , and you are leaving , and what more do I have ? What is this you say to me , What ails you ? * And the sons of Dan said to him , Do not let your voice be heard among us , that men bitter in soul not fall on you , and you lose your life , and the lives of your household . * And the sons of Dan went on their way . And Micah saw that they were stronger than he , and turned and went back to his house . * And they took that which Micah had made , and the priest he had , and came against Laish , against a people quiet and secure . And they struck them with the mouth of the sword , and burned the city with fire . * And there was no deliverer , because it was far from Sidon , and they had no business with any men . And it was in the valley which is beside Beth-rehob . And they built the city and lived in it . * And they called the name of the city , Dan , by the name of their father Dan , who was born to Israel . And yet Laish was the name of the city at first . * And the sons of Dan raised up for themselves the graven image . And Jonathan the son of Gershom , the son of Manasseh , he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land . * And they set up for themselves Micah 's graven image , which he had made , all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh .

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