Judges:18

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* 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 dwell in ; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them . * So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory , men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol , to spy out the land and search it . They said to them , "Go , search the land ." So they went to the mountains of Ephraim , to the house of Micah , and lodged there . * While they were at the house of Micah , they recognized the voice of the young Levite . They turned aside and said to him , "Who brought you here ? What are you doing in this place ? What do you have here ?" * He said to them , "Thus and so Micah did for me . He has hired me , and I have become his priest ." * So they said to him , "Please inquire of God , that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous ." * And the priest said to them , "Go in peace . The presence of the LORD be with you on your way ." * So the five men departed and went to Laish . They saw the people who were there , how they dwelt safely , in the manner of the Sidonians , quiet and secure . There were no rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything . They were far from the Sidonians , and they had no ties with anyone . * Then the spies came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol , and their brethren said to them , "What is your report ?" * So they said , "Arise , let us go up against them . For we have seen the land , and indeed it is very good . Would you do nothing ? Do not hesitate to go , and enter to possess the land . * When you go , you will come to a secure people and a large land . For God has given it into your hands , a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth ." * And six hundred men of the family of the Danites went from there , from Zorah and Eshtaol , armed with weapons of war . * Then they went up and encamped in Kirjath Jearim in Judah . (Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day . There it is , west of Kirjath Jearim .) * And they passed from there to the mountains of Ephraim , and came to the house of Micah . * Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brethren , "Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod , household idols , a carved image , and a molded image ? Now therefore , consider what you should do ." * So they turned aside there , and came to the house of the young Levite man--to the house of Micah--and greeted him . * The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war , who were of the children of Dan , stood by the entrance of the gate . * Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up . Entering there , they took the carved image , the ephod , the household idols , and the molded image . The priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with weapons of war . * When these went into Micah 's house and took the carved image , the ephod , the household idols , and the molded image , the priest said to them , "What are you doing ?" * And they said to him , "Be quiet , put your hand over your mouth , and come with us ; be a father and a priest to us . Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man , or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel ?" * So the priest 's heart was glad ; and he took the ephod , the household idols , and the carved image , and took his place among the people . * Then they turned and departed , and put the little ones , the livestock , and the goods in front of them . * When they were a good way from the house of Micah , the men who were in the houses near Micah 's house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan . * And they called out to the children of Dan . So they turned around and said to Micah , "What ails you , that you have gathered such a company ?" * So he said , "You have taken away my gods which I made , and the priest , and you have gone away . Now what more do I have ? How can you say to me , "What ails you ?"' * And the children of Dan said to him , "Do not let your voice be heard among us , lest angry men fall upon you , and you lose your life , with the lives of your household !" * Then the children of Dan went their way . And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him , he turned and went back to his house . * So they took the things Micah had made , and the priest who had belonged to him , and went to Laish , to a people quiet and secure ; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire . * There was no deliverer , because it was far from Sidon , and they had no ties with anyone . It was in the valley that belongs to Beth Rehob . So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there . * And they called the name of the city Dan , after the name of Dan their father , who was born to Israel . However , the name of the city formerly was Laish . * Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image ; and Jonathan the son of Gershom , the son of Manasseh , and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land . * So they set up for themselves Micah 's carved image which he made , all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh .

---