Judges:18-19

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* 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 . * 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 . * 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 ? * And he said unto them , Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me , and hath hired me , and I am his priest . * 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 . * And the priest said unto them , Go in peace : before the LORD is your way wherein ye go . * 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 . * And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol : and their brethren said unto them , What say ye ? * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * And they went up , and pitched in Kirjathjearim , in Judah : wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day : behold , it is behind Kirjathjearim . * And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim , and came unto the house of Micah . * 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 . * And they turned thitherward , and came to the house of the young man the Levite , even unto the house of Micah , and saluted him . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 ? * 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 ? * 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 . * So they turned and departed , and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them . * 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 . * 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 ? * 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 ? * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * And they set them up Micah 's graven image , which he made , all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh . * And it came to pass in those days , when there was no king in Israel , that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim , who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah . * And his concubine played the whore against him , and went away from him unto her father 's house to Bethlehemjudah , and was there four whole months . * And her husband arose , and went after her , to speak friendly unto her , and to bring her again , having his servant with him , and a couple of asses : and she brought him into her father 's house : and when the father of the damsel saw him , he rejoiced to meet him . * And his father in law , the damsel 's father , retained him ; and he abode with him three days : so they did eat and drink , and lodged there . * And it came to pass on the fourth day , when they arose early in the morning , that he rose up to depart : and the damsel 's father said unto his son in law , Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread , and afterward go your way . * And they sat down , and did eat and drink both of them together : for the damsel 's father had said unto the man , Be content , I pray thee , and tarry all night , and let thine heart be merry . * And when the man rose up to depart , his father in law urged him : therefore he lodged there again . * And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart : and the damsel 's father said , Comfort thine heart , I pray thee . And they tarried until afternoon , and they did eat both of them . * And when the man rose up to depart , he , and his concubine , and his servant , his father in law , the damsel 's father , said unto him , Behold , now the day draweth toward evening , I pray you tarry all night : behold , the day groweth to an end , lodge here , that thine heart may be merry ; and to morrow get you early on your way , that thou mayest go home . * But the man would not tarry that night , but he rose up and departed , and came over against Jebus , which is Jerusalem ; and there were with him two asses saddled , his concubine also was with him . * And when they were by Jebus , the day was far spent ; and the servant said unto his master , Come , I pray thee , and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites , and lodge in it . * And his master said unto him , We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger , that is not of the children of Israel ; we will pass over to Gibeah . * And he said unto his servant , Come , and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night , in Gibeah , or in Ramah . * And they passed on and went their way ; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah , which belongeth to Benjamin . * And they turned aside thither , to go in and to lodge in Gibeah : and when he went in , he sat him down in a street of the city : for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging . * And , behold , there came an old man from his work out of the field at even , which was also of mount Ephraim ; and he sojourned in Gibeah : but the men of the place were Benjamites . * And when he had lifted up his eyes , he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city : and the old man said , Whither goest thou ? and whence comest thou ? * And he said unto him , We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim ; from thence am I : and I went to Bethlehemjudah , but I am now going to the house of the LORD ; and there is no man that receiveth me to house . * Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses ; and there is bread and wine also for me , and for thy handmaid , and for the young man which is with thy servants : there is no want of any thing . * And the old man said , Peace be with thee ; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me ; only lodge not in the street . * So he brought him into his house , and gave provender unto the asses : and they washed their feet , and did eat and drink . * Now as they were making their hearts merry , behold , the men of the city , certain sons of Belial , beset the house round about , and beat at the door , and spake to the master of the house , the old man , saying , Bring forth the man that came into thine house , that we may know him . * And the man , the master of the house , went out unto them , and said unto them , Nay , my brethren , nay , I pray you , do not so wickedly ; seeing that this man is come into mine house , do not this folly . * Behold , here is my daughter a maiden , and his concubine ; them I will bring out now , and humble ye them , and do with them what seemeth good unto you : but unto this man do not so vile a thing . * But the men would not hearken to him : so the man took his concubine , and brought her forth unto them ; and they knew her , and abused her all the night until the morning : and when the day began to spring , they let her go . * Then came the woman in the dawning of the day , and fell down at the door of the man 's house where her lord was , till it was light . * And her lord rose up in the morning , and opened the doors of the house , and went out to go his way : and , behold , the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house , and her hands were upon the threshold . * And he said unto her , Up , and let us be going . But none answered . Then the man took her up upon an ass , and the man rose up , and gat him unto his place . * And when he was come into his house , he took a knife , and laid hold on his concubine , and divided her , together with her bones , into twelve pieces , and sent her into all the coasts of Israel . * And it was so , that all that saw it said , There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day : consider of it , take advice , and speak your minds . * Then all the children of Israel went out , and the congregation was gathered together as one man , from Dan even to Beersheba , with the land of Gilead , unto the LORD in Mizpeh .

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