Judges:18

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* In those days there was no king in Israel Yisra #el #: 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 Yisra #el #. * And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts , men of valour , from Zorah Tsor #ah #, and from Eshtaol #Eshta #ol #, 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 #Eshta #ol #: 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 #Eshta #ol #, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war . * And they went up , and pitched in Kirjathjearim Qiryath Y @#ariym #, in Judah : wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan Machaneh-Dan # unto this day : behold , it is behind Kirjathjearim Qiryath Y @#ariym #. * 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 sha # 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 sha #ar #. * 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 Micahs 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 Yisra #el #? * And the priests 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 Micahs 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 mar # 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 Beyth . 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 Yisra #el #: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first ri #shown #. * 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 Micahs graven image , which he made , all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh .

---