Top of Page
Page Style
those days there was no king in Israel.
In those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a territory of their own to live in. At that time they had not received an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 2 So the Danites sent five brave men from their clans, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They told them, “Go and explore the land.”
So the men went through the hill country of Ephraim as far as the house of Micah, where they spent the night. 3 While they near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. So they turned in there, and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your interest here?”
4 He told them all that Micah had done for him, and he said, “Micah has hired me, and I have become his priest.”
5 Then they said to him, “Please, inquire of God so we will learn whether the journey we are on will be successful.”
6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The Lord is watching over your journey.”
7 So the five men departed and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. They were prosperous, because there was nothing lacking in their land, nor were they subject to an oppressive ruler. Also, they were far from the Sidonians and had no alliances with anyone.
8 When the spies returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What do you have to report?”
9 They answered, “Come on, let’s go up and attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate! Go and invade the land and take possession of it. 10 When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a large land, for God has given it into your hands. It is a place where there is no lack of anything on earth.”
11 Then six hundred men from the clan of the Danites, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 They passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in one of these houses there is an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and an idol of cast metal? Now consider what you should do.”
15 So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite man at the home of Micah and greeted him. 16 The six hundred Danite men, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17 The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods, and the cast idol, while the priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with their weapons of war.
18 When they went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods, and the cast idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 They answered him, “Be quiet; put your hand over your mouth! Come with us, and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or for you to be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?” 20 Then the priest was glad. He took the ephod, the other household gods, and the carved image, and went along with the people. 21 They prepared to leave, putting the children, the livestock, and their possessions in front of them, then they departed.
22 When they had gone some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were living in the houses near Micah’s house were called together and they overtook the Danites. 23 They called out to the Danites, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you? Why have you have come out with such a large company?”
24 He replied, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and you have gone away. What else do I have left? So how can you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ”
25 The Danite said to him, “Don’t raise your voice among us in our hearing, or some quick-tempered men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” 26 Then the Danites went on their way. When Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
27 So they took the things that Micah had made and the priest who belonged to him, and they went on to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people. They struck them with the sword and burned down their city. 28 There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon, and they had no alliances with anyone. The city was in the valley of Beth-rehob.
The Danites rebuilt the city and settled in it. 29 They named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their forefather, who was born to Israel; however the name of the city was formerly Laish. 30 There the Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathon son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his descendants were priests to the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. 31 So they continued to use the carved images Micah had made, all the time the house of God was at Shiloh.