The Tribe of Dan Captures Laish

18 At that time Israel did not have a king [17:6]. And at that time the tribe of Dan was still ·looking for a land [^Lseeking an inheritance] where they could live, a land of their own. The Danites had not yet ·been given their own land [moved into their land; received their allotment] among the tribes of Israel. ² So, from their family groups, they chose five ·soldiers [valiant men; ^Lmen, sons of strength] from the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out and explore the land. They were told, “Go, explore the land.”

They came to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim, to Micah’s house, where they spent the night. ³ When they came near Micah’s house, they recognized the ·voice [or accent] of the young Levite [17:7]. So they stopped there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? ·Why are you here [What is your business here]?”

⁴ He told them what Micah had done for him, saying, “He hired me. I am his priest.”

⁵ They said to him, “Please ask God if ·our journey [our mission; ^Lthe way we are going] will be successful.”

⁶ The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The Lord ·is pleased with [approves of; watches over] your journey.”

⁷ So the five men left. When they came to the city of Laish, they saw that the people there lived in safety, ·like [^Laccording to the custom of] the people of Sidon. They ·thought they were safe [were quiet and secure/unsuspecting] and ·had plenty of everything [or no ruler was humiliating them]. They lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.

⁸ When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their ·relatives [brothers] asked them, “What did you find?”

⁹ They answered, “We have seen the land, and it is very good. ·We should attack [^LArise, let us go up against] them. ·Aren’t you going to do something [Are you just going to sit there]? Don’t ·wait [hesitate; or be lazy]! Let’s go and take that land! ¹⁰ When you go, you will see there is ·plenty of [a wide/spacious] land—·plenty of everything [lacking nothing]! The people are not expecting an attack. Surely God has handed that land over to us!”

¹¹ So six hundred Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol ·ready for [armed with weapons of] war. ¹² On their way they set up camp near the city of Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is named Mahaneh Dan [^C“Camp of Dan”] to this day. ¹³ From there they traveled on to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. Then they came to Micah’s house.

¹⁴ The five men who had explored the land around Laish said to their ·relatives [^Lbrothers], “Do you know in one of these houses there are a ·holy vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14], household gods [17:5], an ·idol, and a statue [or image overlaid with silver; 17:3]? ·You know [or Decide now] what to do.” ¹⁵ So they stopped at the Levite’s house, which was also Micah’s house, and ·greeted the Levite [or asked how he was doing]. ¹⁶ The six hundred ·Danites [^Lmen who were of the sons/descendants of Dan] stood at the entrance gate, wearing their weapons of war. ¹⁷ The five spies went into the house and took the ·idol [carved image], the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols, and the ·statue [cast-metal image]. The priest and the six hundred men armed ·for [^Lwith weapons of] war stood by the entrance gate.

¹⁸ When the spies went into Micah’s house and took the [carved] image, the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols, and the ·statue [cast-metal image], the priest asked them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They answered, “Be quiet! ·Don’t say a word [^LPut your hand over your mouth]. Come with us and be our father [^Cmeaning an advisor or counselor; 17:10; Gen. 45:8] and priest. Is it better for you to be a priest for one man’s house or for a tribe and ·family group [clan] in Israel?” ²⁰ This ·made the priest happy [^Lpleased the heart of the priest]. So he took the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols [17:5], and the ·idol [carved image] and went with the ·Danites [people]. ²¹ They left Micah’s house, putting their little children, their animals, and everything they owned in front of them [^Cfor protection in case of attack; Gen. 33:2–3].

²² When they had gone a little way from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah ·were called out [assembled] and caught up with them. ²³ The men with Micah shouted at the ·Danites [^Lsons/descendants of Dan], who turned around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you? Why have you ·been called out to [assembled for a] fight?”

²⁴ Micah answered, “You took my gods that I made and my priest. What do I have left? How can you ask me, ‘What’s the matter?’”

²⁵ The ·Danites [^Lsons/descendants of Dan] answered, “·You should not argue with [or Don’t say another word to; ^LDon’t let your voice be heard among] us. Some of our ·angry [bitter] men might attack you, ·killing you [and you will lose your life] and your ·family [^Lhousehold].” ²⁶ Then the ·Danites [^Lsons/descendants of Dan] went on their way. Micah knew they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back home.

²⁷ Then the Danites took what Micah had made and his priest and went on to Laish. They attacked those ·peaceful [quiet] and ·unsuspecting [secure] people and killed them with their swords and then burned the city. ²⁸ There was no one to ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] the people of Laish. They lived too far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else. Laish was in a valley near Beth Rehob.

The people of Dan rebuilt the city and lived there. ²⁹ They named the city Dan after their ancestor Dan, one of the sons of Israel; the city’s original name was Laish.

³⁰ The ·people [^Lsons; descendants] of Dan set up the ·idol [carved image] in the city of Dan. Jonathan son of Gershom, Moses’ son, and his sons served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the ·land was captured [captivity of the land; time of the exile]. ³¹ The people of Dan set up the ·idols [carved images] Micah had made as long as the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle; ^LHouse] of God was in Shiloh.