Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1In those days, there was no king in Israel, and the Danite tribe was looking for territory to occupy. Up to that time no territory had been captured by them among the tribes of Israel.

1In those days there was no king of Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day an inheritance had not been allotted to them as a possession among the tribes of Israel.

2So the Danites sent out five brave men from all their clans, from Zorah and Eshtaol, to scout out the land and explore it. They told them, "Go and explore the land." They came to the hill country of Ephraim as far as the home of Micah and spent the night there.

2So the sons of Dan sent from their family five men out of their whole number, valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, "Go, search the land." And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

3While they were near Micah's home, they recognized the accent of the young Levite. So they went over to him and asked, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is keeping you here?"

3When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned aside there and said to him, "Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?"

4He told them, "This is what Micah has done for me: He has hired me, and I became his priest."

4He said to them, "Thus and so has Micah done to me, and he has hired me and I have become his priest."

5Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God for us to determine if we will have a successful journey."

5They said to him, "Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be prosperous."

6The priest told them, "Go in peace. The LORD is watching over the journey you are going on."

6The priest said to them, "Go in peace; your way in which you are going has the LORD'S approval."

7The five men left and came to Laish. They saw that the people who were there were living securely, in the same way as the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. They were far from the Sidonians, having no alliance with anyone.

7Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were in it living in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no ruler humiliating them for anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.

8When the men went back to their relatives at Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, "What did you find out?"

8When they came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, "What do you report?"

9They answered, "Come on, let's attack them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why wait? Don't hesitate to go and invade and take possession of the land!

9They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land.

10When you get there, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has handed it over to you. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking."

10"When you enter, you will come to a secure people with a spacious land; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth."

11Six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol armed with weapons of war.

11Then from the family of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war set out.

12They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. This is why the place is still called the Camp of Dan today; it is west of Kiriath-jearim.

12They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim.

13From there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and arrived at Micah's house.

13They passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

14The five men who had gone to scout out the land of Laish told their brothers, "Did you know that there are an ephod, household gods, and a carved image and a silver idol in these houses? Now think about what you should do."

14Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod and household idols and a graven image and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do."

15So they detoured there and went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him.

15They turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.

16The six hundred Danite men were standing by the entrance of the city gate, armed with their weapons of war.

16The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

17Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land went in and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the silver idol, while the priest was standing by the entrance of the city gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

17Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there, and took the graven image and the ephod and household idols and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

18When they entered Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the silver idol, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

18When these went into Micah's house and took the graven image, the ephod and household idols and the molten image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

19They told him, "Be quiet. Keep your mouth shut. Come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or for you to be a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?"

19They said to him, "Be silent, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?"

20So the priest was pleased and took his ephod, household idols, and carved image, and went with the people.

20The priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and household idols and the graven image and went among the people.

21They prepared to leave, putting their dependents, livestock, and possessions in front of them.

21Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the valuables in front of them.

22After they were some distance from Micah's house, the men who were in the houses near it were mustered and caught up with the Danites.

22When they had gone some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house assembled and overtook the sons of Dan.

23They called to the Danites, who turned to face them, and said to Micah, "What's the matter with you that you mustered the men?"

23They cried to the sons of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, "What is the matter with you, that you have assembled together?"

24He said, "You took the gods I had made and the priest, and went away. What do I have left? How can you say to me, 'What's the matter with you?'"

24He said, "You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how can you say to me, 'What is the matter with you?'"

25The Danites said to him, "Don't raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives."

25The sons of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, or else fierce men will fall upon you and you will lose your life, with the lives of your household."

26The Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were stronger than he was.

26So the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

27After they had taken the gods Micah had made and the priest that belonged to him, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people. They killed them with their swords and burned the city.

27Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire.

28There was no one to rescue them because it was far from Sidon and they had no alliance with anyone. It was in a valley that belonged to Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city and lived in it.

28And there was no one to deliver them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it.

29They named the city Dan, after the name of their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel. The city was formerly named Laish.

29They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel; however, the name of the city formerly was Laish.

30The Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the Danite tribe until the time of the exile from the land.

30The sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

31So they set up for themselves Micah's carved image that he had made, and it was there as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.

31So they set up for themselves Micah's graven image which he had made, all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

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