Judges 18 HCSB NIV Parallel

◄ Judges 18 ►

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Holman Christian Standard Bible

New International Version

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 Israel had no king. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance 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 Danites sent five of their leading men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all the Danites. They told them, "Go, explore the land." So they entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.

3While they were near Micah's home, they recognized the speech 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 Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?"

4He told them what Micah had done for him and that he had hired him as his priest.

4He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, "He has hired me and I am his priest."

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

5Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful."

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

6The priest answered them, "Go in peace. Your journey 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.

7So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, at peace and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else.

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

8When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their fellow Danites asked them, "How did you find things?"

9They answered, "Come on, let's go up against 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 answered, "Come on, let's attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren't you going to do something? Don't hesitate to go there and take it over.

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."

10When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever."

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

11Then six hundred men of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.

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

12On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan to this day.

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

13From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.

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 overlaid with silver in these houses? Now think about what you should do."

14Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their fellow Danites, "Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, some household gods and an image overlaid with silver? Now you know what to do."

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

15So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah's place and greeted him.

16The 600 Danite men were standing by the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.

16The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance of the gate.

17Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land went in and took the carved image overlaid with silver, the ephod, and the household idols, while the priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.

17The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance of the gate.

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

18When the five men went into Micah's house and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods, 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 answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man's household?"

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

20The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people.

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

21Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.

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

22When they had gone some distance from Micah's house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites.

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

23As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, "What's the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?"

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 replied, "You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, 'What's 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 Danites answered, "Don't argue with us, or some of the men may get angry and attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives."

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 Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.

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 down the city.

27Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a people at peace and secure. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city.

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.

28There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there.

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

29They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel--though the city used to be called 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.

30There the Danites set up for themselves the idol, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time 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.

31They continued to use the idol Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh.

New International Version (NIV)

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