| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them. | 1In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. |
| 2So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. They said to them, “Go, search the land.” So they went to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. | 2So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. |
| 3While they were at the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?” | 3And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” |
| 4He said to them, “Thus and so Micah did for me. He has hired me, and I have become his priest.” | 4“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.” |
| 5So they said to him, “Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous.” | 5Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.” |
| 6And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The presence of the LORD be with you on your way.” | 6And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.” |
| 7So the five men departed and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there, how they dwelt safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There were no rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians, and they had no ties with anyone. | 7So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone. |
| 8Then the spies came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, “What is your report?” | 8When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?” |
| 9So they said, “Arise, let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and indeed it is very good. Would you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, and enter to possess the land. | 9They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land! |
| 10When you go, you will come to a secure people and a large land. For God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.” | 10When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.” |
| 11And six hundred men of the family of the Danites went from there, from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war. | 11So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war. |
| 12Then they went up and encamped in Kirjath Jearim in Judah. (Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. There it is, west of Kirjath Jearim.) | 12They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day. |
| 13And they passed from there to the mountains of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. | 13And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house. |
| 14Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brethren, “Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, household idols, a carved image, and a molded image? Now therefore, consider what you should do.” | 14Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.” |
| 15So they turned aside there, and came to the house of the young Levite man—to the house of Micah—and greeted him. | 15So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him. |
| 16The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate. | 16The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war. |
| 17Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up. Entering there, they took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image. The priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with weapons of war. | 17And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men. |
| 18When these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” | 18When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” |
| 19And they said to him, “Be quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?” | 19“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and 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 a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?” |
| 20So the priest’s heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and took his place among the people. | 20So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people. |
| 21Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them. | 21Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed. |
| 22When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan. | 22After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites. |
| 23And they called out to the children of Dan. So they turned around and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you have gathered such a company?” | 23When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?” |
| 24So he said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What ails you?’ ” | 24He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ” |
| 25And the children of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men fall upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household!” | 25The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” |
| 26Then the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house. | 26So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him. |
| 27So they took the things Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. | 27After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city. |
| 28There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there. | 28There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there. |
| 29And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city formerly was Laish. | 29They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish. |
| 30Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. | 30The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. |
| 31So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. | 31So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh. |
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