Judges 18 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Danites Seek an Inheritance

1 In those ^H1992 days ^H3117 there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478; and in those ^H1992 days ^H3117 the tribe ^H7626 of the Danites ^H1839 was seeking ^H1245 an inheritance ^H5159 for themselves to live ^H3427 in, for until ^H5704 that day ^H3117 the land among ^H8432 the tribes ^H7626 of Israel ^H3478 had not fallen ^H5307 to them as an inheritance ^H5159.

2 So the sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835 sent ^H7971 from their family ^H4940 five ^H2568 men ^H376 out ^H7971 of their whole ^H7098 number ^H7098, [fn]men ^H376 of valor ^H2428 from Zorah ^H6881 and Eshtaol ^H847, to spy ^H7270 out ^H7270 the land ^H776 and to search ^H2713 it; and they said ^H559 to them, “Go ^H1980, search ^H2713 the land ^H776.” And they came ^H935 to the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669, to the house ^H1004 of Micah ^H4318, and lodged ^H3885 there ^H8033. 3 They were near ^H5973 the house ^H1004 of Micah ^H4318, and they recognized ^H5234 the voice ^H6963 of the young ^H5288 man ^H5288, the Levite ^H3881. So they turned ^H5493 aside ^H5493 there ^H8033 and said ^H559 to him, “Who ^H4310 brought ^H935 you here ^H1988? And what ^H4100 are you doing ^H6213 in this ^H2088 place? And what ^H4100 do you have here ^H6311?” 4 And he said ^H559 to them, “Thus ^H2090 and so ^H2088 has Micah ^H4318 done ^H6213 to me, and he has hired ^H7936 me, and I have become ^H1961 his priest ^H3548.” 5 And they said ^H559 to him, “Ask ^H7592 of God ^H430, please ^H4994, that we may know ^H3045 whether our way ^H1870 on which ^H834 we are going ^H1980 will be ^H6743 successful ^H6743.” 6 So the priest ^H3548 said ^H559 to them, “Go ^H1980 in peace ^H7965; your way ^H1870 in which ^H834 you are going ^H1980 is before ^H5227 Yahweh ^H3068.”

7 Then the five ^H2568 men ^H376 went ^H1980 forth and came ^H935 to Laish ^H3919 and saw ^H7200 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were in it living ^H3427 in security ^H983, after the [fn]manner ^H4941 of the Sidonians ^H6722, quiet ^H8252 and secure ^H982; for there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 [fn]oppressive ^H6114 conqueror ^H3423 dishonoring ^H3637 them for anything ^H1697 in the land ^H776, and they were far ^H7350 from the Sidonians ^H6722 and had ^H369 no ^H369 dealings ^H1697 with anyone ^H120. 8 So they came ^H935 back to their brothers ^H251 at Zorah ^H6881 and Eshtaol ^H847, and their brothers ^H251 said ^H559 to them, “What ^H4100 do you report?” 9 And they said ^H559, “Arise ^H6965, and let us go ^H5927 up ^H5927 against ^H5921 them; for we have seen ^H7200 the land ^H776, and behold ^H2009, it is very ^H3966 good ^H2896. And will you be silent ^H2814? Do not delay ^H6101 to go ^H1980, to enter ^H935, to possess ^H3423 the land ^H776. 10 When you enter ^H935, you will come ^H935 to a secure ^H982 people ^H5971 and a spacious ^H7342 H3027 land ^H776; for God ^H430 has given ^H5414 it into your hand ^H3027, a place ^H4725 where ^H834 H8033 there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 lack ^H4270 of anything ^H3605 H1697 that is on the earth ^H776.”

11 Then from the family ^H4940 of the Danites ^H1839, from Zorah ^H6881 and from Eshtaol ^H847, 600 ^H8337 H3967 men ^H376 armed ^H2296 with weapons ^H3627 of war ^H4421 set ^H5265 out ^H5265. 12 And they went ^H5927 up ^H5927 and camped ^H2583 at Kiriath-jearim ^H7157 in Judah ^H3063. Therefore ^H5921 H3651 they called ^H7121 that place ^H4725 [fn]Mahaneh-dan ^H4265 to this ^H2088 day ^H3117; behold ^H2009, it is [fn]west ^H310 of Kiriath-jearim ^H7157. 13 Then they passed ^H5674 from there ^H8033 to the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669 and came ^H935 to the house ^H1004 of Micah ^H4318.

Danites Take Micah’s Idols

14 And the five ^H2568 men ^H376 who went ^H1980 to spy ^H7270 out ^H7270 the country ^H776 of Laish ^H3919 answered ^H6030 and said ^H559 to their relatives ^H251, “Do you know ^H3045 that there ^H3426 are ^H3426 in these ^H428 houses ^H1004 an ephod ^H646 and [fn]household ^H8655 idols ^H8655 and a graven ^H6459 image ^H6459 and a molten ^H4541 image ^H4541? So now ^H6258, know ^H3045 what ^H4100 you should do ^H6213.”

15 Then they turned ^H5493 aside ^H5493 there ^H8033 and came ^H935 to the house ^H1004 of the young ^H5288 man ^H5288, the Levite ^H3881, to the house ^H1004 of Micah ^H4318, and asked ^H7592 him of his welfare ^H7965. 16 Now the 600 ^H8337 H3967 men ^H376 armed ^H2296 with their weapons ^H3627 of war ^H4421, who ^H834 were of the sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835, were standing ^H5324 by the entrance ^H6607 of the gate ^H8179. 17 Then the five ^H2568 men ^H376 who went ^H1980 to spy ^H7270 out ^H7270 the land ^H776 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 and entered ^H935 there ^H8033, and took ^H3947 the graven ^H6459 image ^H6459 and the ephod ^H646 and household ^H8655 idols ^H8655 and the molten ^H4541 image ^H4541. And the priest ^H3548 was standing ^H5324 by the entrance ^H6607 of the gate ^H8179 with the 600 ^H8337 H3967 men ^H376 armed ^H2296 with weapons ^H3627 of war ^H4421. 18 Now these ^H428 had entered ^H935 into Micah’s ^H4318 house ^H1004 and took ^H3947 the graven ^H6459 image ^H6459, the ephod ^H646 and household ^H8655 idols ^H8655 and the molten ^H4541 image ^H4541. Then the priest ^H3548 said ^H559 to them, “What ^H4100 are you doing ^H6213?” 19 And they said ^H559 to him, “Be ^H2790 silent ^H2790; put ^H7760 your hand ^H3027 over ^H5921 your mouth ^H6310 and come ^H1980 with us and be to us a father ^H1 and a priest ^H3548. Is it better ^H2896 for you to be a priest ^H3548 to the house ^H1004 of one ^H259 man ^H376 or ^H176 to be priest ^H3548 to a tribe ^H7626 and a family ^H4940 in Israel ^H3478?” 20 And the priest’s ^H3548 heart ^H3820 was ^H3190 merry ^H3190, and he took ^H3947 the ephod ^H646 and household ^H8655 idols ^H8655 and the graven ^H6459 image ^H6459 and entered ^H935 among ^H7130 the people ^H5971.

21 Then they turned ^H6437 and went ^H1980 away and put ^H7760 the little ^H2945 ones ^H2945 and the livestock ^H4735 and the valuables ^H3520 in front ^H6440 of them. 22 They had gone ^H7368 some ^H7368 distance ^H7368 from the house ^H1004 of Micah ^H4318, and the men ^H376 who ^H834 were in the houses ^H1004 near ^H5973 Micah’s ^H4318 house ^H1004 were summoned ^H2199 and then overtook ^H1692 the sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835. 23 And they called ^H7121 out ^H7121 to the sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835, who turned ^H5437 [fn]around ^H6440 and said ^H559 to Micah ^H4318, “What ^H4100 is the matter with you, that you were summoned ^H2199 together ^H2199?” 24 And he said ^H559, “You have taken ^H3947 away my gods ^H430 which ^H834 I made ^H6213, and the priest ^H3548, and have gone ^H1980 away, and what ^H4100 do I have besides ^H5750? So how ^H4100 H2088 can you say ^H559 to me, ‘What ^H4100 is the matter with you?’” 25 Then the sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835 said ^H559 to him, “Do not let your voice ^H6963 be heard ^H8085 among ^H5973 us, lest ^H6435 men ^H376, bitter ^H4751 of soul ^H5315, fall ^H6293 upon you and you [fn]lose ^H622 your life ^H5315, with the lives ^H5315 of your household ^H1004.” 26 So the sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835 went ^H1980 on their way ^H1870; and when Micah ^H4318 saw ^H7200 that they were too ^H4480 strong ^H2389 for him, he turned ^H6437 and went ^H7725 back ^H7725 to his house ^H1004.

27 Now they took ^H3947 what ^H834 Micah ^H4318 had made ^H6213 and the priest ^H3548 who ^H834 had ^H1961 belonged ^H1961 to him, and they came ^H935 to Laish ^H3919, to a people ^H5971 quiet ^H8252 and secure ^H982, and struck ^H5221 them with the edge ^H6310 of the sword ^H2719; and they burned ^H8313 the city ^H5892 with fire ^H784. 28 And there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 one ^H369 to deliver ^H5337 them because ^H3588 it was far ^H7350 from Sidon ^H6721 and they had ^H369 no ^H369 dealings ^H1697 with anyone ^H120, and it was in the valley ^H6010 which ^H834 is near Beth-rehob ^H1050. And they rebuilt ^H1129 the city ^H5892 and lived ^H3427 in it. 29 And they called ^H7121 the name ^H8034 of the city ^H5892 Dan ^H1835, after the name ^H8034 of Dan ^H1835 their father ^H1 who ^H834 was born ^H3205 in Israel ^H3478; however ^H199, the name ^H8034 of the city ^H5892 formerly ^H7223 was Laish ^H3919. 30 Then the sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835 set ^H6965 up ^H6965 for themselves the graven ^H6459 image ^H6459; and Jonathan ^H3083, the son ^H1121 of Gershom ^H1647, the son ^H1121 of [fn]Moses ^H4519, he and his sons ^H1121 were priests ^H3548 to the tribe ^H7626 of the Danites ^H1839 until ^H5704 the day ^H3117 of the exile ^H1540 of the land ^H776. 31 So they set ^H7760 up ^H7760 for themselves Micah’s ^H4318 graven ^H6459 image ^H6459 which ^H834 he had made ^H6213, all ^H3605 the time ^H3117 that the house ^H1004 of God ^H430 was at Shiloh ^H7887.