Judges 18 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Danites Seek Territory

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 [fn]an inheritance ^H5159 had not [fn]been allotted ^H5307 to them as a possession ^H5159 among ^H8432 the tribes ^H7626 of Israel ^H3478.

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]valiant ^H2428 men ^H376 from Zorah ^H6881 and Eshtaol ^H847, to spy ^H7270 out ^H7270 the land ^H776 and to explore ^H2713 it; and they said ^H559 to them, “Go ^H1980, explore ^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 stayed ^H3885 overnight ^H3885 there ^H8033. 3 When they were near ^H5973 the house ^H1004 of Micah ^H4318, they recognized ^H5234 the voice ^H6963 of the young ^H5288 man ^H5288, the Levite ^H3881; and 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 He said ^H559 to them, “Micah ^H4318 has done ^H6213 this ^H2090 and that ^H2088 for me, and he has hired ^H7936 me and I have become ^H1961 his priest ^H3548.” 5 Then they said ^H559 to him, “Inquire ^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 And the priest ^H3548 said ^H559 to them, “Go ^H1980 in peace ^H7965; your way ^H1870 in which ^H834 you are going ^H1980 [fn]has the LORD’S ^H3068 approval ^H5227.”

7 So the five ^H2568 men ^H376 departed ^H1980 and came ^H935 to Laish ^H3919, and saw ^H7200 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were in it living ^H3427 in security ^H983, in the way ^H4941 of the Sidonians ^H6722, quiet ^H8252 and unsuspecting ^H982; for there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 [fn]oppressive ^H6114 ruler ^H3423 humiliating ^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 When they came ^H935 back to their brothers ^H251 at Zorah ^H6881 and Eshtaol ^H847, their brothers ^H251 said ^H559 to them, “What ^H4100 do you say?” 9 And they said ^H559, “Arise ^H6965, and let’s 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 [fn]sit ^H2814 still ^H2814? Do not hesitate ^H6101 to go ^H1980, to enter ^H935, to take ^H3423 possession ^H3423 of the land ^H776. 10 When you enter ^H935, you will come ^H935 to an unsuspecting ^H982 people ^H5971 with a spacious ^H7342 H3027 land ^H776; for God ^H430 has handed ^H5414 H3027 it over ^H5414 to you, 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, six ^H8337 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 armed ^H2296 with weapons ^H3627 of war ^H4421 set ^H5265 out ^H5265. 12 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 And 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 Then the five ^H2568 men ^H376 who went ^H1980 to spy ^H7270 out ^H7270 the country ^H776 of Laish ^H3919 [fn]said ^H559 to their kinsmen ^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 carved ^H6459 image ^H6459 and a cast ^H4541 metal ^H4541 image ^H4541? Now ^H6258 then, consider ^H3045 what ^H4100 you should do ^H6213.”

15 So 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 [fn]him how ^H7965 he was doing ^H7965. 16 Meanwhile, the six ^H8337 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 armed ^H2296 with their weapons ^H3627 of war ^H4421, who ^H834 were of the sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835, were positioned ^H5324 at the entrance ^H6607 of the gate ^H8179. 17 Now 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; they took ^H3947 the carved ^H6459 image ^H6459, the ephod ^H646, the [fn]household ^H8655 idols ^H8655, and the cast ^H4541 metal ^H4541 image ^H4541, while the priest ^H3548 was standing ^H5324 at the entrance ^H6607 of the gate ^H8179 with the six ^H8337 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 armed ^H2296 with weapons ^H3627 of war ^H4421. 18 When these ^H428 men entered ^H935 Micah’s ^H4318 house ^H1004 and took ^H3947 the carved ^H6459 image ^H6459, the ephod ^H646, [fn]household ^H8655 idols ^H8655, and the cast ^H4541 metal ^H4541 image ^H4541, 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 go ^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 The priest’s ^H3548 heart ^H3820 was ^H3190 glad ^H3190, and he took ^H3947 the ephod ^H646, the [fn]household ^H8655 idols ^H8655, and the carved ^H6459 image ^H6459, and went ^H935 among ^H7130 the people ^H5971.

21 Then they turned ^H6437 and left ^H1980, and put ^H7760 the children ^H2945, the livestock ^H4735, and the valuables ^H3520 in front ^H6440 of them. 22 When they had distanced ^H7368 themselves ^H7368 from Micah’s ^H4318 house ^H1004, the men ^H376 who ^H834 were in the houses ^H1004 near ^H5973 Micah’s ^H4318 house ^H1004 assembled ^H2199 by ^H2199 command ^H2199 and overtook ^H1692 the sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835. 23 Then 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 have assembled ^H2199 together ^H2199?” 24 And he said ^H559, “You have taken ^H3947 my gods ^H430 which ^H834 I made ^H6213, and the priest ^H3548, and have gone ^H1980 away ^H1980; what ^H4100 more ^H5750 do I have? 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, or ^H6435 else ^H6435 [fn]fierce ^H4751 H5315 men ^H376 will attack ^H6293 you, and you will [fn]lose ^H622 your life ^H5315 and 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 Then they took ^H3947 what ^H834 Micah ^H4318 had made ^H6213 and the priest ^H3548 who ^H834 had ^H1961 belonged ^H1961 to him, and came ^H935 to Laish ^H3919, to a people ^H5971 quiet ^H8252 and unsuspecting ^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 save ^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. So they rebuilt ^H1129 the city ^H5892 and lived ^H3427 in it. 29 And they named ^H7121 H8034 the city ^H5892 Dan ^H1835, after the name ^H8034 of Dan ^H1835 their father ^H1 who ^H834 was born ^H3205 to Israel ^H3478; however ^H199, the name ^H8034 of the city ^H5892 was previously ^H7223 Laish ^H3919. 30 The sons ^H1121 of Dan ^H1835 set ^H6965 up ^H6965 for themselves the carved ^H6459 image ^H6459; and Jonathan ^H3083, the son ^H1121 of Gershom ^H1647, the son ^H1121 of [fn]Manasseh ^H4519, he and his sons ^H1121 were priests ^H3548 to the tribe ^H7626 of the Danites ^H1839 until ^H5704 the day ^H3117 of the captivity ^H1540 of the land ^H776. 31 So they set ^H7760 up ^H7760 for themselves Micah’s ^H4318 carved ^H6459 image ^H6459 which ^H834 he had made ^H6213, all ^H3605 the time ^H3117 that the house ^H1004 of God ^H430 was in Shiloh ^H7887.