The Danites Settle in Laish

1In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of the Danite was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for it had not fallen to them until that day in the midst of the tribes of Israel by inheritance. 2and the sons of Dan sent from their family five men from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. And they said to them, “Go, search the land.”

And they went to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and they lodged there. 3While they were with 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 why are you here?”

4And he said to them, “This and like this Micah has done for me. And he has hired me, and I have become unto him priest.”

5And they said to him, “Inquire, please, of God, that we may know whether the journey will prosper on which we are going.”

6And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. Before YHWH is your⁺ way in which you are going.”

7And the five men departed and went to Laish, and they saw the people who were in its midst, dwelling securely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure, and nothing was lacking in the land in anything, possessing restraint, and they were far off from the Sidonians, and were no ties to them with man.

8And they came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, “What do you⁺ say?”

9And they said, “Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And you⁺ are keeping silent? Do not hesitate to go, to enter to possess the land. 10When you⁺ enter, you⁺ will come to a people unsuspecting, and the land is large on both hands, for God has given it into your⁺ hands, a place that is not lacking of anything that is on the earth.”

11And went from there of the family of the Danite from Zorah and Eshtaol six hundred men girded with weapons of war. 12And they went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Upon thus they call that place Mahaneh-dan† to this day. Behold, it is behind Kiriath-jearim. 13And they passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

The Danites Take Micah’s Idols

14And the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brothers, “Do you⁺ know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a carved image, and a molten image? And now, consider what you⁺ should do.”

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

16And six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood at the entrance of the gate, 17and the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up. Having entered there, they took the carved image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate, and six hundred men girded with weapons of war.

18And these entered the house of Micah and took the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And 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, 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 for you to be a priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?”

20And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the carved image, and took his place among the people. 21And they turned and departed, and they put the little ones and the livestock and the goods before their faces.

22They were far off from the house of Micah, and the men who were in the houses that were near the house of Micah gathered together, and they overtook the sons of Dan. 23And they called out to the sons of Dan, and they turned around and said to Micah, “What ails you that you have gathered such a company?”

24And he said, “My gods that I made you⁺ have taken, and the priest, and you⁺ have gone away. And what more is unto me? And what is this you⁺ say to me: ‘What ails you?’”

25And the sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest men angry in soul fall upon you⁺, and you lose your life and the lives of your house.”

26And the sons of Dan went their way. And Micah saw that they were stronger than he, and he turned and went back to his house.

27And they took that which Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and they struck them with the mouth of the sword, and they burned the city with the fire. 28And there was no rescuer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone. And it was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob.

And they rebuilt the city and dwelt there. 29And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born to Israel. But Laish was the name of the city formerly.

30And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the carved image. And Jonathan son of Gershom son of Moses†—he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danite until the day of the captivity of the land.

31And they set up for themselves the carved image from Micah, which he had made, all the days of the house of God being in Shiloh.