Judges 18 NIV NLT Parallel

◄ Judges 18 ►

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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.

1Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel.

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.

2So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out a land for them to settle in. When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah’s house and spent the night there.

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?"

3While at Micah’s house, they recognized the young Levite’s accent, so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

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

4He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah’s personal priest.

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

5Then they said, “Ask God whether or not our journey will be successful.”

6The priest answered them, "Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD's approval."

6“Go in peace,” the priest replied. “For the LORD is watching over your journey.”

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.

7So the five men went on to the town of Laish, where they noticed the people living carefree lives, like the Sidonians; they were peaceful and secure. The people were also wealthy because their land was very fertile. And they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby.

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

8When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find?”

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.

9The men replied, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. What are you waiting for? Don’t hesitate to go and take possession of it.

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."

10When you get there, you will find the people living carefree lives. God has given us a spacious and fertile land, lacking in nothing!”

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

11So 600 men from the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.

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.

12They camped at a place west of Kiriath-jearim in Judah, which is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.

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

13Then they went on from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

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."

14The five men who had scouted out the land around Laish explained to the others, “These buildings contain a sacred ephod, as well as some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol. What do you think you should do?”

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

15Then the five men turned off the road and went over to Micah’s house, where the young Levite lived, and greeted him kindly.

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

16As the 600 armed warriors from the tribe of Dan stood at the entrance of the gate,

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.

17the five scouts entered the shrine and removed the carved image, the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the cast idol. Meanwhile, the priest was standing at the gate with the 600 armed warriors.

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?"

18When the priest saw the men carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah’s shrine, he said, “What are you doing?”

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?"

19“Be quiet and come with us,” they said. “Be a father and priest to all of us. Isn’t it better to be a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man?”

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

20The young priest was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the carved image.

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

21They turned and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.

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

22When the people from the tribe of Dan were quite a distance from Micah’s house, the people who lived near Micah came chasing after them.

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?"

23They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter? Why have you called these men together and chased after us like this?”

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?'"

24“What do you mean, ‘What’s the matter?’” Micah replied. “You’ve taken away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!”

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."

25The men of Dan said, “Watch what you say! There are some short-tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your family.”

26So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.

26So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and went home.

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.

27Then, with Micah’s idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground.

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.

28There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob. Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there.

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

29They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had originally been called Laish.

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.

30Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile.

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

31So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.

New International Version (NIV)

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