Judges 18 NKJV ISV Parallel

◄ Judges 18 ►

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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.

1Back in those days, Israel didn't have a king yet, and during that time the tribe of Dan had been seeking a territorial inheritance to live in, because up until that time no territory had been allotted to them as a possession 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 tribe of Dan sent from their families five valiant men of their number from Zorah and Eshtaol to scout the land and search through it. Following their orders, which were "Go and scout the land," they came to the mountainous region of Ephraim, arrived at Micah's home, and stayed there.

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?”

3As they approached Micah's home, they recognized the voice of the young male descendant of Levi. They turned aside from there and spoke to him, asking him, "Who brought you here? What work are you doing here? And what's your business here?"

4He said to them, “Thus and so Micah did for me. He has hired me, and I have become his priest.”

4He answered, "Micah did such and such for me, and has hired me, so I've become 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.”

5They replied, "Go ask God, please, about whether or not we'll be successful in this journey."

6And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The presence of the LORD be with you on your way.”

6The priest responded to them, "Travel in peace. The mission that you're to accomplish is from the LORD."

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 left and went to Laish, and observed the people who were living there carefree, as Sidonians tend to do, in peace and quiet. There was no ruler in the land oppressing them for any reason. They were living far away from the Sidonians, and had no dealings 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 they returned to their relatives at Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, "What's your report?"

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 replied, "Let's get going and attack them. We've scouted out the land—and look!—it's a very good one. Why should we sit still? We can't wait to go back, invade, and take over 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 invade, you'll meet a carefree people living in a spacious territory. God has given it into your control—it's a place that lacks nothing on this earth!"

11And six hundred men of the family of the Danites went from there, from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.

11So 600 descendants of Dan from Zorah and Eshtaol set out for battle, armed with military weapons.

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 out and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in the territory of Judah. (That's why they call the place Mahaneh-dan to this day. It lies west of Kiriath-jearim.)

13And they passed from there to the mountains of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

13They proceeded from there to the mountainous region of Ephraim and arrived at 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 scout out the territory of Laish told their relatives, "Are you aware that in these houses there's an ephod, some household idols, a carved image, and a cast image? You know what you need to 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 from there, went to Micah's house, 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.

16While the 600 Danite soldiers, armed with military weapons, stood guard at the entrance to the gate,

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.

17the five men who had gone to scout out the land arrived, entered Micah's home and confiscated the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the cast image. Meanwhile, the priest stood outside by the entrance to the gate with the 600 men armed with military weapons.

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?”

18After they went into Micah's home and took possession of the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the cast image, the priest challenged them. "What are you doing?" he asked them.

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?”

19They told him, "Shut up and keep quiet. Come with us and be our spiritual father and priest. It's better for you, isn't it, to be a priest to an entire tribe and family in Israel than to be priest to the home of one man?"

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.

20The priest was happy to oblige, so he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image and went along with the army.

21Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them.

21Then they turned around and left, sending their little ones, their livestock, and their valuables on ahead.

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.

22When they had been gone a short distance from Micah's home, some of Micah's neighbors assembled a search party and overtook the descendants of Dan.

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?”

23They yelled at the descendants of Dan, who turned around to face Micah and asked, "What's wrong with you? You've assembled together…?"

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?’ ”

24Micah replied, "You took my gods that I crafted, along with the priest, and left! What do I have left? So what's with this 'What's wrong 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 descendants of Dan answered him, "You had better not talk to us about this, or else these bad guys here will attack you. You will lose your life, along with the lives of your whole household."

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.

26Then the descendants of Dan went on their way. Because Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back home.

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.

27But the descendants of Dan took what Micah had made, along with the priest who had worked for him, and went to Laish, to a quiet and carefree people, and killed them with swords. Then they set fire to 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.

28They had no one else to deliver them, because they lived far from Sidon and had no dealings with anyone. It lay in the valley near Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city and lived in it.

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 renamed the city Dan, after the name of their ancestor Dan, who had been born in Israel. The former name of the city was 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 descendants of Dan set up the carved image, and Gershom's son Jonathan, a descendant of Manasseh, served along with his descendants as priests to the tribe of Dan until the land was taken captive.

31So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

31Micah's carved image, that he himself had crafted, was in place during the entire time that God's tent was set up at Shiloh.

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