Judges 18 NLT ISV Parallel

◄ Judges 18 ►

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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.

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 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.

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 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?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

8When they returned to their relatives at Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, "What's your report?"

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.

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

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!"

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

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

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

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.)

13Then they went on from there into the hill country 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.

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?”

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."

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

15So they turned aside from there, went to Micah's house, and greeted him.

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

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

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 the priest saw the men carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah’s shrine, he said, “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.

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?”

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?"

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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?”

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

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!”

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?'"

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.”

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."

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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