1 In those days, Israel had no king, and during that period, the tribe of Dan was looking for a place to settle because they had not yet received an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

2 The Danites sent five men from their clans, strong and valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, 'Go and explore the land.' When they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to Micah's house, they stayed there for the night.

And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

3 As they were near Micah's house, 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? And what is your purpose here?'

When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

4 He said to them, 'Micah did such and such for me. He hired me, and I became his priest.'

And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.

5 They said to him, 'Please inquire of God so that we may know whether our journey will be successful.'

And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

6 The priest replied to them, 'Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.'

And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.

7 The five men left and came to Laish. They saw that the people there were living in security, like the Sidonians—peaceful and unsuspecting. No one in the land was oppressing them or causing harm. They lived far from the Sidonians and had no relationship with any other people.

Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.

8 When they returned to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, 'What do you report?'

And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?

9 They said, 'Let us go up against them, for we have seen the land and it is very good. Why are you hesitating? Do not delay in going to take possession of the land!'

And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.

10 When you arrive, you will find a secure and unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands—a place lacking nothing that is good.

When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.

11 So six hundred men from the Danite clan left Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons for battle.

And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

12 They went up and encamped in Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why to this day the place is called Mahaneh Dan (the camp of Dan), located west of Kiriath-jearim.

And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.

13 From there they continued on to the hill country of Ephraim and arrived at Micah's house.

And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.

14 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land of Laish said to their fellow Danites, 'Do you know that in these houses there's an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a cast idol? Now think about what you should do.'

Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.

15 So they turned aside there and went to the house of the young Levite, at Micah's house, and asked him how he was doing.

And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.

16 The six hundred men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, were standing at the entrance of the gate.

And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.

17 The five men who had gone to scout the land went inside and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.

And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.

18 When they entered Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast idol, the priest said to them, 'What are you doing?'

And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?

19 They answered him, 'Be quiet! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Isn’t it better for you to be a priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel rather than for one man's household?'

And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

20 The priest was glad in his heart. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the carved image and went along with the people.

And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

21 They turned and left, placing the children, the livestock, and their goods in front of them.

So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.

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

And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

23 They called out to the Danites, who turned to face them, and said to Micah, 'What’s the matter with you, that you have called your men together?'

And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

24 Micah replied, 'You’ve taken my gods that I made and my priest and gone away! What else do I have? How can you ask me, “What’s the matter with you?”'

And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

25 The Danites said to him, 'Don’t raise your voice with us, or some bitter-tempered men might attack you, and you and your family could lose your lives.'

And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

26 So the Danites continued on their way, and when Micah saw that they were stronger than he was, he turned and went back to his house.

And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

27 The Danites took what Micah had made, along with his priest, and came to Laish, to a peaceful and unsuspecting people. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city with fire.

And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

28 There was no one to rescue the people of Laish because they were far from Sidon and had no alliances with anyone. The city was situated in a valley near Beth-rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there.

And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

29 They named the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel. However, the city had been named Laish previously.

And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.

30 The Danites set up for themselves the carved image, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, the son of Moses, along with his sons, served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the land’s captivity.

And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

31 They kept the carved image that Micah had made throughout the time the house of God was in Shiloh.

And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.