23
As 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?”
24
He 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?’ ”
25
The 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.”
26
So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.
27
Then 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.
28
There 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.
29
They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city used to be called Laish.
30
There 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.
31
They continued to use the idol Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh.