20
This made the cohen feel very good; so he took the ritual vest, the household gods and the image and went off with the people.
21
So they turned and left, with their children, cattle and belongings going ahead of them.
22
When they were a good distance from Mikhah's house, the men who lived in the houses near his got together [with him], overtook the people from Dan
23
and began shouting at them. The people from Dan turned and said to Mikhah, "What's wrong with you, that you've gathered such a crowd?"
24
He answered, "You've taken away my god, which I made, and gone off with the cohen! What more have I got? How can you ask me, 'What's wrong with you?'"
25
The men from Dan replied, "You had best say no more to us, because some of us might get angry and attack you. You could lose your life, and so might the others in your household."
26
Then the people from Dan went their way; and when Mikhah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
27
So they took what Mikhah had made and his cohen. They came to Layish, to a quiet and trusting people. They attacked, killed them and burned down the city.
28
No one came to rescue them, because it was far from Tzidon, and they had no dealings with other peoples. This was in the valley near Beit-Rechov. Then the people of Dan rebuilt the city and settled there.
29
They named the city Dan, after Dan their ancestor, who was born to Isra'el; although the city had previously been called Layish.
30
The people of Dan set up the image for themselves. Y'honatan the son of Gershom, the son of M'nasheh, and his sons were cohanim for the tribe of the people of Dan until the day of the exile from the land.