1
In thosedaysthere was noking of Israel; and in thosedays the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day an inheritance had not been allotted to them as a possessionamong the tribes of Israel.
2
So the sons of Dansent from their familyfivemen out of their wholenumber, valiantmen from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, "Go, search the land." And they came to the hillcountry of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodgedthere.
3
When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the youngman, the Levite; and they turnedasidethere and said to him, "Whobrought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?"
7
Then the fivemendeparted and came to Laish and saw the peoplewho were in it living in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was noruler*humiliating them for anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and hadnodealings with anyone.
9
They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is verygood. And will you sitstill? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land.
10
"When you enter, you will come to a securepeople with a spacious*land; for God has given it into your hand, a placewhere*there is nolack of anything* that is on the earth."
14
Then the fivemen who went to spy out the country of Laishsaid to their kinsmen, "Do you know that there are in thesehouses an ephod and householdidols and a gravenimage and a moltenimage? Now therefore, considerwhat you should do."
17
Now the fivemen who went to spy out the landwent up and enteredthere, and took the gravenimage and the ephod and householdidols and the moltenimage, while the prieststood by the entrance of the gate with the sixhundredmenarmed with weapons of war.
18
When thesewent into Micah'shouse and took the gravenimage, the ephod and householdidols and the moltenimage, the priestsaid to them, "What are you doing?"
19
They said to him, "Be silent, put your handover your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of oneman, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?"
24
He said, "You have taken away my godswhich I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how* can you say to me, 'What is the matter with you?' "
25
The sons of Dansaid to him, "Do not let your voice be heardamong us, orelsefierce*men will fall upon you and you will lose your life, with the lives of your household."
27
Then they tookwhatMicah had made and the priestwhohadbelonged to him, and came to Laish, to a peoplequiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire.
28
And there was noone to deliver them, because it was far from Sidon and they hadnodealings with anyone, and it was in the valleywhich is near Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it.
30
The sons of Danset up for themselves the gravenimage; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danitesuntil the day of the captivity of the land.