Parallel Bible results for "judges 18"

Judges 18

Common English Bible CEB

1 In those days there was no king in Israel. Also in those days the tribe of Dan was searching for a territory of their own to live in, since no permanent territory had been assigned to them among the tribes of Israel up to that point.

2 The Danites sent five men from their whole clan, strong men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy on the land and explore it. They told them, "Go explore the land." So they went into the Ephraim highland as far as Micah's house, and they spent the night there.

3 When they were in the area of Micah's house, they recognized the accent of the young Levite. They turned in there and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in these parts? What is there for you here?"

4 "Micah has done a lot for me," he replied to them. "He hired me to be his personal priest."

5 They said to him, "Ask for an answer from God so we can know whether we'll be successful on this trip we've taken."

6 The priest replied to them, "Go in peace. The LORD is watching over you on this trip you've taken."

7 So the five men journeyed on until they reached Laish. There they saw that its people were living without worry in the same way as the Sidonians, undisturbed and secure. Nobody held back anything in the land, so no one had to hoard. Yet they lived far away from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.

8 When the men came back to their relatives at Zorah and Eshtaol, they asked them, "What did you find?"

9 "Come on," they replied, "let's march up against them! Indeed, we've seen the land, and it's very good. Right now you're doing nothing! Don't hold back from going and taking possession of the land.

10 When you arrive, you'll come upon a secure people and a wide-open land, because God has given to you a place where nothing on earth is lacking."

11 At this, six hundred men from the Danite clan at Zorah and Eshtaol set out armed for battle.

12 They marched up and made camp at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is still known as Dan's Camp today.

13 From there they crossed into the Ephraim highlands and came to Micah's house.

14 Then the five men who had gone to spy on the land around Laish reported to their relatives, "Did you know that there is a priestly vest, divine images, a sculpted image, and a molded image in these buildings? Now think about what you should do!"

15 So they turned in there and went to the young Levite's house in Micah's compound and greeted him.

16 While the six hundred Danites armed for battle stood at the entrance of the gate,

17 the five men who had gone to spy on the land moved up, went inside, and took the sculpted image, the priestly vest, the divine images, and the molded image. The priest was standing at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed for battle

18 when these five entered Micah's sanctuary and took the sculpted image, the priestly vest, the divine images, and the molded image. The priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

19 "Shut up!" they said to him. "Put your hand over your mouth! Come with us and be a father and a priest for us. Would you rather be a priest for one man's household or a priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?"

20 The priest was convinced, so he took the priestly vest, the divine images, and the sculpted image and went along with the people.

21 They headed back on their way, but they put the children, the livestock, and the prized possessions in front of them.

22 After they had gone a good distance away from Micah's house, the men who were in the houses around Micah's home were summoned for battle and caught up to the Danites.

23 They called out to the Danites, who turned around and said to Micah, "Why have you summoned men for battle?"

24 Micah replied, "You've taken my gods that I made, and the priest, and have gone off! What do I have left? How can you ask me what is wrong?"

25 But the Danites said to him, "Don't raise your voice with us or else hotheaded men will attack you, and you and your household will lose your lives."

26 Then the Danites went on their way. When Micah realized that they were too strong for him, he turned around and went home.

27 The Danites took along the things that Micah had made, as well as the priest who had been with him, and came to Laish, to a people who were undisturbed and secure. They killed the people and burned down the city.

28 No one was there to rescue them because the city was far away from Sidon and had no dealings with anyone else. It was in the Beth-rehob Valley. They rebuilt the city and settled in it.

29 They renamed the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan who had been one of Israel's sons; but in fact, the original name of the city was Laish.

30 The Danites set up the sculpted image for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom and grandson of Moses, and his sons became priests for the Danite tribe until the land went into exile.

31 They kept for themselves the sculpted image that Micah had made throughout the whole time that God's sanctuary was in Shiloh.

English Standard Version ESV

1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them.

2 So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go and explore the land. ” And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

3 When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here? ”

4 And he said to them, “This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest. ”

5 And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed. ”

6 And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord. ”

7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.

8 And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report? ”

9 They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land.

10 As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth. ”

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

12 and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim.

13 And they passed on from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

14 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do. ”

15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him about his welfare.

16 Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate.

17 And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.

18 And when these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing? ”

19 And they said to him, “Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel? ”

20 And the priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.

21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and the goods in front of them.

22 When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan.

23 And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company? ”

24 And he said, “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you? ’”

25 And the people of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household. ”

26 Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.

27 But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

28 And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it.

29 And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first.

30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

31 So they set up Micah’s carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.