19
They said to him, "Hush! Don't make a sound. Come with us. Be our father and priest. Which is more important, that you be a priest to one man or that you become priest to a whole tribe and clan in Israel?"
20
The priest jumped at the chance. He took the ephod, the teraphim-idols, and the idol and fell in with the troops.
21
They turned away and set out, putting the children, the cattle, and the gear in the lead.
22
They were well on their way from Micah's house before Micah and his neighbors got organized. But they soon overtook the Danites.
23
They shouted at them. The Danites turned around and said, "So what's all the noise about?"
24
Micah said, "You took my god, the one I made, and you took my priest. And you marched off! What do I have left? How can you now say, 'What's the matter?'"
25
But the Danites answered, "Don't yell at us; you just might provoke some fierce, hot-tempered men to attack you, and you'll end up an army of dead men."
26
The Danites went on their way. Micah saw that he didn't stand a chance against their arms. He turned back and went home.
27
So they took the things that Micah had made, along with his priest, and they arrived at Laish, that city of quiet and unsuspecting people. They massacred the people and burned down the city.
28
There was no one around to help. They were a long way from Sidon and had no treaty with the Arameans. Laish was in the valley of Beth Rehob.
29
When they rebuilt the city they renamed it Dan after their ancestor who was a son of Israel, but its original name was Laish.