2
The children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Tzor`ah, and from Eshta'ol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, Go, search the land. They came to the hill-country of Efrayim, to the house of Mikhah, and lodged there.
3
When they were by the house of Mikhah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned aside there, and said to him, Who brought you here? and what do you in this place? and what have you here?
4
He said to them, Thus and thus has Mikhah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I am become his Kohen.
5
They said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6
The Kohen said to them, Go in shalom: before the LORD is your way wherein you go.
7
Then the five men departed, and came to Layish, and saw the people who were therein, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Tzidonim, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put [them] to shame in anything, and they were far from the Tzidonim, and had no dealings with any man.
8
They came to their brothers to Tzor`ah and Eshta'ol: and their brothers said to them, What [say] you?
9
They said, Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are you still? don't be slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land.
10
When you go, you shall come to a people secure, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the eretz.
11
There set forth from there of the family of the Dani, out of Tzor`ah and out of Eshta'ol, six hundred men girt with weapons of war.
12
They went up, and encamped in Kiryat-Ye`arim, in Yehudah: therefore they called that place Machane-Dan, to this day; behold, it is behind Kiryat-Ye`arim.