| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. | 1In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. |
| 2So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. | 2So the Danites sent five of their leading men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all the Danites. They told them, "Go, explore the land." So they entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. |
| 3And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” | 3When they were near Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?" |
| 4“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.” | 4He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, "He has hired me and I am his priest." |
| 5Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.” | 5Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful." |
| 6And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.” | 6The priest answered them, "Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD's approval." |
| 7So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone. | 7So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, at peace and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else. |
| 8When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?” | 8When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their fellow Danites asked them, "How did you find things?" |
| 9They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land! | 9They answered, "Come on, let's attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren't you going to do something? Don't hesitate to go there and take it over. |
| 10When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.” | 10When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever." |
| 11So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war. | 11Then six hundred men of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. |
| 12They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day. | 12On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan to this day. |
| 13And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house. | 13From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house. |
| 14Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.” | 14Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their fellow Danites, "Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, some household gods and an image overlaid with silver? Now you know what to do." |
| 15So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him. | 15So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah's place and greeted him. |
| 16The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war. | 16The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance of the gate. |
| 17And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men. | 17The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance of the gate. |
| 18When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” | 18When the five men went into Micah's house and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" |
| 19“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?” | 19They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man's household?" |
| 20So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people. | 20The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people. |
| 21Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed. | 21Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left. |
| 22After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites. | 22When they had gone some distance from Micah's house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. |
| 23When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?” | 23As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, "What's the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?" |
| 24He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ” | 24He replied, "You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, 'What's the matter with you?'" |
| 25The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” | 25The Danites answered, "Don't argue with us, or some of the men may get angry and attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives." |
| 26So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him. | 26So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home. |
| 27After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city. | 27Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a people at peace and secure. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. |
| 28There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there. | 28There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. |
| 29They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish. | 29They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel--though the city used to be called Laish. |
| 30The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. | 30There the Danites set up for themselves the idol, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. |
| 31So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh. | 31They continued to use the idol Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh. |
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