| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1In those days, there was no king in Israel, and the Danite tribe was looking for territory to occupy. Up to that time no territory had been captured by them among the tribes of Israel. | 1In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the Danite tribe was looking for a place to settle, because at that time they did not yet have a place to call their own among the tribes of Israel. |
| 2So the Danites sent out five brave men from all their clans, from Zorah and Eshtaol, to scout out the land and explore it. They told them, "Go and explore the land." They came to the hill country of Ephraim as far as the home of Micah and spent the night there. | 2The Danites sent out from their whole tribe five representatives, capable men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, "Go, explore the land." They came to the Ephraimite hill country and spent the night at Micah's house. |
| 3While they were near Micah's home, they recognized the speech of the young Levite. So they went over to him and asked, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is keeping you here?" | 3As they approached Micah's house, they recognized the accent of the young Levite. So they stopped there and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?" |
| 4He told them what Micah had done for him and that he had hired him as his priest. | 4He told them what Micah had done for him, saying, "He hired me and I became his priest." |
| 5Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God so we will know if we will have a successful journey." | 5They said to him, "Seek a divine oracle for us, so we can know if we will be successful on our mission." |
| 6The priest told them, "Go in peace. The LORD is watching over the journey you are going on." | 6The priest said to them, "Go with confidence. The LORD will be with you on your mission." |
| 7The five men left and came to Laish. They saw that the people who were there were living securely, in the same way as the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. They were far from the Sidonians, having no alliance with anyone. | 7So the five men journeyed on and arrived in Laish. They noticed that the people there were living securely, like the Sidonians do, undisturbed and unsuspecting. No conqueror was troubling them in any way. They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. |
| 8When the men went back to their clans at Zorah and Eshtaol, their people asked them, "What did you find out?" | 8When the Danites returned to their tribe in Zorah and Eshtaol, their kinsmen asked them, "How did it go?" |
| 9They answered, "Come on, let's go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why wait? Don't hesitate to go and invade and take possession of the land! | 9They said, "Come on, let's attack them, for we saw their land and it is very good. You seem lethargic, but don't hesitate to invade and conquer the land. |
| 10When you get there, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has handed it over to you. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking." | 10When you invade, you will encounter unsuspecting people. The land is wide! God is handing it over to you--a place that lacks nothing on earth!" |
| 11Six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol armed with weapons of war. | 11So six hundred Danites, fully armed, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. |
| 12They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. This is why the place is called the Camp of Dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim. | 12They went up and camped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. (To this day that place is called Camp of Dan. It is west of Kiriath Jearim.) |
| 13From there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and arrived at Micah's house. | 13From there they traveled through the Ephraimite hill country and arrived at Micah's house. |
| 14The five men who had gone to scout out the land of Laish told their brothers, "Did you know that there are an ephod, household gods, and a carved image overlaid with silver in these houses? Now think about what you should do." | 14The five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you realize that inside these houses are an ephod, some personal idols, a carved image, and a metal image? Decide now what you want to do." |
| 15So they detoured there and went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him. | 15They stopped there, went inside the young Levite's house (which belonged to Micah), and asked him how he was doing. |
| 16The 600 Danite men were standing by the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war. | 16Meanwhile the six hundred Danites, fully armed, stood at the entrance to the gate. |
| 17Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land went in and took the carved image overlaid with silver, the ephod, and the household idols, while the priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. | 17The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the six hundred fully armed men. |
| 18When they entered Micah's house and took the carved image overlaid with silver, the ephod, and the household idols, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" | 18When these men broke into Micah's house and stole the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" |
| 19They told him, "Be quiet. Keep your mouth shut. 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 for you to be a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?" | 19They said to him, "Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser and priest. Wouldn't it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man's family?" |
| 20So the priest was pleased and took his ephod, household idols, and carved image, and went with the people. | 20The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group. |
| 21They prepared to leave, putting their small children, livestock, and possessions in front of them. | 21They turned and went on their way, but they walked behind the children, the cattle, and their possessions. |
| 22After they were some distance from Micah's house, the men who were in the houses near it mobilized and caught up with the Danites. | 22After they had gone a good distance from Micah's house, Micah's neighbors gathered together and caught up with the Danites. |
| 23They called to the Danites, who turned to face them, and said to Micah, "What's the matter with you that you mobilized the men?" | 23When they called out to the Danites, the Danites turned around and said to Micah, "Why have you gathered together?" |
| 24He said, "You took the gods I had made and the priest, and went away. What do I have left? How can you say to me, 'What's the matter with you?'" | 24He said, "You stole my gods that I made, as well as this priest, and then went away. What do I have left? How can you have the audacity to say to me, 'What do you want?'" |
| 25The Danites said to him, "Don't raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives." | 25The Danites said to him, "Don't say another word to us, or some very angry men will attack you, and you and your family will die." |
| 26The Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were stronger than he was. | 26The Danites went on their way; when Micah realized they were too strong to resist, he turned around and went home. |
| 27After they had taken the gods Micah had made and the priest that belonged to him, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people. They killed them with their swords and burned down the city. | 27Now the Danites took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city. |
| 28There was no one to rescue them because it was far from Sidon and they had no alliance with anyone. It was in a valley that belonged to Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city and lived in it. | 28No one came to the rescue because the city was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and occupied it. |
| 29They named the city Dan, after the name of their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel. The city was formerly named Laish. | 29They named it Dan after their ancestor, who was one of Israel's sons. But the city's name used to be Laish. |
| 30The Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the Danite tribe until the time of the exile from the land. | 30The Danites worshiped the carved image. Jonathan, descendant of Gershom, son of Moses, and his descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile. |
| 31So they set up for themselves Micah's carved image that he had made, and it was there as long as the house of God was in Shiloh. | 31They worshiped Micah's carved image the whole time God's authorized shrine was in Shiloh. |
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