| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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?" | 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?” |
| 4He told them what Micah had done for him, saying, "He hired me and I became his priest." | 4“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.” |
| 5They said to him, "Seek a divine oracle for us, so we can know if we will be successful on our mission." | 5Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.” |
| 6The priest said to them, "Go with confidence. The LORD will be with you on your mission." | 6And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 8When the Danites returned to their tribe in Zorah and Eshtaol, their kinsmen asked them, "How did it go?" | 8When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?” |
| 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. | 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! |
| 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!" | 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.” |
| 11So six hundred Danites, fully armed, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. | 11So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war. |
| 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.) | 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. |
| 13From there they traveled through the Ephraimite hill country and arrived at Micah's house. | 13And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house. |
| 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." | 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.” |
| 15They stopped there, went inside the young Levite's house (which belonged to Micah), and asked him how he was doing. | 15So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him. |
| 16Meanwhile the six hundred Danites, fully armed, stood at the entrance to the gate. | 16The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their 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. | 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. |
| 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?" | 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?” |
| 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?" | 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?” |
| 20The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group. | 20So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people. |
| 21They turned and went on their way, but they walked behind the children, the cattle, and their possessions. | 21Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed. |
| 22After they had gone a good distance from Micah's house, Micah's neighbors gathered together and caught up with the Danites. | 22After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites. |
| 23When they called out to the Danites, the Danites turned around and said to Micah, "Why have you gathered together?" | 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?” |
| 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?'" | 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?’ ” |
| 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." | 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.” |
| 26The Danites went on their way; when Micah realized they were too strong to resist, he turned around and went home. | 26So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 29They named it Dan after their ancestor, who was one of Israel's sons. But the city's name used to be Laish. | 29They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 31They worshiped Micah's carved image the whole time God's authorized shrine was in Shiloh. | 31So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh. |
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