Judges 18 Parallel Bible Translations

Judges 18 ▼
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1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them. In those days there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of the Danites were in search of a heritage to dwell in, for up to that time no heritage had been allotted to them among the tribes of Israel. In 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.
2 So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. So the Danites sent from their clans five powerful men of Zorah and Eshtaol, to reconnoiter the land and scout it. “Go, scout the land,” they were told. They went into the mountain region of Ephraim, and they spent the night there. So 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.
3 When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?” While they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, so they turned aside. They asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? What is your interest here?” When 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 And he said to them, “This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest.” “This is what Micah has done for me,” he replied to them. “He has hired me and I have become his priest.” He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, “He has hired me and I am his priest.”
5 And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” They said to him, “Consult God, that we may know whether the journey we are making will lead to success.” Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.”
6 And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD.” The priest said to them, “Go in peace! The journey you are making is under the eye of the LORD.” The priest answered them, “Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD’s approval.”
7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. So the five men went on and came to Laish. They saw the people there living securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and trusting, with no lack of any natural resource. They were distant from the Sidonians and had no dealings with the Arameans. So 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.
8 And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” When the five returned to their kin in Zorah and Eshtaol, they were asked, “What do you have to report?” When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their fellow Danites asked them, “How did you find things?”
9 They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. They replied, “Come, let us attack them, for we have seen the land and it is very good. Are you going to hesitate? Do not be slow to go in and take possession of the land! They 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.
10 As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.” When you go you will come to a trusting people. The land stretches out in both directions, and God has indeed given it into your power—a place where no natural resource is lacking.” When 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.”
11 So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, So six hundred of the clan of the Danites, men armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. Then six hundred men of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
12 and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. They marched up into Judah and encamped near Kiriath-jearim; for this reason the place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day (it lies west of Kiriath-jearim). On 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.
13 And they passed on from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. From there they passed on into the mountain region of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
14 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do.” Then the five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land spoke up and said to their kindred, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, teraphim, and an idol overlaid with silver? Now decide what you must do!” Then 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.”
15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him about his welfare. So turning in that direction, they went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him. So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him.
16 Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. The six hundred Danites stationed themselves at the entrance of the gate armed with weapons of war. The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance of the gate.
17 And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. The five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land went up The 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.
18 And when these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” and entered the house of Micah with the priest standing there. They took the idol, the ephod, the teraphim and the metal image. When the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” When 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 And they said to him, “Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?” they said to him, “Be still! Put your hand over your mouth! Come with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the family of one man or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?” They 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?”
20 And the priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people. The priest, agreeing, took the ephod, the teraphim, and the idol, and went along with the troops. The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people.
21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and the goods in front of them. As they turned to depart, they placed their little ones, their livestock, and their goods at the head of the column. Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.
22 When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. When the Danites had gone some distance from the house of Micah, Micah and the men in the houses nearby mustered and overtook them. When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites.
23 And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?” They called to the Danites, who turned and said to Micah, “What do you want that you have called this muster?” As 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?”
24 And he said, “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’” “You have taken my god, which I made for myself, and you have gone off with my priest as well,” he answered. “What is left for me? How, then, can you ask me, ‘What do you want?’” He 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?’”
25 And the people of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.” The Danites said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard near us, or aggravated men will attack you, and you will have forfeited your life and the lives of your family!” The 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.”
26 Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home. Then the Danites went on their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned back and went home. So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.
27 But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. Having taken what Micah had made and his priest, they marched against Laish, a quiet and trusting people; they put them to the sword and destroyed the city by fire. Then 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.
28 And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. No one came to their aid, since the city was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with the Arameans; the city was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. The Danites then rebuilt the city and occupied it. There 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.
29 And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first. They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel. But Laish was the name of the city formerly. They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city used to be called Laish.
30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. The Danites set up the idol for themselves, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his descendants were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the time the land went into captivity. There 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.
31 So they set up Micah’s carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh. They maintained the idol Micah had made as long as the house of God was in Shiloh. They continued to use the idol Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh.
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