Open English Translation JDG Chapter 18

18 In those days, Israel didn’t have a king. The tribe of Dan was looking for land to settle in, because up until then, they hadn’t been able to claim their allocated region among the Israeli tribes. 2 So the Danites sent out five capable men (from Zorah and from Eshtaol) to scout out the region and explore it. They had told them, “Go and explore the area.” They came to the Efraimite hill country, as far as Micah’s house, and spent the night there. 3 They’d been near Micah’s house when they recognized the voice of the young Levite man. So they’d gone in there and they asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you get here?”

4 Then he told them what Micah had done for him, and how he’d hired him to be like his priest.

5 So they asked him, “Please find out from God if we’ll have success on this expedition we’re on.”

6 “Continue on in peace,” the priest said. “Yahweh has prepared everything ahead of you all.”

7 Then the five men left and went on to Layish. They saw that the people there were living in confidence just like the Tsidonians were—peacefully and feeling secure. No one in the region was causing trouble for them and they were very settled. They were far away from the Tsidonians and didn’t interact with others. 8 Then they went back to their relatives in Tsorah and Eshtaol, who asked them, “How did it go?” 9 “Get ready immediately,” they said, “so that we can go to battle against them! Because we’ve seen the land and listen, it’s incredible good. Don’t just still there—you all need to take action to go in to take possession of the land.

10 When you go, you’ll all come to a people living without suspicion of attack, and the land is spacious in all directions, because God will hand it over to you—a place where there’s no lack of anything that’s on the earth.”

11 So six hundred Danite warriors left Tsorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons. 12 They set off and camped at Kiriat-Yearim in Yehudah. That’s why they call that place Mahaneh-Dan (meaning ‘Dan’s camp’) to this day—it’s back behind Kiriat-Yearim. 13 From there, they crossed over into the Efraimite hill country, eventually arriving near Micah’s house.

14 Then the five men who had been here previously scouting out the land said to their group, “Do you know that there’s a house here with a gear for priests, family idols, a carved image, and a cast image? So now, consider what you should do.” 15 So they turned off the main path and they came to the place with the young Levite man in Micah’s house, and they asked about his welfare. 16 The six hundred Danite men stayed outside at the gate, holding their weapons.

17 The five men who’d gone to scout out the land went in around the back. They took the carved image, the priest’s gear, the family idols, and the cast image, while the priest was standing at the entrance of the gate along with the six hundred armed men. 18 When the priest saw them bringing out all the religious objects, he demanded, “What’s going on?”

19 “Stay quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be like a father and a priest for us. Is it better to be a priest for only one household, or to be a priest for a whole related tribe in Israel?” 20 The priest liked that idea, so he went along with them—taking the priestly gear and the household idols, and the carved image.

21 Then they went back to the main path and continued on their way with the children, animals, and those carrying the valuable property going in front. 22 When they’d already gone quite some distance from Micah’s house, Micah and his neighbours gathered together, then the men ran in a group and caught up with the Danites. 23 They called out to the Danites who turned around to face them and asked Micah, “What’s the matter? Why has this group come together?” 24 “You all took my gods that I made,” Micah replied, “And the priest. Then you disappeared and I had nothing left. So how can you all ask me what the matter is!”

25 “I wouldn’t say too much if I was you,” he was told. “Otherwise some of our more fiery men might start to get a bit hostile, then you’d bring about your own death, and that of your companions!” 26 Then Micah realised that they were too strong for them, so they turned back around and went home.

So the Danites continued onward, 27 taking with them the things that Micah had made, as well as his priest. They came to Layish where the unsuspecting people were living peaceably, and they slaughtered them with their swords and burnt down the city. 28 No one came to rescue them because it was a long way from Tsidon and they did have much involvement with them anyway. (Layish was in the valley near Beyt-Rehob.) They rebuilt the city and then moved into it. 29 They named the rebuilt city Dan (instead of Layish) in honour of their ancestor Dan who was one of Israel’s sons. 30 The Danites mounted the carved image for themselves to worship. Yonatan (Gershom’s son from Manashsheh) became the priest for the Danites (and then his descendants until when the people were eventually exiled from the region). 31 So they set up the carved image that Micah had made and worshipped it the whole time that God’s tent was at Shiloh.