Judges 18 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Danites Seek Territory

Jdg 18:1In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in; for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them.

Jdg 18:2

Jdg 18:2So the Danites sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Esh'ta-ol, 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 E'phraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

Jdg 18:3

Jdg 18:3When 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?"

Jdg 18:4

Jdg 18:4And he said to them, "Thus and thus has Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest."

Jdg 18:5

Jdg 18:5And they said to him, "Inquire of God, we pray thee, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed."

Jdg 18:6

Jdg 18:6And the priest said to them, "Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD."

Jdg 18:7

Jdg 18:7Then the five men departed, and came to La'ish, and saw the people who were there, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Sido'nians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth, and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sido'nians and had no dealings with any one.

Jdg 18:8

Jdg 18:8And when they came to their brethren at Zorah and Esh'ta-ol, their brethren said to them, "What do you report?"

Jdg 18:9

Jdg 18:9They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very fertile. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, and enter in and possess the land.

Jdg 18:10

Jdg 18:10When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is broad; yea, God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth."

Jdg 18:11

Jdg 18:11And six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set forth from Zorah and Esh'ta-ol,

Jdg 18:12

Jdg 18:12and went up and encamped at Kir'iath-je'arim in Judah. On this account that place is called Ma'haneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kir'iath-je'arim.

Jdg 18:13

Jdg 18:13And they passed on from there to the hill country of E'phraim, and came to the house of Micah.

Danites Take Micah's Idols

Jdg 18:14

Jdg 18:14Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of La'ish said to their brethren, "Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, teraphim, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you will do."

Jdg 18:15

Jdg 18:15And they turned aside thither, and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.

Jdg 18:16

Jdg 18:16Now the six hundred men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate;

Jdg 18:17

Jdg 18:17and the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up, and entered and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

Jdg 18:18

Jdg 18:18And when these went into Micah's house and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

Jdg 18:19

Jdg 18:19And they said to him, "Keep quiet, put your hand upon 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 family in Israel?"

Jdg 18:20

Jdg 18:20And the priest's heart was glad; he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

Jdg 18:21

Jdg 18:21So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the cattle and the goods in front of them.

Jdg 18:22

Jdg 18:22When they were a good way from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called out, and they overtook the Danites.

Jdg 18:23

Jdg 18:23And they shouted to the Danites, who turned round and said to Micah, "What ails you that you come with such a company?"

Jdg 18:24

Jdg 18:24And he said, "You take my gods which I made, and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, 'What ails you?'"

Jdg 18:25

Jdg 18:25And the Danites 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."

Jdg 18:26

Jdg 18:26Then the Danites went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.

Jdg 18:27

Jdg 18:27And taking what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, the Danites came to La'ish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire.

Jdg 18:28

Jdg 18:28And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any one. It was in the valley which belongs to Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city, and dwelt in it.

Jdg 18:29

Jdg 18:29And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was La'ish at the first.

Jdg 18:30

Jdg 18:30And the Danites set up the graven 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.

Jdg 18:31

Jdg 18:31So they set up Micah's graven image which he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

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Source: Transcribed from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971. There should be enough in the rest of the description to identify the text.

Language: English

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Judges 18 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Danites Seek Territory

Danites Take Micah's Idols

Pericope