(KJV) Judges 18¹

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⥃The Danites Settle in Laish

[1] In those days [there was] no king² in Israel: and in those days the tribe³ of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto⁴ that day [all their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. [2] And the children of Dan sent of their family five men⁵ from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah⁶, and from Eshtaol, to spy⁷ out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount⁸ Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. [3] When they [were] by the house of Micah, they knew⁹ the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this [place]? and what hast¹⁰ thou here? [4] And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me¹¹, and I am his priest. [5] And they said unto him, Ask counsel¹², we pray thee, of God¹³, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. [6] And the priest said unto them, Go in peace¹⁴: before¹⁵ the Lord¹⁶ [is] your way wherein ye go.

[7] Then the five men departed, and came to Laish¹⁷, and saw the people that [were] therein, how they¹⁸ dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and [there was] no magistrate¹⁹ in the land, that might put [them] to shame in [any] thing; and they [were] far from the Zidonians, and had no²⁰ business with [any] man. [8] And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol²¹: and their brethren said unto them, What [say] ye? [9] And they said, Arise²², that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it [is] very good: and [are] ye still²³? be not²⁴ slothful to go, [and] to enter to possess the land. [10] When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure²⁵, and to a large land: for God hath²⁶ given it into your hands; a place where [there²⁷ is] no want of any thing that [is] in the earth.

[11] [¶]And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed²⁸ with weapons of war. [12] And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath–jearim²⁹, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh–dan³⁰ unto this day: behold, [it is] behind Kirjath–jearim. [13] And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim³¹, and came unto the house of Micah.

⥃The Danites Take Micah’s Idols

[14] Then³² answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these³³ houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore³⁴ consider what ye have to do. [15] And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, [even] unto the house of Micah, and saluted him³⁵. [16] And the six hundred³⁶ men appointed with their weapons of war, which [were] of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. [17] And the five men³⁷ that went to spy out the land went up, [and] came in thither, [and] took the graven³⁸ image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men [that were] appointed with weapons of war. [18] And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? [19] And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine³⁹ hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father⁴⁰ and a priest: [is it] better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? [20] And the priest’s heart⁴¹ was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went⁴² in the midst of the people. [21] So they turned and departed, and put⁴³ the little ones and the cattle and the carriage⁴⁴ before them.

[22] [¶][And] when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that [were] in the houses near to Micah’s house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. [23] And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth⁴⁵ thee, that thou comest⁴⁶ with such a company? [24] And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have⁴⁷ I more? and what [is] this [that] ye say unto me, What aileth thee? [25] And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry⁴⁸ fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. [26] And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they [were] too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house. [27] And they took [the things] which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish⁴⁹, unto a people [that were] at quiet and secure: and they smote⁵⁰ them with the edge of the sword, and burnt⁵¹ the city with fire. [28] And [there⁵² was] no deliverer, because it [was] far from⁵³ Zidon, and they had no business with [any] man; and it was in the valley that [lieth] by Beth–rehob⁵⁴. And they built a city, and dwelt therein. [29] And they called the name of the city Dan⁵⁵, after the name of Dan their father, who was⁵⁶ born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city [was] Laish at the first.

[30] [¶]And the children of Dan set up⁵⁷ the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until⁵⁸ the day of the captivity of the land⁵⁹. [31] And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time⁶⁰ that the house of God was in Shiloh.

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