1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Judges 18
1 The Danites send five men to seek out an inheritance. 3 At the house of Micah they consult with Jonathan, and are encouraged in their way. 7 They search Laish, and bring back news of good hope. 11 Six hundred men are sent to surprise it. 14 In the way they rob Micah of his priest and his consecrate things. 27 They win Laish, and call it Dan. 30 They set up idolatry, wherein Jonathan inheriteth the priesthood.
18:1
In those 1992a days 3117 there 369 was no 369 king 4428 of Israel 3478; and in those 1992a days 3117 the tribe 7626 of the Danites 1839 was seeking 1245 an inheritance 5159 for themselves to live 3427 in, for until 5704 that day 3117 an inheritance 5159 had not been allotted 5307 to them as a possession 5159 among 8432 the tribes 7626 of Israel 3478.
18:2
So the sons 1121 of Dan 1835 sent 7971 from their family 4940 five 2568 men 376 out of their whole 7098 number 7098, valiant 2428 men 376 from Zorah 6881 and Eshtaol 847b, to spy 7270 out the land 776 and to search 2713 it; and they said 559 to them, “Go 1980, search 2713 the land 776.” And they came 935 to the hill 2022 country 2022 of Ephraim 669, to the house 1004 of Micah 4318, and lodged 3885a there 8033.
18:3
When they were near 5973 the house 1004 of Micah 4318, they recognized 5234 the voice 6963 of the young 5288 man 5288, the Levite 3881; and they turned 5493 aside 5493 there 8033 and said 559 to him, “Who 4310 brought 935 you here 1988? And what 4100 are you doing 6213a in this 2088 [place]? And what 4100 do you have here 6311?”
18:4
He said 559 to them, “Thus 2090 and so 2088 has Micah 4318 done 6213a to me, and he has hired 7936 me and I have 1961 become 1961 his priest 3548.”
18:5
They said 559 to him, “Inquire 7592 of God 430, please 4994, that we may know 3045 whether our way 1870 on which 834 we are going 1980 will be prosperous 6743b.”
18:6
The priest 3548 said 559 to them, “Go 1980 in peace 7965; your way 1870 in which 834 you are going 1980 has the LORD’S 3068 approval 5227.”
18:7
¶ Then the five 2568 men 376 departed 1980 and came 935 to Laish 3919a and saw 7200 the people 5971a who 834 were in it living 3427 in security 983, after the manner 4941 of the Sidonians 6722, quiet 8252 and secure 982; for there 369 was no 369 ruler 3423 6114 humiliating 3637 [them] for anything 1697 in the land 776, and they were far 7350 from the Sidonians 6722 and had 369 no 369 dealings 1697 with anyone 120.
18:8
When they came 935 back to their brothers 251 at Zorah 6881 and Eshtaol 847b, their brothers 251 said 559 to them, “What 4100 [do] you [report]?”
18:9
They said 559, “Arise 6965, and let us go 5927 up against 5921 them; for we have seen 7200 the land 776, and behold 2009, it is very 3966 good 2896a. And will you sit 2814 still 2814? Do not delay 6101 to go 1980, to enter 935, to possess 3423 the land 776.
18:10
“When you enter 935, you will come 935 to a secure 982 people 5971a with a spacious 7342 3027 land 776; for God 430 has given 5414 it into your hand 3027, a place 4725 where 834 8033 there 369 is no 369 lack 4270 of anything 3605 1697 that is on the earth 776.”
18:11
¶ Then from the family 4940 of the Danites 1839, from Zorah 6881 and from Eshtaol 847b, six 8337a hundred 3967 men 376 armed 2296 with weapons 3627 of war 4421 set 5265 out.
18:12
They went 5927 up and camped 2583 at Kiriath-jearim 7157 in Judah 3063. Therefore 5921 3651 they called 7121 that place 4725 Mahaneh-dan 4265 to this 2088 day 3117; behold 2009, it is west 310 of Kiriath-jearim 7157.
18:13
They passed 5674a from there 8033 to the hill 2022 country 2022 of Ephraim 669 and came 935 to the house 1004 of Micah 4318.
18:14
¶ Then the five 2568 men 376 who went 1980 to spy 7270 out the country 776 of Laish 3919a said 559 to their kinsmen 251, “Do you know 3045 that there 3426 are in these 428 houses 1004 an ephod 646 and household 8655 idols 8655 and a graven 6459 image 6459 and a molten 4541a image 4541a? Now 6258 therefore, consider 3045 what 4100 you should do 6213a.”
18:15
They turned 5493 aside 5493 there 8033 and came 935 to the house 1004 of the young 5288 man 5288, the Levite 3881, to the house 1004 of Micah 4318, and asked 7592 him of his welfare 7965.
18:16
The six 8337a hundred 3967 men 376 armed 2296 with their weapons 3627 of war 4421, who 834 were of the sons 1121 of Dan 1835, stood 5324 by the entrance 6607 of the gate 8179.
18:17
Now the five 2568 men 376 who went 1980 to spy 7270 out the land 776 went 5927 up [and] entered 935 there 8033, [and] took 3947 the graven 6459 image 6459 and the ephod 646 and household 8655 idols 8655 and the molten 4541a image 4541a, while the priest 3548 stood 5324 by the entrance 6607 of the gate 8179 with the six 8337a hundred 3967 men 376 armed 2296 with weapons 3627 of war 4421.
18:18
When these 428 went 935 into Micah’s 4318 house 1004 and took 3947 the graven 6459 image 6459, the ephod 646 and household 8655 idols 8655 and the molten 4541a image 4541a, the priest 3548 said 559 to them, “What 4100 are you doing 6213a?”
18:19
They said 559 to him, “Be silent 2790b, put 7760 your hand 3027 over 5921 your mouth 6310 and come 1980 with us, and be to us a father 1 and a priest 3548. Is it better 2896a for you to be a priest 3548 to the house 1004 of one 259 man 376, or 176 to be priest 3548 to a tribe 7626 and a family 4940 in Israel 3478?”
18:20
The priest’s 3548 heart 3820 was glad 3190, and he took 3947 the ephod 646 and household 8655 idols 8655 and the graven 6459 image 6459 and went 935 among 7130 the people 5971a.
18:21
¶ Then they turned 6437 and departed 1980, and put 7760 the little 2945 ones 2945 and the livestock 4735 and the valuables 3520 in front 6440 of them.
18:22
When they had gone 7368 some 7368 distance 7368 from the house 1004 of Micah 4318, the men 376 who 834 [were] in the houses 1004 near 5973 Micah’s 4318 house 1004 assembled 2199 and overtook 1692 the sons 1121 of Dan 1835.
18:23
They cried 7121 to the sons 1121 of Dan 1835, who turned 5437 around 6440 and said 559 to Micah 4318, “What 4100 is [the matter] with you, that you have assembled 2199 together 2199?”
18:24
He said 559, “You have taken 3947 away my gods 430 which 834 I made 6213a, and the priest 3548, and have gone 1980 away, and what 4100 do I have besides 5750? So how 4100 2088 can you say 559 to me, ‘What 4100 is [the matter] with you?’”
18:25
The sons 1121 of Dan 1835 said 559 to him, “Do not let your voice 6963 be heard 8085 among 5973 us, or 6435 else 6435 fierce 4751 5315 men 376 will fall 6293 upon you and you will lose 622 your life 5315, with the lives 5315 of your household 1004.”
18:26
So the sons 1121 of Dan 1835 went 1980 on their way 1870; and when Micah 4318 saw 7200 that they were too 4480 strong 2389 for him, he turned 6437 and went 7725 back 7725 to his house 1004.
18:27
¶ Then they took 3947 what 834 Micah 4318 had made 6213a and the priest 3548 who 834 had 1961 belonged 1961 to him, and came 935 to Laish 3919a, to a people 5971a quiet 8252 and secure 982, and struck 5221 them with the edge 6310 of the sword 2719; and they burned 8313 the city 5892b with fire 784.
18:28
And there 369 was no 369 one 369 to deliver 5337 [them], because 3588 it was far 7350 from Sidon 6721 and they had 369 no 369 dealings 1697 with anyone 120, and it was in the valley 6010 which 834 is near Beth-rehob 1050. And they rebuilt 1129 the city 5892b and lived 3427 in it.
18:29
They called 7121 the name 8034 of the city 5892b Dan 1835, after the name 8034 of Dan 1835 their father 1 who 834 was born 3205 in Israel 3478; however 199, the name 8034 of the city 5892b formerly 7223 was Laish 3919a.
18:30
The sons 1121 of Dan 1835 set 6965 up for themselves the graven 6459 image 6459; and Jonathan 3083, the son 1121 of Gershom 1647, the son 1121 of Manasseh 4519, he and his sons 1121 were priests 3548 to the tribe 7626 of the Danites 1839 until 5704 the day 3117 of the captivity 1540 of the land 776.
18:31
So they set 7760 up for themselves Micah’s 4318 graven 6459 image 6459 which 834 he had made 6213a, all 3605 the time 3117 that the house 1004 of God 430 was at Shiloh 7887.
