The Danites send five men to seek out an inheritance.

1 ¶ In those² daysº [there was] no² kingº in Israel:º and in those² daysº the tribeº of the Danitesº soughtºª them an inheritanceº to dwell² in;¹ª for² unto² that² dayº [all their] inheritanceº had not² fallenºª unto them amongº the tribesº of Israel.º 2 And the childrenº of Danº sentºª of their familyº² fiveº men¹² from their coasts,º² men¹² of valour,º from Zorah,º² and from Eshtaol,º² to spy¹ª out²² the land,º and to searchºª it; and they saidºª unto² them, Go,¹ª² searchºª² the land:º who when they cameºª to mountº Ephraim,º to² the houseº of Micah,º they lodgedºª there.²

At the house of Micah they consult with Jonathan, and are encouraged in their way.

3 When they² [were] by² the houseº of Micah,º they² knewºª² the voiceº of the young manº the Levite:º and they turned inºª thither,² and saidºª unto him, Who² broughtºª thee hither?º and what² makestºª thou² in this² [place]? and what² hast thou here?² 4 And he saidºª unto² them, Thusº and thusº dealethºª Micahº with me, and hath hiredºª me, and I am² his priest.º 5 And they saidºª unto him, Ask counsel,ºª we pray thee,² of God,º that we may knowºª whether our wayº which² we² goºª shall be prosperous.ºª 6 And the priestº saidºª unto them, Go¹ª² in peace:º beforeº the LORDº [is] your wayº wherein² ye go.¹ª²

They search Laish, and bring back news of good hope.

7 ¶ Then the fiveº men¹² departed,¹ª² and cameºª to Laish,º and sawºª² the peopleº that² [were] therein,º how they dweltºª careless,º after the mannerº of the Zidonians,º quietºª and secure;ºª and [there was] no² magistrateººª in the land,º that might put [them] to shameºª in [any] thing;º and they² [were] farº from the Zidonians,º² and had no² businessº with² [any] man.º 8 And they cameºª unto² their brethrenº to Zorahº and Eshtaol:º and their brethrenº saidºª unto them, What² [say] ye?² 9 And they said,ºª Arise,ºª that we may go upºª against² them: for² we have seenºª² the land,º and, behold,² it [is] veryº good:º and [are] ye² still?ºª be not slothfulºª² to go,¹ª² [and] to enterºª to possessºª² the land.º 10 When ye go,ºª ye shall comeºª unto² a peopleº secure,ºª and to a largeº land:º for² Godº hath givenºª it into your hands;º a placeº where² [there is] no² wantº of any² thingº that² [is] in the earth.º

Six hundred men are sent to surprise it.

11 ¶ And there wentºª from thence²² of the familyº² of the Danites,º out of Zorahº² and out of Eshtaol,º² sixº hundredº menº appointedºª with weaponsº of war.º 12 And they went up,ºª and pitchedºª in Kirjathjearim,º in Judah:º wherefore²² they calledºª that² placeº Mahanehdanº unto² this² day:º behold,² [it is] behindº Kirjathjearim.º 13 And they passedºª thence²² unto mountº Ephraim,º and cameºª unto² the houseº of Micah.º

In the way they rob Micah of his priest and his consecrate things.

14 ¶ Then answeredºª the fiveº men¹² that wentºª to spy outºª² the countryº of Laish,º and saidºª unto² their brethren,º Do ye knowºª that² there isº in these² housesº an ephod,º and teraphim,º and a graven image,º and a molten image?º now² therefore considerºª what² ye have to do.ºª 15 And they turnedºª thitherward,² and cameºª to² the houseº of the young manº the Levite,º [even] unto the houseº of Micah,º and salutedººª him. 16 And the sixº hundredº menº appointedºª with their weaponsº of war,º which² [were] of the childrenº² of Dan,º stoodºª by the enteringº of the gate.º 17 And the fiveº men¹² that went¹ª² to spy outºª² the landº went up,ºª [and] came inºª thither,² [and] tookºª² the graven image,º and the ephod,º and the teraphim,º and the molten image:º and the priestº stoodºª in the enteringº of the gateº with the sixº hundredº menº [that were] appointedºª with weaponsº of war.º 18 And these² wentºª into Micah'sº house,º and fetchedºª² the carved image,º the ephod,º and the teraphim,º and the molten image.º Then saidºª the priestº unto² them, What² doºª ye?² 19 And they saidºª unto him, Hold thy peace,ºª layºª thine handº upon² thy mouth,º and go¹ª² with² us, and be² to us¹ª a fatherº and a priest:º [is it] betterº for thee to be² a priestº unto the houseº of oneº man,º or² that thou be² a priestº unto a tribeº and a familyº in Israel?º 20 And the priest'sº heartº was glad,ºª and he tookºª² the ephod,º and the teraphim,º and the graven image,º and went² in¹ª the midstº of the people.º 21 So they turnedºª and departed,¹ª² and putºª² the little onesº and the cattleº and the carriageº beforeº them.

22 ¶ [And] when they² were a good wayºª from the houseº² of Micah,º the men¹² that² [were] in the housesº near² to Micah'sº houseº were gathered together,ºª and overtookºª² the childrenº of Dan.º 23 And they criedºª unto² the childrenº of Dan.º And they turnedºª their faces,º and saidºª unto Micah,º What² aileth thee, that² thou comest with such a company?ºª 24 And he said,ºª Ye have taken awayºª² my godsº which² I made,ºª and the priest,º and ye are gone away:¹ª² and what² have I more?² and what² [is] this² [that] ye sayºª unto² me, What² aileth thee? 25 And the childrenº of Danº saidºª unto² him, Let not² thy voiceº be heardºª among² us, lest² angryºº fellows¹² runºª upon thee, and thou loseºª thy life,º with the livesº of thy household.º 26 And the childrenº of Danº went¹ª² their way:º and when Micahº sawºª that² they² [were] too strongº for² him, he turnedºª and went backºª unto² his house.º

They win Laish, and call it Dan.

27 And they² tookºª² [the things] which² Micahº had made,ºª and the priestº which² he had,² and cameºª unto² Laish,º unto² a peopleº [that were] at quietºª and secure:ºª and they smoteºª them with the edgeº of the sword,º and burntºª the cityº with fire.º 28 And [there was] no² deliverer,ºª because² it² [was] farº from Zidon,º² and they had no² businessº with² [any] man;º and it² was in the valleyº that² [lieth] by Bethrehob.º And they builtºª² a city,º and dweltºª therein. 29 And they calledºª the nameº of the cityº Dan,º after the nameº of Danº their father,º who² was bornºª unto Israel:º howbeitº the nameº of the cityº [was] Laishº at the first.º

They set up idolatry, wherein Jonathan inheriteth the priesthood.

30 ¶ And the childrenº of Danº set upºª² the graven image:º and Jonathan,º the sonº of Gershom,¹² the sonº of Manasseh,º he² and his sonsº were² priestsº to the tribeº of Danº until² the dayº of the captivityºª of the land.º 31 And they set them upºª² Micah'sº graven image,º which² he made,ºª all² the timeº that the houseº of Godº was² in Shiloh.º