1In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them. 2So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. They said to them, Go, search the land. So they went to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3While they were at the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, Who has brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here? 4And he said to them, Thus and so has Micah done for me. He hired me, and I am his priest. 5So they said to him, Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous. 6And the priest said to them, Go in peace. The way in which you go is before Jehovah. 7So the five men departed and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there, how they dwelt safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There was no possession of restraint putting them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians, and they had no business with anyone. 8And the spies came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, What is your report? 9So they said, Arise, let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and behold it is very good. Will you sit still? Do not be sluggish to go to enter to possess the land. 10When you go, you will come to a secure people and a large land. For God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth. 11And six hundred men of the family of the Danites set out from there, from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war. 12And they went up and encamped in Kirjath Jearim in Judah. (Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. Behold, it is behind Kirjath Jearim.) 13And they passed on from there to the mountains of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. 14Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish answered and said to their brethren, Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, household idols, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do. 15And they turned aside there, and came to the house of the young Levite man, to the house of Micah, and asked after his welfare. 16And the six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up, entered there, took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten image. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with weapons of war. 18And when these went into Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten image, the priest said to them, What are you doing? 19And they said to him, Be quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel? 20So the priest’s heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went among the people. 21Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods before them. 22When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan. 23And they called out to the sons of Dan. So they turned their faces and said to Micah, What ails you, that you have assembled together? 24And he said, You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have? How can you say to me, What ails you? 25And the sons of Dan said to him, Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest men of bitter souls fall upon you, and you lose your soul, with the souls of your household! 26And the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house. 27And they took what Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no business with anyone. It was in the valley next to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there. 29And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city formerly was Laish. 30And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 31And they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image which he had made, all the days the house of God was in Shiloh.