Judges 18

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 At that time there was no king in Israel. Moreover the tribe of Danites were in search of a district to dwell in, for up to that time they had received no heritage among the tribes of Israel.	1 In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of Dan sought them an inheritance to dwell in: for unto that day they had not received their lot among the other tribes.
2 So the Danites sent from their clan a detail of five valiant men of Zorah and Eshtaol, to reconnoiter the land and scout it. With their instructions to go and scout the land, they traveled as far as the house of Micah in the mountain region of Ephraim, where they passed the night.	2 So the children of Dan sent five most valiant men of their stock and family from Saraa and Esthaol, to spy out the land, and to view it diligently: and they said to them: Go, and view the land. They went on their way, and when they came to mount Ephraim, they went into the house of Michas, and rested there:
3 Near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite and turned in that direction. "Who brought you here and what are you doing here?" they asked him. "What is your interest here?"	3 And knowing the voice of the young man the Levite, and lodging with him, they said to him: Who brought thee hither? what dost thou here? why wouldst thou come hither?
4 "This is how Micah treats me," he replied to them. "He pays me a salary and I am his priest."	4 He answered them: Michas hath done such and such things for me, and hath hired me to be his priest.
5 They said to him, "Consult God, that we may know whether the undertaking we are engaged in will succeed."	5 Then they desired him to consult the Lord, that they might know whether their journey should be prosperous, and the thing should have effect.
6 The priest said to them, "Go and prosper: the LORD is favorable to the undertaking you are engaged in."	6 He answered them: Go in peace, the Lord looketh on your way, and the journey that you go.
7 So the five men went on and came to Laish. They saw that the people dwelling there lived securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and trusting, with no lack of any natural resources. They were distant from the Sidonians and had no contact with other people.	7 So the five men going on came to Lais: and they saw how the people dwelt therein without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and easy, having no man at all to oppose them, being very rich, and living separated, at a distance from Sidon and from all men.
8 When the five returned to their kinsmen in Zorah and Eshtaol and were asked for a report,	8 And they returned to their brethren in Saraa and Esthaol, who asked them what they had done? to whom they answered:
9 they replied, "Come, let us attack them, for we have seen the land and it is very good. Are you going to hesitate? Do not be slothful about beginning your expedition to possess the land.	9 Arise, and let us go up to them: for we have seen the land which is exceeding rich and fruitful: neglect not, lose no time: let us go and possess it, there will be no difficulty.
10 Those against whom you go are a trusting people, and the land is ample. God has indeed given it into your power: a place where no natural resource is lacking."	10 We shall come to a people that is secure, into a spacious country, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, in which there is no want of any thing that groweth on the earth.
11 So six hundred men of the clan of the Danites, fully armed with weapons of war, set out from where they were in Zorah and Eshtaol,	11 There went therefore of the kindred of Dan, to wit, from Saraa and Esthaol, six hundred men, furnished with arms for war,
12 and camped in Judah, up near Kiriath-jearim; hence to this day the place, which lies west of Kiriath-jearim, is called Mahaneh-dan.	12 And going up they lodged in Cariathiarim of Juda: which place from that time is called the camp of Dan, and is behind Cariathiarim.
13 From there they went on to the mountain region of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.	13 From thence they passed into mount Ephraim. And when they were come to the house of Michas,
14 The five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household idols, and a carved idol overlaid with silver? Now decide what you must do!"	14 The five men, that before had been sent to view the land of Lais, said to the rest of their brethren: You know that in these houses there is an ephod, and theraphim, and a graven, and a molten god: see what you are pleased to do.
15 So turning in that direction, they went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him.	15 And when they had turned a little aside, they went into the house of the young man the Levite, who was in the house of Michas: and they saluted him with words of peace.
16 The six hundred men girt with weapons of war, who were Danites, stood by the entrance of the gate, and the priest stood there also.	16 And the six hundred men stood before the door, appointed with their arms.
17 Meanwhile the five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land went up and entered the house of Micah.	17 But they that were gone into the house of the young man, went about to take away the graven god, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten god, and the priest stood before the door, the six hundred valiant men waiting not far off.
18 When they had gone in and taken the ephod, the household idols, and the carved idol overlaid with silver, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"	18 So they that were gone in took away the graven thing, the ephod, and the idols, and the molten god. And the priest said to them: What are you doing?
19 They said to him, "Be still: put your hand over your mouth. Come with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the family of one man or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?"	19 And they said to him: Hold thy peace and put thy finger on thy mouth and come with us, that we may have thee for a father, and a priest. Whether is better for thee, to be a priest in the house of one man, or in a tribe and family in Israel?
20 The priest, agreeing, took the ephod, household idols, and carved idol and went off in the midst of the band.	20 When he had heard this, he agreed to their words, and took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven god, and departed with them.
21 As they turned to depart, they placed their little ones, their livestock, and their goods at the head of the column.	21 And when they were going forward, and had put before them the children and the cattle and all that was valuable,
22 The Danites had already gone some distance, when those in the houses near that of Micah took up arms and overtook them.	22 And were now at a distance from the house of Michas, the men that dwelt in the houses of Michas gathering together followed them,
23 They called to the Danites, who turned about and said to Micah, "What do you want, that you have taken up arms?"	23 And began to shout out after them. They looked back, and said to Michas: What aileth thee? Why dost thou cry?
24 "You have taken my god, which I made, and have gone off with my priest as well," he answered. "What is left for me? How, then, can you ask me what I want?"	24 And he answered: You have taken away my gods which I have made me and the priest, and all that I have, and do you say: What aileth thee?
25 The Danites said to him, "Let us hear no further sound from you, lest fierce men fall upon you and you and your family lose your lives."	25 And the children of Dan said to him: See thou say no more to us, lest men enraged come upon thee, and thou perish with all thy house.
26 The Danites then went on their way, and Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he, returned home.	26 And so they went on the journey they had begun. But Michas seeing that they were stronger than he, returned to his house.
27 Having taken what Micah had made, and the priest he had had, they attacked Laish, a quiet and trusting people; they put them to the sword and destroyed their city by fire.	27 And the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we spoke of before, and came to Lais to a people that was quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword: and the city was burnt with fire,
28 No one came to their aid, since the city was far from Sidon and they had no contact with other people. The Danites then rebuilt the city, which was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob, and lived there.	28 There being no man at all who brought them any succour, because they dwelt far from Sidon, and had no society or business with any man. And the city was in the land of Rohob: and they rebuilt it and dwelt therein.
29 They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, son of Israel. However, the name of the city was formerly Laish.	29 Calling the name of the city Dan after the name of their father, who was the son of Israel, which before was called Lais.
30 The Danites set up the carved idol for themselves, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his descendants were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the time of the captivity of the land.	30 And they set up to themselves the graven idol, and Jonathan the son of Gersam the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests in the tribe of Dan, until the day of their captivity.
31 They maintained the carved idol Micah had made as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.	31 And the idol of Michas remained with them all the time that the house of God was in Silo. In those days there was no king in Israel.