Judges 18

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 In those days there was no king in Israel. Now in those days the tribe of Dan was in search of aterritory to live in, for until then no territory had fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.	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.
2 From their clan the Danites sent five brave men from Zorah and Eshtaol to reconnoitre the country andexplore it. They said to them, 'Go and explore the country.' The five men came to the highlands of Ephraim, asfar as Micah's house, and spent the night there.	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.
3 When they were near Micah's house, they recognised the voice of the young Levite and, going nearer,said to him, 'Who brought you here? What are you doing here? What is keeping you here?'	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?"
4 He replied, 'Micah has made certain arrangements with me. He pays me a wage and I act as hispriest.'	4 "This is how Micah treats me," he replied to them. "He pays me a salary and I am his priest."
5 They replied, 'Then consult God, so that we may know whether the journey we are on wil lead tosuccess.'	5 They said to him, "Consult God, that we may know whether the undertaking we are engaged in will succeed."
6 The priest replied, 'Go in peace; Yahweh is watching over your journey.'	6 The priest said to them, "Go and prosper: the LORD is favorable to the undertaking you are engaged in."
7 The five men then left and, arriving at Laish, saw that the people living there had an untroubledexistence, according to the customs of the Sidonians, peaceful and trusting, that there was no lack or shortageof any sort in the territory, that they were a long way away from the Sidonians and that they had no contact withthe Aramaeans.	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.
8 They then went back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol and, when the latter asked them, 'Whathave you to report?'	8 When the five returned to their kinsmen in Zorah and Eshtaol and were asked for a report,
9 they said, 'Up! we must go against them, since we have looked at the country and it is excellent,though you take no action! Waste no time in setting out and taking possession of the country.	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.
10 When you get there, you wil find a trusting people. The country is wide, and God has put it at yourmercy. It is a place where there is no lack of anything on earth.'	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."
11 From these places, consequently, from the clan of Danites at Zorah and Eshtaol, six hundred men setout equipped for war.	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,
12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-Jearim in Judah; and for this reason the place is stil cal ed theCamp of Dan today. It lies to the west of Kiriath-Jearim.	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.
13 From there they entered the highlands of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.	13 From there they went on to the mountain region of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
14 The five men who had been to reconnoitre the country then spoke to their brothers. 'Do you know',they said, 'that in these houses there is an ephod, some domestic images, a carved statue and an idol cast inmetal? So now work out what you have got to do!'	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!"
15 So, turning off the road, they went to the young Levite's dwelling, to Micah's house, and greeted himpeaceful y.	15 So turning in that direction, they went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him.
16 While the six hundred men of the Danites, equipped for war, stood at the threshold of the gate,	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.
17 the five who had been to reconnoitre the country went on into the house and took the carved statue,the ephod, the domestic images and the idol cast in metal; meanwhile the priest remained at the threshold of thegate with the six hundred men equipped for war.	17 Meanwhile the five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land went up and entered the house of Micah.
18 These men, having entered Micah's house, took the carved statue, the ephod, the domestic imagesand the idol cast in metal. The priest, however, said, 'What are you doing?'	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?"
19 'Be quiet,' they replied. 'Put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and become our father andpriest. Are you better off as domestic priest to one man, or as priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?'	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?"
20 The priest was delighted; he took the ephod, the domestic images and the carved statue, and wentoff among the people.	20 The priest, agreeing, took the ephod, household idols, and carved idol and went off in the midst of the band.
21 Resuming their original line of march, they set off, having put the women, children, livestock andbaggage out in front.	21 As they turned to depart, they placed their little ones, their livestock, and their goods at the head of the column.
22 They had gone some distance from Micah's house, when the people living in the houses near Micah'shouse raised the alarm and set off in pursuit of the Danites.	22 The Danites had already gone some distance, when those in the houses near that of Micah took up arms and overtook them.
23 As they shouted after the Danites, the latter, turning about, said to Micah, 'What is the matter withyou, that you are shouting like this?'	23 They called to the Danites, who turned about and said to Micah, "What do you want, that you have taken up arms?"
24 He replied, 'You have taken away my god, which I have had made, and the priest as wel . You aregoing away, and what have I got left? And now you ask me, "What is the matter?" '	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?"
25 The Danites said, 'Let us hear no more from you, or quick-tempered men may set about you, and thismight cost you your life and the lives of your family!'	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."
26 So the Danites went on their way; and Micah, seeing that they were the stronger, turned and wenthome.	26 The Danites then went on their way, and Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he, returned home.
27 So, having taken the god made by Micah, and the priest who had been his, the Danites marched onLaish, on a peaceful and trusting people. They put it to the sword and they burned down the town.	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.
28 There was no one to come to the rescue, since it was a long way from Sidon and had no contact withthe Aramaeans. It lay in the valley running towards Beth-Rehob. They rebuilt the town and settled in it	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.
29 and cal ed it Dan, from the name of Dan their ancestor who had been born to Israel; original y,however, the town had been called Laish.	29 They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, son of Israel. However, the name of the city was formerly Laish.
30 The Danites erected the carved statue for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, andhis sons after him were priests for the tribe of Dan til the day when the inhabitants of the country were carriedaway into exile.	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.
31 The carved statue made by Micah they instal ed for their own use, and there it stayed as long as thehouse of God remained at Shiloh.	31 They maintained the carved idol Micah had made as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.