1 in diebus illis non erat rex in Israhel
et tribus Dan quaerebat possessionem sibi ut habitaret in ea
usque ad illum enim diem inter ceteras tribus sortem non acceperat
2 miserunt igitur filii Dan stirpis et familiae suae
quinque viros fortissimos de Saraa et Esthaol
ut explorarent terram et diligenter inspicerent
dixeruntque eis ite et considerate terram
qui cum pergentes venissent in montem Ephraim
et intrassent domum Micha requieverunt ibi
3 et agnoscentes vocem adulescentis Levitae
utentesque illius diversorio dixerunt ad eum
quis te huc adduxit quid hic agis
quam ob causam huc venire voluisti
4 qui respondit eis haec et haec praestitit mihi Michas
et me mercede conduxit ut sim ei sacerdos
5 rogaveruntque eum ut consuleret Dominum
et scire possent an prospero itinere pergerent et res haberet
effectum
6 qui respondit eis ite cum pace
Dominus respicit viam vestram et iter quo pergitis
7 euntes itaque quinque viri venerunt Lais
videruntque populum habitantem in ea absque ullo timore
iuxta Sidoniorum consuetudinem securum et quietum
nullo eis penitus resistente
magnarumque opum
et procul a Sidone atque a cunctis hominibus separatum
8 reversique ad fratres suos in Saraa et Esthaol
et quid egissent sciscitantibus responderunt
9 surgite et ascendamus ad eos
vidimus enim terram valde opulentam et uberem
nolite neglegere nolite cessare eamus et possideamus eam
nullus erit labor
10 intrabimus ad securos in regionem latissimam
tradetque nobis Dominus locum
in quo nullius rei est penuria eorum quae gignuntur in terra
11 profecti igitur sunt de cognatione Dan id est de Saraa et Esthaol
sescenti viri accincti armis bellicis
12 ascendentesque manserunt in Cariathiarim Iudae
qui locus ex eo tempore castrorum Dan nomen accepit
et est post tergum Cariathiarim
13 inde transierunt in montem Ephraim
cumque venissent ad domum Micha
14 dixerunt quinque viri qui prius missi fuerant ad considerandam terram
Lais ceteris fratribus suis
nostis quod in domibus istis sit ephod et therafin et sculptile atque
conflatile
videte quid vobis placeat
15 et cum paululum declinassent
ingressi sunt domum adulescentis Levitae qui erat in domo
Micha
salutaveruntque eum verbis pacificis
16 sescenti autem viri ita ut erant armati stabant ante ostium
17 at illi qui ingressi fuerant domum iuvenis
sculptile et ephod et therafin atque conflatile tollere nitebantur
et sacerdos stabat ante ostium
sescentis viris fortissimis haut procul expectantibus
18 tulerunt igitur qui intraverant sculptile ephod et idola atque
conflatile
quibus dixit sacerdos quid facitis
19 cui responderunt tace et pone digitum super os tuum
venique nobiscum ut habeamus te patrem et sacerdotem
quid tibi melius est ut sis sacerdos in domo unius viri
an in una tribu et familia in Israhel
20 quod cum audisset adquievit sermonibus eorum
et tulit ephod et idola ac sculptile
et cum eis profectus est
21 qui cum pergerent
et ante se ire fecissent parvulos et iumenta et omne quod erat
pretiosum
22 iamque a domo Michae essent procul
viri qui habitabant in aedibus Michae
conclamantes secuti sunt
23 et post tergum clamare coeperunt
qui cum respexissent dixerunt ad Micham
quid tibi vis cur clamas
24 qui respondit deos meos quos mihi feci tulistis
et sacerdotem et omnia quae habeo
et dicitis quid tibi est
25 dixeruntque ei filii Dan
cave ne ultra loquaris ad nos et veniant ad te viri animo concitati
et ipse cum omni domo tua pereas
26 et sic coepto itinere perrexerunt
videns autem Micha quod fortiores se essent
reversus est in domum suam
27 sescenti autem viri tulerunt sacerdotem et quae supra diximus
veneruntque in Lais ad populum quiescentem atque securum
et percusserunt eos in ore gladii urbemque incendio tradiderunt
28 nullo penitus ferente praesidium
eo quod procul habitarent a Sidone
et cum nullo hominum haberent quicquam societatis ac negotii
erat autem civitas sita in regione Roob
quam rursum extruentes habitaverunt in
ea
29 vocato nomine civitatis Dan
iuxta vocabulum patris sui quem genuerat Israhel
quae prius Lais dicebatur
30 posueruntque sibi sculptile
et Ionathan filium Gersan filii Mosi ac filios eius sacerdotes in tribu Dan usque ad diem captivitatis suae
31 mansitque apud eos idolum Michae omni tempore quo fuit domus Dei in Silo
in diebus illis non erat rex in Israhel
1 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. 2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place ? and what hast thou here? 4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. 5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. 6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.
7 ¶ Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. 8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye? 9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. 10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
11 ¶ And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. 12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim. 13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.
14 ¶ Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do. 15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him. 16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. 17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. 18 And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? 19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? 20 And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. 21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
22 ¶ And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah’s house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. 23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company? 24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? 25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. 26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein. 29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
30 ¶ And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.