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Judges
Chapter 18
1a In those days there was no king in Israel.
{Note: Remember God was the King of Israel in this day. So when it says there was no king in Israel, it means they once more turned their back on God and did according to their own human viewpoint - human good or bad.}
1b
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 you here?
And what make you in this place?
And what have you here?"
4
And he said unto them,
"Thus
and thus . . .
deals
Micah with me, and has hired me, and I am his priest."
5
And they said unto him,
"Ask
counsel, we pray you, of 'Elohiym/Godhead,
that
we may know whether our way
which
we go shall be prosperous."
6
And the priest said unto them,
"Go
in peace . . .
before
Jehovah/God is your way wherein you go."
7
Then the five men departed,
and
came to Laish,
and
saw the people who 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 you?"
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 you still?
Be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land."
10
"When you go, you shall come unto a people secure,
and
to a large land . . .
for
'Elohiym/Godhead has 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 there 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
therefore
they called that place Mahaneh-Dan unto this day . . .
behold,
it is behind Kirjath-Jearim.
13
And they passed there 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
you know that there is in these houses
an
ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image?
Now therefore consider what you 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 who went to spy out the land went up,
and
came in there,
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 who 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 you?"
19
And they said unto him,
"Hold
your peace, lay your hand upon your mouth,
and
go with us, and be to us a father and a priest.
Is
it better for you to be a priest unto the house of one man,
or
that you 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 who 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
ails you, that you come with such a company?"
24
And he said, you have taken away my 'elohiym/gods
which
I made,
and
the priest,
and
you are gone away
and
what have I more?
And what is this that you say unto me, "What ails you?"
25
And the children of Dan said unto him,
"Let
not your voice be heard among us,
lest
angry fellows run upon you,
and
you lose your life,
with
the lives of your 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 who he had,
and
came unto Laish,
unto
a people who 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 lies by Bethrehob.
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.
However, the name of the city was Laish {lion} 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 'Elohiym/Godhead
was
in Shiloh.
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