1 In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day {their lot} had not fallen to them for inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men of their whole number, men of valour, from Zoreah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to examine it; and they said to them, Go, examine the land. And they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and 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 to him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this {place}? and what hast thou here?
4 And he said to them, Thus and thus has Micah done to me; and he has hired me, and I am his priest.
5 And they said to him, Inquire, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way on which we go shall be prosperous.
6 And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before Jehovah is your way on which ye go.
7 And the five men departed, and came to Laish; and they saw the people that were therein, dwelling securely, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and no one was in the land who possessed authority, that might put {them} to shame in anything; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had nothing to do with {any} man.
8 -And they came to their brethren at Zoreah and Eshtaol. And their brethren said to them, What {say} ye?
9 And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good; and ye are still! Be not slothful to go, to enter to take possession of the land.
10 When ye go in, ye shall come to a people secure, and the land is spacious in every direction; for God has given it into your hands; {it is} a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth.
11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zoreah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girded with weapons of war.
12 And 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.
13 And they passed thence to mount Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
14 Then the five men that had gone to spy out the country of Laish spoke and said to their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? And now ye know what to do.
15 And they turned thither, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, and inquired after his welfare.
16 And the six hundred men of the children of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, stood at the entrance of the gate.
17 And the five men that had gone to spy out the land went up, entered in thither, {and} took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were girded with weapons of war.
18 And these came into Micah's house, and took the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest said to them, What do ye?
19 And they said to him, Hold thy peace, lay thy 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 for the house of one man, or to be priest for a tribe and a family in Israel?
20 Then 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 And they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the baggage before them.
22 They were already far from the house of Micah, when 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 to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to 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 to me, What aileth thee?
25 And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest men of exasperated spirit run upon you, and thou lose thy life and the lives of thy household.
26 And the children of Dan went their way; and Micah saw that they were too strong for him, and he turned and went back to his house.
27 And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest that he had had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire.
28 And there was no deliverer, for it was far from Zidon, and they had nothing to do with {any} man; and it {lay} in the valley that is by Beth-rehob. And they built the city and dwelt therein.
29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; howbeit Laish was the name of the city at the first.
30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image; and Jehonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses; he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 And they set up for themselves Micah's graven image, which he had made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
1 在那些日子， 以色列中没有王。那时， 但支派还在寻找可居住的地业， 因为直到那一天， 在以色列的众支派中， 但支派仍没有得着地业。
2 于是但人从琐拉和以实陶， 差派他们家族中的五个勇士， 去窥探查察那地， 对他们说： "你们去查察那地吧。"他们来到以法莲山地， 进了米迦的家， 就在那里住宿。
3 他们在米迦的家附近， 认出那青年利未人的口音来， 就过去他那里问他： "谁带你到这里来？你在这里作什么？你在这里有什么？"
4 他回答他们： "米迦如此这般待我； 他雇了我， 我就作了他的祭司。"
5 他们对他说： "请你求问 神， 使我们知道我们要走的道路是否顺利。"
6 祭司对他们说： "你们平安地去吧， 你们要走的道路是蒙耶和华悦纳的。"
7 于是那五个人离开了， 来到拉亿， 看见那里的人民安然居住， 好像西顿人一样， 生活平静安稳； 在那地又没有人掌权， 使他们受屈辱； 他们离西顿人也很远， 也没有与别人来往。
8 他们回到琐拉和以实陶自己的族人那里去； 族人问他们： "你们有什么话说？"
9 他们回答： "起来， 我们上去攻击他们吧。因为我们已经看过那地， 见那地十分美好， 你们还静坐不动吗？不可再迟延， 要赶快去取得那地。
10 你们到了那里的时候， 你们必遇见安然居住的人民； 那地的两边宽阔， 神已经把那地交在你们手里； 那地百物俱全， 一无所缺。"
11 于是但人的家族中有六百人， 带着兵器从那里出发， 就是从琐拉和以实陶出发。
12 他们上去， 在犹大的基列．耶琳安营； 因此人把那地方叫作玛哈尼．但（"玛哈尼．但"意即"但的军营"）， 直到现在； 这地方是在基列．耶琳的西边。
13 他们从那里经过， 往以法莲山地去， 来到米迦的家。
14 从前去窥探拉亿地的五个人， 对他们的族人说： "这些屋子里有以弗得、神像、雕像和铸像， 你们知道吗？现在你们要考虑一下应该怎样行。"
15 于是他们五人转身， 进入米迦的家， 来到那青年利未人的屋里， 向他问安。
16 那六百但人， 带着兵器， 都站在门口。
17 从前去窥探那地的五个人上前， 进入里面， 把雕像、以弗得、神像和铸像都拿去了； 祭司和带着兵器的六百人都站在门口。
18 当那五个人进了米迦的家， 拿走雕像、以弗得、神像和铸像的时候， 祭司就问他们： "你们作什么呢？"
19 他们回答他： "不要出声， 用手掩着你的嘴， 跟我们走吧， 好作我们的师父和祭司。你作一家的祭司好呢？还是作以色列中一个支派一个家族的祭司好呢？"
20 祭司心里高兴， 就拿着以弗得、神像和雕像， 来到众人中间。
21 他们就转身离去， 把妇孺和牲畜， 以及财物， 都放在前面。
22 他们离开米迦的家很远的时候， 在米迦的家附近各家的人， 都被召集出来， 去追赶但人。
23 他们呼叫但人； 但人转过脸来， 问米迦： "你召集了这么多人出来作什么？"
24 米迦回答： "你们把我所做的神像和我的祭司都带走了， 我还有什么呢？你们怎么还问我： ‘你作什么’呢？"
25 但人对米迦说： "不要再让我们听见你的声音， 恐怕有暴躁的人攻击你们， 以致你和你全家尽都丧失性命。"
26 但人继续走他们的路； 米迦见他们比自己强， 就转身回自己的家去了。
27 但人把米迦所做的神像和他的祭司都带走， 他们来到拉亿， 去到平静安居的人民那里， 就用刀剑击杀了他们， 又用火烧了那城。
28 没有人搭救， 因为离西顿很远， 他们又与别人没有来往。这城位于靠近伯．利合的山谷中。但人重建那城， 住在其中。
29 按着他们的祖宗， 以色列所生的儿子但的名字， 给那城起名叫但； 其实那城原先的名字叫拉亿。
30 但人就为自己把那雕像立起来； 摩西的孙子、革顺的儿子约拿单和他的子孙， 都作了但支派的祭司， 直到那地遭受掳掠的日子。
31 神的殿在示罗有多少日子， 但人为自己设立米迦所做的雕像也有多少日子。