1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them.2 So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. They said to them, Go, search the land. So they went to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.3 While they were at the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, Who has brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?4 And he said to them, Thus and so has Micah done for me. He hired me, and I am his priest.5 So they said to him, Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous.6 And the priest said to them, Go in peace. The way in which you go is before Jehovah.7 So the five men departed and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there, how they dwelt safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There was no possession of restraint putting them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians, and they had no business with anyone.8 And the spies came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, What is your report?9 So they said, Arise, let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and behold it is very good. Will you sit still? Do not be sluggish to go to enter to possess the land.10 When you go, you will come to a secure people and a large land. For God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.11 And six hundred men of the family of the Danites set out from there, from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed 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 on from there to the mountains of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish answered and said to their brethren, Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, household idols, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do.15 And they turned aside there, and came to the house of the young Levite man, to the house of Micah, and asked after his welfare.16 And the six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.17 And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up, entered there, took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten image. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with weapons of war.18 And when these went into Micahs house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?19 And they said to him, Be quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?20 So the priests heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went among the people.21 Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods before them.22 When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micahs house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.23 And they called out to the sons of Dan. So they turned their faces and said to Micah, What ails you, that you have assembled together?24 And he said, You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have? How can you say to me, What ails you?25 And the sons of Dan said to him, Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest men of bitter souls fall upon you, and you lose your soul, with the souls 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 to his house.27 And they took what Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.28 There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no business with anyone. It was in the valley next to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there.29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city formerly was Laish.30 And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, 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 Micahs graven image which he had made, all the days the house of God was in Shiloh.
1 In tho daies was no kyng in Israel; and the lynage of Dan souyte possessioun to it silf, to dwelle ther ynne; for `til to that dai it hadde not take eritage among other lynagis.2 Therfor the sones of Dan senten fyue the strongeste men of her generacioun and meynee fro Saraa and Escahol, that thei schulden aspie the lond, and biholde diligentli. And thei seiden to hem, Go ye, and biholde the lond. And whanne thei goynge hadden come in to the hil of Effraym, and hadden entrid in to the hows of Mycha, thei restiden there.3 And thei knewen the voys of the yong wexynge dekene; and thei restiden in `the yn of hym, and seiden to hym, Who brouyte thee hidur? What doist thou here? For what cause woldist thou come hidur?4 Which answeride `to hem, Mychas yaf to me these and these thingis, and hiride me for meede, that Y be preest to hym.5 Forsothe thei preieden hym, that he schulde counsele the Lord, and thei myyten wite, whether thei yeden in weie of prosperite, and the thing schulde haue effect.6 Which answeride to hem, Go ye with pees, the Lord biholdith youre weie, and the iourney whidur ye goon.7 Therfor the fyue men yeden, and camen to Lachys; and thei siyen the puple dwellynge ther ynne with outen ony drede, bi the custom of Sidonyis, sikur and resteful, for no man outirli ayenstood hem, and `of grete richessis, and fer fro Sidon, and departid fro alle men.8 And thei turneden ayen to her britheren in Saraa and Escahol; and thei answeriden to `britheren axynge what thei hadden do,9 Rise ye, and stie we to hem, for we siyen the lond ful riche and plenteuous; nyle ye be necgligent, nil ye ceesse, go we, and haue it in possessioun;10 no trauel schal be; we schulen entre to sikir men, in to a largeste cuntrey; and the Lord schal bitake to vs a place, wher ynne is not pouert of ony thing of tho that ben brouyt forth in erthe.11 Therfor sixe hundrid men gird with armeris of batel yeden forth `of the kynrede of Dan, that is, fro Saraa and Escahol.12 And thei stieden, and dwelliden in Cariathiarym of Juda, which place took fro that tyme the name of Castels of Dan, and is bihyndis the bak of Cariathiarym.13 Fro thennus thei passiden in to the hil of Effraym; and whanne thei hadden come to the hows of Mychas, the fyue men,14 that weren sent bifore to biholde the lond of Lachis, seiden to her other britheren, Ye knowen, that ephod, and theraphyn, and a grauun ymage and yotun is in these housis; se ye what plesith you.15 And whanne thei hadden bowid a litil, thei entriden in to the hows of the yong dekene, that was in the hows of Mychas, and thei gretten hym with pesible wordis.16 Forsothe sixe hundrid men stoden bifore the dore, so as thei weren armed. And thei, that entriden in to the `hows of the yong man, enforsiden to take awey the grauun ymage, and the ephod, and theraphin, and the yotun ymage; and the preest stood bifore the dore,17 while sixe hundrid strongeste men abideden not fer.18 Therfor thei that entriden token the grauun ymage, ephod, and idols, and the yotun ymage; to whiche the preest seide, What doen ye?19 To whom thei answeriden, Be thou stille, and putte the fyngur on thi mouth, and come with vs, that we haue thee fadir and preest. What is betere to thee, that thou be preest in the hows of o man, whether in o lynage and meynee in Israel?20 And whanne he hadde herd this, he assentide to `the wordis of hem, and he took the ephod, and ydols, and the grauun ymage, and yede forth with hem.21 And whanne thei yeden, and hadden maad the litle children, and werk beestis, and al thing that was preciouse, to go bifor hem;22 and whanne thei weren now fer fro `the hows of Mychas, men that dwelliden in the housis of Mychas, crieden togidere, and sueden,23 and bigunnun to crye `aftir the bak. Whiche whanne thei hadden biholde, seiden to Mychas, What wolt thou to thee? whi criest thou?24 Which answeride, Ye han take awey my goddis whiche Y made to me, and the preest, and alle thingis whiche Y haue; and ye seien, What is to thee?25 And the sones of Dan seiden to hym, Be war, lest thou speke more to vs, and men styrid in soule come to thee, and thou perische with al thin hows.26 And so thei yeden forth in the iourney bigunnun. Forsothe Mychas siy, that thei weren strongere than he, and turnede ayen in to his hows.27 Forsothe sixe hundrid men token the preest, and the thingis whiche we biforseiden, and camen in to Lachis to the puple restynge and sikur; and thei smytiden hem bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and bitoken the citee to brennyng,28 while no man outirli yaf help, for thei dwelliden fer fro Sydon, and hadden not ony thing of felouschipe and cause with ony of men. Forsothe the citee was set in the cuntrei of Roob; which citee thei bildiden eft, and dwelliden ther ynne;29 while the name of the citee was clepid Dan, bi the name of her fadir, whom Israel hadde gendrid, which citee was seid Lachis bifore.30 And `thei settiden there the grauun ymage, and Jonathas, sone of Jerson, sone of Moises, and `Jonathas sones, preestis, in the lynage of Dan, til in to the dai of her caitifte.31 And the idol of Mychas dwellide at hem, in al the tyme `in which the hows of God was in Silo. In tho daies was no kyng in Israel.