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Judges 18
In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe
of Dan sought them an inheritance to dwell in: for unto
that day they had not received their lot among the other
tribes.
So the children of Dan sent five most valiant men of
their stock and family from Saraa and Esthaol, to spy
out the land, and to view it diligently: and they said
to them: Go, and view the land. They went on their way,
and when they came to mount Ephraim, they went into
the house of Michas, and rested there:
And knowing the voice of the young man the Levite, and
lodging with him, they said to him: Who brought thee
hither? what dost thou here? why wouldst thou come hither?
He answered them: Michas hath done such and such things
for me, and hath hired me to be his priest.
Then they desired him to consult the Lord, that they
might know whether their journey should be prosperous,
and the thing should have effect.
He answered them: Go in peace, the Lord looketh on your
way, and the journey that you go.
So the five men going on came to Lais: and they saw
how the people dwelt therein without any fear, according
to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and easy, having
no man at all to oppose them, being very rich, and living
separated, at a distance from Sidon and from all men.
And they returned to their brethren in Saraa and Esthaol,
who asked them what they had done? to whom they answered:
Arise, and let us go up to them: for we have seen the
land which is exceeding rich and fruitful: neglect not,
lose no time: let us go and possess it, there will be
no difficulty.
We shall come to a people that is secure, into a spacious
country, and the Lord will deliver the place to us,
in which there is no want of any thing that groweth
on the earth.
There went therefore of the kindred of Dan, to wit,
from Saraa and Esthaol, six hundred men, furnished with
arms for war,
And going up they lodged in Cariathiarim of Juda: which
place from that time is called the camp of Dan, and
is behind Cariathiarim.
From thence they passed into mount Ephraim. And when
they were come to the house of Michas,
The five men, that before had been sent to view the
land of Lais, said to the rest of their brethren: You
know that in these houses there is an ephod, and theraphim,
and a graven, and a molten god: see what you are pleased
to do.
And when they had turned a little aside, they went into
the house of the young man the Levite, who was in the
house of Michas: and they saluted him with words of
peace.
And the six hundred men stood before the door, appointed
with their arms.
But they that were gone into the house of the young
man, went about to take away the graven god, and the
ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten god, and the
priest stood before the door, the six hundred valiant
men waiting not far off.
So they that were gone in took away the graven thing,
the ephod, and the idols, and the molten god. And the
priest said to them: What are you doing?
And they said to him: Hold thy peace and put thy finger
on thy mouth and come with us, that we may have thee
for a father, and a priest. Whether is better for thee,
to be a priest in the house of one man, or in a tribe
and family in Israel?
When he had heard this, he agreed to their words, and
took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven god, and
departed with them.
And when they were going forward, and had put before
them the children and the cattle and all that was valuable,
And were now at a distance from the house of Michas,
the men that dwelt in the houses of Michas gathering
together followed them,
And began to shout out after them. They looked back,
and said to Michas: What aileth thee? Why dost thou
cry?
And he answered: You have taken away my gods which I
have made me and the priest, and all that I have, and
do you say: What aileth thee?
And the children of Dan said to him: See thou say no
more to us, lest men enraged come upon thee, and thou
perish with all thy house.
And so they went on the journey they had begun. But
Michas seeing that they were stronger than he, returned
to his house.
And the six hundred men took the priest, and the things
we spoke of before, and came to Lais to a people that
was quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of
the sword: and the city was burnt with fire,
There being no man at all who brought them any succour,
because they dwelt far from Sidon, and had no society
or business with any man. And the city was in the land
of Rohob: and they rebuilt it and dwelt therein.
Calling the name of the city Dan after the name of their
father, who was the son of Israel, which before was
called Lais.
And they set up to themselves the graven idol, and Jonathan
the son of Gersam the son of Moses, he and his sons
were priests in the tribe of Dan, until the day of their
captivity.
And the idol of Michas remained with them all the time
that the house of God was in Silo. In those days there
was no king in Israel.
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