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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Judges 18 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/judges/18.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/judges/18-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > Judges 18</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../judges/17.htm" title="Judges 17">◄</a> Judges 18 <a href="../judges/19.htm" title="Judges 19">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/judges/18.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">Idolatry in the Tribe of Dan</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out a land for them to settle in.</p><p class="reg">When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah’s house and spent the night there. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>While at Micah’s house, they recognized the young Levite’s accent, so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah’s personal priest.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Then they said, “Ask God whether or not our journey will be successful.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>“Go in peace,” the priest replied. “For the LORD is watching over your journey.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>So the five men went on to the town of Laish, where they noticed the people living carefree lives, like the Sidonians; they were peaceful and secure.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a> The people were also wealthy because their land was very fertile. And they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>The men replied, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. What are you waiting for? Don’t hesitate to go and take possession of it. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>When you get there, you will find the people living carefree lives. God has given us a spacious and fertile land, lacking in nothing!”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>So 600 men from the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>They camped at a place west of Kiriath-jearim in Judah, which is called Mahaneh-dan<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a> to this day. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Then they went on from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>The five men who had scouted out the land around Laish explained to the others, “These buildings contain a sacred ephod, as well as some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol. What do you think you should do?” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Then the five men turned off the road and went over to Micah’s house, where the young Levite lived, and greeted him kindly. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>As the 600 armed warriors from the tribe of Dan stood at the entrance of the gate, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>the five scouts entered the shrine and removed the carved image, the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the cast idol. Meanwhile, the priest was standing at the gate with the 600 armed warriors.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>When the priest saw the men carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah’s shrine, he said, “What are you doing?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>“Be quiet and come with us,” they said. “Be a father and priest to all of us. Isn’t it better to be a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>The young priest was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the carved image. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>They turned and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>When the people from the tribe of Dan were quite a distance from Micah’s house, the people who lived near Micah came chasing after them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter? Why have you called these men together and chased after us like this?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>“What do you mean, ‘What’s the matter?’” Micah replied. “You’ve taken away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>The men of Dan said, “Watch what you say! There are some short-tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your family.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and went home.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Then, with Micah’s idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob.</p><p class="reg">Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had originally been called Laish.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">c</span></a> as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/18-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">18:7 </span><span class="ft">The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">18:12 </span><span class="it">Mahaneh-dan</span><span class="ft"> means “the camp of Dan.”</span><br><span class="fn">c</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">18:30 </span><span class="ft">As in an ancient Hebrew tradition, some Greek manuscripts, and Latin Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads </span><span class="it">son of Manasseh.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. 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