Judges 18:17-26 in English

¹⁷ And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.

¹⁸ And when these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What do ye?

¹⁹ And they said unto 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 priest unto the house of one man, or to be 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 goods before them.

²² When they were a good way from the house of Micah, 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 unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto 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 are gone away, and what have I more? and how then say ye unto me, What aileth thee?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy 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.

¹⁷ And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered into the house of Michaias, and the priest stood.

¹⁸ And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphin, and the molten image; and the priest said to them, What are ye doing?

¹⁹ And they said to him, Be silent, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?

²⁰ And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the theraphin, and the graven image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.

²¹ So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property and their baggage before them.

²² They went some distance from the house of Michaias, and, behold, Michaias and the men in the houses near Michaias' house, cried out, and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Michaias, What is the matter with thee that thou hast cried out?

²⁴ And Michaias said, Because ye have taken my graven image which I made, and my priest, and are gone; and what have I remaining? and what is this that ye say to me, Why criest thou?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard with us, lest angry men run upon thee, and take away thy life, and the lives of thy house.

²⁶ And the children of Dan went their way; and Michaias saw that they were stronger than himself, and he returned to his house.

¹⁷ And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, 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 that 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 ye?

¹⁹ And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine 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 unto the house of one man, or that thou 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 that 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 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 unto me, What aileth thee?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy 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.

¹⁷ And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, 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 that 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 ye?

¹⁹ And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine 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 unto the house of one man, or that thou 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 that 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 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 unto me, What aileth thee?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy 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.

¹⁷ And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered into the house of Michaias, and the priest stood.

¹⁸ And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphin, and the molten image; and the priest said to them, What are you° doing?

¹⁹ And they said to him, Be silent, lay your hand upon your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for you to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?

²⁰ And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the theraphin, and the graven image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.

²¹ So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property and their baggage before them.

²² They went some distance from the house of Michaias, and, behold, Michaias and the men in the houses near Michaias' house, cried out, and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Michaias, What is the matter with you that you have cried out?

²⁴ And Michaias said, Because you° have taken my graven image which I made, and my priest, and are gone; and what have I remaining? and what is this that you° say to me, Why cry you?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said to him, Let not your voice be heard with us, lest angry men run upon you, and take away your life, and the lives of your house.

²⁶ And the children of Dan went their way; and Michaias saw that they were stronger than himself, and he returned to his house.

¹⁷ And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entering of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.

¹⁸ And when these went into Micah’s house and fetched the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What do ye?

¹⁹ And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be priest unto the house of one man, or to be 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 goods before them.

²² When they were a good way from the house of Micah, 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 unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto 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 are gone away, and what have I more? and how then say ye unto me, What aileth thee?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy 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.

¹⁷ The five men who had explored the land went into Micah's house, and took all the idols, the sacred vest, and the statue. While they did that, the six hundred men stood outside the gate, talking with the priest.

¹⁸ When the priest saw them bringing out the idols and the sacred vest and the statue, he said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They replied, “Be quiet! Do not say anything! You come with us and be like a father to us and a priest for us. Is it better for you to stay here and be a priest for the people in the house of one man, or to be a priest for a clan, and a priest for a whole tribe of Israelis?” RHQ

²⁰ The priest liked what they were suggesting. So he took the sacred vest and the idols, and he prepared to go with the men from the tribe of Dan.

²¹ They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.

²² After they had gone a little distance from Micah's house, Micah saw what was happening. He quickly summoned the men who lived near him, and they ran and caught up with the men from the tribe of Dan.

²³ They shouted at them. The men of the tribe of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What is the problem? Why have you gathered these men to pursue us?”

²⁴ Micah shouted, “You took the silver idols that were made for me! You also took my priest! I do not have anything left RHQ! So why do you ask me, ‘What is the problem?’”

²⁵ The men from the tribe of Dan replied, “You should not shout loudly like that! One of our angry men might attack you and kill you and your family!”

²⁶ Then the men from the tribe of Dan continued walking. Micah realized that there was a very large group of them, so that it would be useless for him to try to fight them. So he turned around and went home.

¹⁷ And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered into the house of Michaias, and the priest stood.

¹⁸ And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphin, and the molten image; and the priest said to them, What are you° doing?

¹⁹ And they said to him, Be silent, lay your hand upon your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for you to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?

²⁰ And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the theraphin, and the graven image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.

²¹ So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property and their baggage before them.

²² They went some distance from the house of Michaias, and, behold, Michaias and the men in the houses near Michaias' house, cried out, and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Michaias, What is the matter with you that you have cried out?

²⁴ And Michaias said, Because you° have taken my graven image which I made, and my priest, and are gone; and what have I remaining? and what is this that you° say to me, Why cry you?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said to him, Let not your voice be heard with us, lest angry men run upon you, and take away your life, and the lives of your house.

²⁶ And the children of Dan went their way; and Michaias saw that they were stronger than himself, and he returned to his house.

¹⁷ The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

²⁰ The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.

²¹ So 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 Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”

²⁴ He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’”

²⁵ The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”

²⁶ 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.

¹⁷ The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

²⁰ The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.

²¹ So 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 Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”

²⁴ He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’”

²⁵ The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”

²⁶ 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.

¹⁷ The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

²⁰ The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.

²¹ So 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 Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”

²⁴ He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’”

²⁵ The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard amongst us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”

²⁶ 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.

¹⁷ Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the land, went in and took the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image; and the priest was by the doorway with the six hundred armed men.

¹⁸ And when they went into Micah's house and took out the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?

¹⁹ And they said to him, Be quiet; say nothing, and come with us and be our father and priest; is it better for you to be priest to one man's house or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?

²⁰ Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the family gods and the pictured image and went with the people.

²¹ So they went on their way again, putting the little ones and the oxen and the goods in front of them.

²² When they had gone some way from the house of Micah, the men from the houses near Micah's house came together and overtook the children of Dan,

²³ Crying out to them. And the Danites, turning round, said to Micah, What is your trouble, that you have taken up arms?

²⁴ And he said, You have taken my gods which I made, and my priest, and have gone away; what is there for me now? Why then do you say to me, What is your trouble?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said to him, Say no more, or men of bitter spirit may make an attack on you, causing loss of your life and the lives of your people.

²⁶ Then the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were stronger than he, he went back to his house.

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.

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ 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?

¹⁹ 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?

²⁰ 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.

²¹ And when they were going forward, and had put before them the children and the cattle and all that was valuable,

²² And were now at a distance from the house of Michas, the men that dwelt in the houses of Michas gathering together followed them,

²³ And began to shout out after them. They looked back, and said to Michas: What aileth thee? Why dost thou cry?

²⁴ 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?

²⁵ 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.

²⁶ And so they went on the journey they had begun. But Michas seeing that they were stronger than he, returned to his house.

¹⁷ The five men went inside and took the carved idol, the ephod, the household idols, and the image made with molten silver. The priest was standing by the gate with the six hundred armed men.

¹⁸ When the priest saw them taking all the religious objects from Micah's home, he asked them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ “Be quiet! Don't say anything! Come with us, and you can be our ‘father’ and priest. Wouldn't it be better for you if instead of being a priest for just one man's household that you were the priest of an Israelite tribe and family?”

²⁰ This seemed like a good idea to the priest and he left with them. Carrying the ephod, the household idols, and the image made with molten silver, he marched with the people all around him.

²¹ They continued their journey, putting their children, livestock, and possessions ahead of them.

²² The Danites were already quite a way from Micah's home when men from Micah's village caught up with them,

²³ shouting at them. The Danites turned around to face them and asked Micah, “What's the matter with you? Why call out these men to come after us?”

²⁴ “You stole the gods I made, and my priest too, and then left. What have you left me with? How can you ask me, ‘What's the matter with you?’”

²⁵ “Don't complain to us!” Danites replied. “Otherwise some hot-tempered people here might attack you and you and your family will lose your lives!”

²⁶ The Danites carried on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him to fight so he turned around and went back home.

¹⁷ Then the fiue men that went to spie out the land, went in thither, and tooke the grauen image and the Ephod, and the Teraphim, and the molten image: and the Priest stoode in the entring of the gate with the sixe hundreth men, that were appointed with weapons of warre,

¹⁸ And the other went into Michahs house and fet the grauen image, the Ephod, and the Teraphim, and the molten image. Then saide the Priest vnto them, What doe ye?

¹⁹ And they answered him, Holde thy peace: lay thine hande vpon thy mouth, and come with vs to be our father and Priest. Whether is it better that thou shouldest be a Priest vnto ye house of one man, or that thou shouldest be a Priest vnto a tribe and to a familie in Israel?

²⁰ And the Priestes heart was glad, and hee tooke the Ephod and the Teraphim, and the grauen image, and went among the people.

²¹ And they turned and departed, and put the children, and the cattell, and the substance before them.

²² When they were farre off from the house of Michah, the men that were in the houses neere to Michahs house, gathered together, and pursued after the children of Dan,

²³ And cryed vnto the children of Dan: who turned their faces, and said vnto Michah, What ayleth thee, that thou makest an outcrie?

²⁴ And hee saide, Yee haue taken away my gods, which I made, and the Priest, and go your wayes: and what haue I more? howe then say ye vnto me, what ayleth thee?

²⁵ And the children of Dan sayde vnto him, Let not thy voyce be heard among vs, least angrie fellowes runne vpon thee, and thou lose thy life with the liues of thine housholde.

²⁶ So the children of Dan went their wayes: and when Michah saw that they were too strong for him, hee turned, and went backe vnto his house.

¹⁷ And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.

¹⁸ And when these went into Micah's house, and fetched the graven image of the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them: 'What do ye?'

¹⁹ And they said unto 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 priest unto the house of one man, or to be 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 goods before them.

²² When they were a good way from the house of Micah, 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 unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah: 'What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?'

²⁴ And he said: 'Ye have taken away my god which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? and how then say ye unto me: What aileth thee?'

²⁵ And the children of Dan said unto him: 'Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy 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.

¹⁷ And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, 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 that 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 ye?

¹⁹ And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine 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 unto the house of one man, or that thou 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 that 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 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 unto me, What aileth thee?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy 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.

¹⁷ And the five men that had gone to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were girded with the weapons of war.

¹⁸ And these went into Micah's house, and took the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest said unto them, What are ye doing?

¹⁹ And they said unto him, Be still, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and become to us a father and a priest: is it better that thou be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

²⁰ And the priest's heart became glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and came into the midst of the people.

²¹ And they turned and went away, and placed the little ones and the cattle and the heavy things before them.

²² When they were at a distance from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were called together, and they overtook the children of Dan.

²³ And they called unto the children of Dan, who turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou hast called out thy people?

²⁴ And he said, My god which I made have ye taken away, and the priest, and are gone away; and what have I more? and what is this ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said unto him, Cause not thy voice to be heard among us, lest men of an embittered spirit assail thee, and thou lose thy life, with the life of thy household.

²⁶ And the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

¹⁷ And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered into the house of Micah, and the priest stood.

¹⁸ And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest said to them, What are ye doing?

¹⁹ And they said to him, Be silent, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?

²⁰ And the heart of the priest was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.

²¹ So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property and their baggage before them.

²² They went some distance from the house of Micah, and, behold, Micah and the men in the houses near Micah’s house, cried out, and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Micah, What is the matter with thee that thou hast cried out?

²⁴ And Micah said, Because ye have taken my graven image which I made, and my priest, and are gone; and what have I remaining? and what is this that ye say to me, Why criest thou?

²⁵ And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard with us, lest angry men run upon thee, and take away thy life, and the lives of thy house.

²⁶ And the children of Dan went their way; and Micah saw that they were stronger than himself, and he returned to his house.

¹⁷ The five men who had gone to scout out the land went there and they took the carved figure, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast metal figure, while the priest stood by the opening of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ When these went into Micah's house and took the carved figure, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast metal figure, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They said to him, “Be quiet! Put your hand on your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man, or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?”

²⁰ The priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the carved figure, and went along with the people.

²¹ So they turned and went away. They put the small children in front of themselves, as well as the cattle and their possessions.

²² When they were a good distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called together, and they caught up with the Danites.

²³ They shouted to the Danites, and they turned and said to Micah, “Why have you been called together?”

²⁴ He said, “You stole the gods that I made, you have taken my priest, and you are leaving. What else do I have left? How can you ask me, 'What is bothering you?'”

²⁵ The people of Dan said to him, “You should not let us hear you say anything, or some very angry men will attack you, and you and your family will be killed.”

²⁶ Then the people of Dan went their way. When Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

¹⁷ The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

²⁰ The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.

²¹ So 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 Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”

²⁴ He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’”

²⁵ The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”

²⁶ 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.

¹⁷ The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

²⁰ The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.

²¹ So 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 Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”

²⁴ He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’”

²⁵ The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard amongst us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”

²⁶ 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.

¹⁷ And the five men that went to explore the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ And these went into Micah's house, and brought the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest 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 to the house of one man, or that thou shouldst be a priest to 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 furniture before them.

²² And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were collected, 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 have 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 angry fellows rush upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

²⁶ And the children of Dan departed: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

¹⁷ The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

²⁰ The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.

²¹ So 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 Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”

²⁴ He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’”

²⁵ The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”

²⁶ 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.

¹⁷ The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

²⁰ The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.

²¹ So 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 Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

²³ As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”

²⁴ He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’”

²⁵ The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard amongst us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”

²⁶ 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.

¹⁷ And they, that entered into the house of the young man, enforced or endeavoured to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood before the door, while six hundred full strong men abode not far thence.

¹⁸ Therefore they that entered took the graven image, ephod, and idols, and the molten image; to whom the priest said, What do ye?

¹⁹ To whom they answered, Be thou still, and put thy finger on thy mouth, and come with us, that we have thee father and priest. What is better to thee, that thou be priest in the house of one man, either in a lineage and meine of Israel?

²⁰ And when he had heard this, he assented to their words, and he took the ephod, and idols, and the graven image, and went forth with them.

²¹ And when they went forth, and had made their little children, and their work beasts, and all thing that was precious, to go before them;

²² and when they were now far from the house of Micah, the men that dwelled in the houses of or near Micah cried together, and pursued or followed,

²³ and began to cry after the backs. Which when they had beheld, they said to Micah, What wilt thou to thee? why criest thou?

²⁴ Which answered, Ye have taken away my gods, which I made to me, and the priest, and what dwelleth over? and ye say, What is to thee?

²⁵ And the sons of Dan said to him, Beware, lest thou speak any more to us, and men stirred in soul come to thee, and thou perish with all thine house.

²⁶ And so Dan went forth in the journey begun. And Micah saw, that they were stronger than he, and he turned again into his house.

¹⁷ And they, that entered into the house of the young man, enforced to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood before the door, while six hundred full strong (armed) men abode not far (from) thence. (And they, who had entered into the young man’s home, that is, into Micah’s house, endeavoured to take away the carved idol, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the cast image; and the priest stood outside the door, with the six hundred very strong armed men, who waited not far fromthere.)

¹⁸ Therefore they that entered took the graven image, ephod, and idols, and the molten image; to whom the priest said, What do ye? (And so they who entered took the carved idol, and the ephod, and the teraphim, or the other idols, and the cast image; and the priest said to them, What be ye doing?)

¹⁹ To whom they answered, Be thou still, and put thy finger on thy mouth, and come with us, that we have thee (for a) father and (a) priest. What is better to thee, that thou be priest in the house of one man, either (a priest) in a lineage and (a) family of Israel? (or What is better for thee, that thou be a priest in the house of one man, or a priest in a tribe and a family of Israel?)

²⁰ And when he had heard this, he assented to their words, and he took the ephod, and idols, and the graven image, and went forth with them. (And when he had heard this, he agreed with what they said, and he himself took hold of the ephod, and the carved idol, and the teraphim, and the cast image, and went away with them.)

²¹ And when they went forth, and had made their little children, and their work beasts, and all thing that was precious, to go before them; (And so they all went forth, and made their little children, and their work beasts, and all the things that were precious to them, to go before them;)

²² and when they were now far from the house of Micah, the men that dwelled in the houses of Micah cried together, and followed (after them), (and when they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, Micah gathered together the men who lived in the houses nearby; and they followed after the Danites,)

²³ and began to cry after the back(s) (of them). Which when they had beheld, they said to Micah, What wilt thou to thee? why criest thou? (and shouted at them behind their backs. And when the Danites had seen them, they said to Micah, What is the matter with thee? why shoutest thou at us?)

²⁴ Which answered, Ye have taken away my gods, which I made to me, and the priest, and what dwelleth over? and ye say, What is (it) to thee? (And Micah answered, Ye have taken away my gods, which I had made for me, and my priest, and now what do I have left? and ye say, What is the matter with thee?)

²⁵ And the sons of Dan said to him, Beware, lest thou speak any more to us, and men stirred in soul come to thee, and thou perish with all thine house.

²⁶ And so (the sons of) Dan went forth in the journey begun. And Micah saw, that they were stronger than he, and he turned again into his house (or and so he returned to his house, along with all of his neighbours).

¹⁷ yea, the five men, those going to traverse the land, go up — they have come in thither — they have taken the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image — and the priest is standing at the opening of the gate, and the six hundred men who are girded with weapons of war —

¹⁸ yea, these have entered the house of Micah, and take the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest saith unto them, 'What are ye doing?'

¹⁹ and they say to him, 'Keep silent, lay thy hand on thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us for a father and for a priest: is it better thy being a priest to the house of one man, or thy being priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?'

²⁰ And the heart of the priest is glad, and he taketh the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and goeth into the midst of the people,

²¹ and they turn and go, and put the infants, and the cattle, and the baggage, before them.

²² They have been far off from the house of Micah — and the men who are in the houses which are near the house of Micah have been called together, and overtake the sons of Dan,

²³ and call unto the sons of Dan, and they turn round their faces, and say to Micah, 'What — to thee that thou hast been called together?'

²⁴ And he saith, 'My gods which I made ye have taken, and the priest, and ye go; and what to me more? and what is this ye say unto me, What — to thee!'

²⁵ And the sons of Dan say unto him, 'Let not thy voice be heard with us, lest men bitter in soul fall upon you, and thou hast gathered thy life, and the life of thy household;'

²⁶ and the sons of Dan go on their way, and Micah seeth that they are stronger than he, and turneth, and goeth back unto his house.