rd

Judges 18

The children of Dan send men to searche the land. 11 Then come the six hundreth & take the gods, and the Priest of Micháh awaie. 27 They destroy Laish. 28 They buyld it againe, 30 And set vp idolatrie.
1.a IN thoſe dayes there was no King in Iſraél, and at the fame time the tribe of Dan foght them an inheritãce to dwel in: for vnto that time all their inheritāce had not fallen vnto them among the tribes of Iſraél.
2.Therefore the children of Dan ſent of their familie, fiue men out of their coaſts, euen men expert in warre, out of Zoráh & Eſhtaól, to vewe the land and fearche it out, and ſaid vnto them, b Go, and fearche out the land . Then thei came to mount Ephráim to the houſe of Micháh and lodged there.
3.¶ When thei were in the houſe of Micháh, thei knewe the c voyce of the yong man the Leuite : and being turned in thether, thei ſaid vnto him, Who broght thee hether? or what makeſt thou in this place? & what haſt thou to do here?
4.And he anſwered them, Thus and thus dealeth Micháh with me, and hathe hired me, and I am his Prieſt.
5.Againe thei ſaid vnto him, Aſke counſel now of god, that we may knowe whether the way which we go, ſhal be proſperous.
6.And the Prieſt ſaid vnto them, d Go in peace: for yͤ Lord guideth your way which ye go.
7.Then the fiue men departed and came to Laíſh, and ſawe the people that were therein, which dwelt careles, after the maner of the Zidonians, quiet and ſure, becauſe no man " made any trouble in the land, or vſurped any dominion: alſo they were far from the Zidonians, and had no buſines with other men.
8.¶ So thei came againe vnto their brethrē to Zoráh and Eſhtaól: and their brethren ſaid vnto them, What haue ye done?
9.And thei anſwered, Ariſe, that we may go vp againſt them : for we haue ſene the land, and ſurely it is very e good, and do ye ſit ſtil? be not ſlouthful to go and enter to poſſeſſe the land.
10.( If ye wil go, ye ſhal come vnto a careles people, and the countrey is large ) for God hathe giuen it into your hand . It is a place which doeth lacke nothing that is in the worlde.
11.¶ Then there departed thence of the familie of the Danites, from Zoráh and from Eſhtaól, ſix hūdreth men appointed with inſtruments of warre.
12.And thei went vp, & pitched in Kiriáth iearím in Iudáh : wherefore they called that place, " Mahaneh-Dan vnto this day : and it is behinde Kiriáth iearím.
13.And thei went thence vnto mount Ephráim, and came to the houſe of Micháh.
14.Then anſwered the fiue men, that wēt to ſpie out the countrey of Laíſh, and ſaid vnto their brethren, f Knowe ye not, that there is in theſe houfes an Ephód, & Teraphím, and a grauen and a molten image? Now therefore conſider what ye haue to do.
15.And thei turned thetherwarde and came to the houſe of the yong man the Leuite, euen vnto the houſe of Micháh, and ſaluted him peaceably.
16.And the fix hundreth men appointed with their weapons of warre, which were of the children of Dan, ſtode by the entring of the gate.
17.Then the fiue men that went to ſpie out the land, went inthether, and toke the g grauen image and the Ephód, and the Teraphím, and the molten image: and the Prieſt ſtode in the entring of the gate with the ſix hundreth men, that were appointed with weapons of warre,
18.And the other went into Michahs houſe and fet the grauen image, the Ephód, and the Teraphím, and the molten image. Then ſaid the Prieſt vnto them, What do ye?
19.And thei anſwered him, Holde thy peace: laye thine hand vpon thy mouth, and come with vs to be our father and Prieſt. Whether is it better that thou ſhuldeſt be a Prieſt vnto the houſe of one man, or that thou ſhuldeſt be a Prieſt vnto a tribe and to a familie in Iſraél?
20.And the Prieſts heart was glad, and he toke the Ephód and the Teraphím, and the grauen image, and went among the h people.
21.And they turned and departed, and put the children and the cattel, and the ſubſtāce i before them.
22.¶ When thei were farre of frō the houſe of Micháh, the men that were in the houſes nere 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 Micháh, What ayleth thee, that thou makeſt an outcrye?
24.And he ſaid, Ye haue taken away my k gods, which I made, and the Prieſt, and go your waies: & what haue I more? how then ſay ye vnto me, What ayleth thee?
25.And the children of Dan ſaid vnto him, Let not thy voyce be heard amōg vs, leſt " angry fellowes runne vpon thee, & thou loſe thy life with the liues of thine houſholde.
26.So the children of Dan went their waies: and when Micháh ſawe that they were to ſtrong for him, he turned, & went backe vnto his houſe.
27.And thei toke the l things which Micháh had made, and the Prieſt which he had, and came vnto Laíſh, vnto a quiet people and without miſtruſt, and ſmote thē with the edge of the ſworde, & burnt
28.And there was none to " helpe, becauſe m Laiſh was farre from Zidón, and they had no buſines with other men: alſo it was in the valley that lyeth by Beth-rehób. After, they buylt the citie, & dwelt therein,
29.* And called the name of the citie Dan, after the name of Dan their father which was borne vnto Iſraél: howbeit the name of the citie was Laiſh at the beginning.
30.Then the children of Dan ſet them vp the n grauen image: and Ionathan the ſonne of Gerſhóm, the ſonne of Manaſſéh and his ſonnes were the Prieſts in the tribe of the Danites vntil the day of the o captiuitie of the land.
31.So they ſet them vp the grauen image, which Micháh had made, all the while the houſe of God was in Shilóh.

Notes

1:a.
Meaning no ordinarie Magiſtrat, to puniſhe vice according to Gods worde.
2:b.
For the porcion ŵ Ioſhua gaue them, was not ſufficient for all their tribe.
3:c.
Thei knewe him by his ſpeache that he was a ſtrāger there.
6:d.
Thus God granteth the idolaters ſometime their requeſts to their deſtruction that delite in errors.
7:".
Ebr made thē aſhamed.
9:e.
Loſe ye this good occaſion through your ſlouthfulnes?
12:".
Or, the tentes of Dan.
14:f.
Becauſe they before had had good ſucceſſe, thei wolde yͭ their brethren ſhulde be encouraged by hearing yͭ ſame tidings.
17:g.
So ſuperſticion blinded them, that thei thoght Gods power was in theſe idoles, & yͭ thei ſhulde haue good ſuccees by them, thogh by violence & robbery they did take them awaye.
20:h.
With the ſix hundreth men.
21:i.
Suſpecting them that did purſue them.
24:k.
This declareth what opinion the idolaters haue of their idoles.
25:".
Ebr who haue bitter hearts or ſory
27:l.
Meaning, the idoles, as verſ. 18.
28:".
Or, deliuer thē.
28:m.
Which after was called Ceſarea Philippi.
29:*.
Ioſh. 19.47.
30:n.
Thus in ſteade of giuing glorie to God, thei attributed the victorie to their idoles, & honored them therfore.
30:o.
That is, til the Arke was taken, 1. Sam. 4.11.