IN those days there was no king in Yashar'el: and in those days the tribe of the Daniym sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Yashar'el.
And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valor, from Tsor'ah, and from Eshta'ol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to Mount Ephrayim, to the house of Miykah, they lodged there.
When they were by the house of Miykah, they knew the voice of the young man the Leviyiy: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought you hither? and what make you in this place? and what have you here?
And he said unto them, Thus and thus deals Miykah with me, and has hired me, and I am his priest.
And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of Elohiym, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before Yahuah is your way wherein ye go.
Then the five men departed, and came to Layish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Tsiydoniym, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in anything; and they were far from the Tsiydoniym, and had no business with any man.
And they came unto their brethren to Tsor'ah and Eshta'ol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for Elohiym has given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth.
And there went from thence of the family of the Daniym, out of Tsor'ah and out of Eshta'ol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
And they went up, and pitched in Qiryat Ye'ariym, in Yahudah: wherefore they called that place Machaneh-Dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Qiryat Ye'ariym.
And they passed thence unto Mount Ephrayim, and came unto the house of Miykah.
Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Layish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and Teraphiym, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Leviyiy, even unto the house of Miykah, and saluted him.
And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
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 Teraphiym, 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.
And these went into Miykah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the Teraphiym, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
And they said unto him, Hold your peace, lay your hand upon your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for you to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that you be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Yashar'el?
And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the Teraphiym, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
And when they were a good way from the house of Miykah, the men that were in the houses near to Miykah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.
And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Miykah, What ails you, that you come with such a company?
And he said, Ye have taken away my elohiym 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 ails you?
And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.
And the children of Dan went their way: and when Miykah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
And they took את the things which Miykah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Layish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Tsiydon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lies by Beyt Rechov. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Yashar'el: howbeit the name of the city was Layish at the first.
And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Yahunathan, the son of Gershem, the son of Menashsheh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
And they set them up Miykah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of Elohiym was in Shiyloh.