Judges 18 NKJV NLT Parallel

◄ Judges 18 ►

NKJV Parallel NLT [BSB CSB ESV HCS KJV ISV NAS NET NIV NLT HEB]

New King James Version

New Living Translation

1In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them.

1Now 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.

2So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. They said to them, “Go, search the land.” So they went to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

2So 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. When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah’s house and spent the night there.

3While they were at the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?”

3While 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?”

4He said to them, “Thus and so Micah did for me. He has hired me, and I have become his priest.”

4He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah’s personal priest.

5So they said to him, “Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous.”

5Then they said, “Ask God whether or not our journey will be successful.”

6And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The presence of the LORD be with you on your way.”

6“Go in peace,” the priest replied. “For the LORD is watching over your journey.”

7So the five men departed and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there, how they dwelt safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There were no rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians, and they had no ties with anyone.

7So 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. The people were also wealthy because their land was very fertile. And they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby.

8Then the spies came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, “What is your report?”

8When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find?”

9So they said, “Arise, let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and indeed it is very good. Would you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, and enter to possess the land.

9The 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.

10When you go, you will come to a secure people and a large land. For God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”

10When you get there, you will find the people living carefree lives. God has given us a spacious and fertile land, lacking in nothing!”

11And six hundred men of the family of the Danites went from there, from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.

11So 600 men from the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.

12Then they went up and encamped in Kirjath Jearim in Judah. (Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. There it is, west of Kirjath Jearim.)

12They camped at a place west of Kiriath-jearim in Judah, which is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.

13And they passed from there to the mountains of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

13Then they went on from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

14Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brethren, “Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, household idols, a carved image, and a molded image? Now therefore, consider what you should do.”

14The 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?”

15So they turned aside there, and came to the house of the young Levite man—to the house of Micah—and greeted him.

15Then the five men turned off the road and went over to Micah’s house, where the young Levite lived, and greeted him kindly.

16The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

16As the 600 armed warriors from the tribe of Dan stood at the entrance of the gate,

17Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up. Entering there, they took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image. The priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with weapons of war.

17the 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.

18When these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

18When the priest saw the men carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah’s shrine, he said, “What are you doing?”

19And they said to him, “Be quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

19“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?”

20So the priest’s heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and took his place among the people.

20The young priest was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the carved image.

21Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them.

21They turned and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.

22When 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.

22When 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.

23And they called out to the children of Dan. So they turned around and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you have gathered such a company?”

23They 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?”

24So he said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What ails you?’ ”

24“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!”

25And the children of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men fall upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household!”

25The 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.”

26Then 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.

26So 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.

27So they took the things Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

27Then, 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.

28There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there.

28There 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. Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there.

29And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city formerly was Laish.

29They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had originally been called Laish.

30Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

30Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile.

31So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

31So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.

Bible Hub