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APRIL 26
and a large land. For God has given it into your not let your voice be heard among us, lest an-
hands, a place where there is no lack of anything gry men fall upon you, and you lose your life,
that is on the earth.” with the lives of your household!” Then the
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11 And six hundred men of the family of the children of Dan went their way. And when
Danites went from there, from Zorah and Micah saw that they were too strong for him,
Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war. Then he turned and went back to his house.
12
they went up and encamped in Kirjath Jearim 27 So they took the things Micah had made,
in Judah. (Therefore they call that place and the priest who had belonged to him, and
Mahaneh Dan to this day. There it is, west of went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure;
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Kirjath Jearim.) And they passed from there and they struck them with the edge of the
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to the mountains of Ephraim, and came to the sword and burned the city with fire. There
house of Micah. was no deliverer, because it was far from
14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone. It
the country of Laish answered and said to was in the valley that belongs to Beth Rehob.
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their brethren, “Do you know that there are in So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there. And
these houses an ephod, household idols, a they called the name of the city Dan, after the
carved image, and a molded image? Now name of Dan their father, who was born to Is-
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therefore, consider what you should do.” So rael. However, the name of the city formerly
they turned aside there, and came to the was Laish.
house of the young Levite man—to the house 30 Then the children of Dan set up for them-
of Micah—and greeted him. The six hun- selves the carved image; and Jonathan the son
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dred men armed with their weapons of war, of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his
who were of the children of Dan, stood by the sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the
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entrance of the gate. Then the five men who day of the captivity of the land. So they set up
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had gone to spy out the land went up. Entering for themselves Micah’s carved image which
there, they took the carved image, the ephod, he made, all the time that the house of God
the household idols, and the molded image. was in Shiloh.
The priest stood at the entrance of the gate And it came to pass in those days, when
with the six hundred men who were armed 19 there was no king in Israel, that there was
with weapons of war. a certain Levite staying in the remote moun-
18 When these went into Micah’s house and tains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concu-
took the carved image, the ephod, the house- bine from Bethlehem in Judah. But his con-
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hold idols, and the molded image, the priest cubine played the harlot against him, and
said to them, “What are you doing?” went away from him to her father’s house at
19 And they said to him, “Be quiet, put your Bethlehem in Judah, and was there four whole
hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a months. Then her husband arose and went
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father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her
be a priest to the household of one man, or that back, having his servant and a couple of don-
you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?” keys with him. So she brought him into her
20 So the priest’s heart was glad; and he took father’s house; and when the father of the
the ephod, the household idols, and the young woman saw him, he was glad to meet
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carved image, and took his place among the him. Now his father-in-law, the young
people. woman’s father, detained him; and he stayed
21 Then they turned and departed, and put with him three days. So they ate and drank
the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in and lodged there.
front of them. When they were a good way 5 Then it came to pass on the fourth day that
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from the house of Micah, the men who were they arose early in the morning, and he stood
in the houses near Micah’s house gathered to depart; but the young woman’s father said
together and overtook the children of Dan. to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a
23 And they called out to the children of Dan. morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.”
So they turned around and said to Micah, 6 So they sat down, and the two of them ate
“What ails you, that you have gathered such a and drank together. Then the young woman’s
company?” father said to the man, “Please be content to
24 So he said, “You have taken away my gods stay all night, and let your heart be merry.”
which I made, and the priest, and you have 7 And when the man stood to depart, his father-
gone away. Now what more do I have? How in-law urged him; so he lodged there again.
can you say to me, ‘What ails you?’ ” 8 Then he arose early in the morning on the fifth
25 And the children of Dan said to him, “Do day to depart, but the young woman’s father

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