^17:1There was a man named Micah from the Ephraimite hill country. ^17:2He said to his mother, “You know¹ the eleven hundred pieces of silver which were stolen² from you, about which I heard you pronounce a curse? Look here, I have the silver. I stole³ it, but now I am giving it back to you.”⁴ His mother said, “May the Lord reward⁵ you, my son!” ^17:3When he gave back to his mother the eleven hundred pieces of silver, his mother said, “I solemnly dedicate⁶ this silver to the Lord. It will be for my son’s benefit. We will use it to make a carved image and a metal image.”⁷^17:4When he gave the silver back to his mother, she⁸ took two hundred pieces of silver⁹ to a silversmith, who made them into a carved image and a metal image. She then put them in Micah’s house.¹⁰^17:5Now this man Micah owned a shrine.¹¹ He made an ephod¹² and some personal idols and hired one of his sons to serve as a priest.¹³^17:6In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.¹⁴

Micah Hires a Professional

^17:7There was a young man from Bethlehem¹⁵ in Judah. He was a Levite who had been temporarily residing among the tribe of Judah.¹⁶^17:8This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to find another place to live. He came to the Ephraimite hill country and made his way to Micah’s house.¹⁷^17:9Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” He replied, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am looking for a new place to live.”¹⁸^17:10Micah said to him, “Stay with me. Become my adviser¹⁹ and priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, plus clothes and food.”²⁰^17:11So the Levite agreed to stay with the man; the young man was like a son to Micah.²¹^17:12Micah paid²² the Levite; the young man became his priest and lived in Micah’s house. ^17:13Micah said, “Now I know God will make me rich,²³ because I have this Levite as my priest.”

The Tribe of Dan Finds an Inheritance

^18:1In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the Danite tribe was looking for a place¹ to settle, because at that time they did not yet have a place to call their own among the tribes of Israel.²^18:2The Danites sent out from their whole tribe five representatives,³ capable men⁴ from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land.” They came to the Ephraimite hill country and spent the night at Micah’s house.⁵^18:3As they approached⁶ Micah’s house, they recognized the accent⁷ of the young Levite. So they stopped⁸ there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”⁹^18:4He told them what Micah had done for him, saying,¹⁰ “He hired me and I became his priest.” ^18:5They said to him, “Seek a divine oracle for us,¹¹ so we can know if we will be successful on our mission.”¹²^18:6The priest said to them, “Go with confidence.¹³ The Lord will be with you on your mission.”¹⁴

^18:7So the five men journeyed on¹⁵ and arrived in Laish. They noticed that the people there¹⁶ were living securely, like the Sidonians do,¹⁷ undisturbed and unsuspecting. No conqueror was troubling them in any way.¹⁸ They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.¹⁹^18:8When the Danites returned to their tribe²⁰ in Zorah and Eshtaol, their kinsmen²¹ asked them, “How did it go?”²²^18:9They said, “Come on, let’s attack them,²³ for²⁴ we saw their land and it is very good. You seem lethargic,²⁵ but don’t hesitate²⁶ to invade and conquer²⁷ the land. ^18:10When you invade,²⁸ you will encounter²⁹ unsuspecting people. The land is wide!³⁰ God is handing it over to you—a place that lacks nothing on earth!”³¹

^18:11So six hundred Danites, fully armed, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.³²^18:12They went up and camped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. (To this day that place is called Camp of Dan.³³ It is west³⁴ of Kiriath Jearim.) ^18:13From there they traveled through the Ephraimite hill country and arrived at Micah’s house. ^18:14The five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish³⁵ said to their kinsmen,³⁶ “Do you realize that inside these houses are an ephod, some personal idols, a carved image, and a metal image? Decide now what you want to do.” ^18:15They stopped³⁷ there, went inside the young Levite’s house (which belonged to Micah),³⁸ and asked him how he was doing.³⁹^18:16Meanwhile the six hundred Danites, fully armed, stood at the entrance to the gate.⁴⁰^18:17The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole⁴¹ the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the six hundred fully armed men.⁴²^18:18When these men broke into Micah’s house and stole⁴³ the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” ^18:19They said to him, “Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser⁴⁴ and priest. Wouldn’t it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man’s family?”⁴⁵^18:20The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group.⁴⁶

^18:21They turned and went on their way, but they walked behind the children, the cattle, and their possessions.⁴⁷^18:22After they had gone a good distance from Micah’s house, Micah’s neighbors⁴⁸ gathered together and caught up with the Danites. ^18:23When they called out to the Danites, the Danites⁴⁹ turned around and said to Micah, “Why have you gathered together?” ^18:24He said, “You stole my gods that I made, as well as this priest, and then went away. What do I have left? How can you have the audacity to say to me, ‘What do you want?’ ”⁵⁰^18:25The Danites said to him, “Don’t say another word to us, or some very angry men⁵¹ will attack you, and you and your family will die.”⁵²^18:26The Danites went on their way; when Micah realized⁵³ they were too strong to resist,⁵⁴ he turned around and went home.

^18:27Now the Danites⁵⁵ took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city.⁵⁶^18:28No one came to the rescue because the city⁵⁷ was far from Sidon⁵⁸ and they had no dealings with anyone.⁵⁹ The city⁶⁰ was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites⁶¹ rebuilt the city and occupied it. ^18:29They named it Dan after their ancestor, who was one of Israel’s sons.⁶² But the city’s name used to be Laish. ^18:30The Danites worshiped⁶³ the carved image. Jonathan, descendant⁶⁴ of Gershom, son of Moses,⁶⁵ and his descendants⁶⁶ served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile. ^18:31They worshiped⁶⁷ Micah’s carved image⁶⁸ the whole time God’s authorized shrine⁶⁹ was in Shiloh.

Sodom and Gomorrah Revisited

^19:1In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite¹ living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine² from Bethlehem³ in Judah. ^19:2However, she⁴ got angry at him⁵ and went home⁶ to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months, ^19:3her husband came⁷ after her, hoping he could convince her to return.⁸ He brought with him his servant⁹ and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly.¹⁰^19:4His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there. ^19:5On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave.¹¹ But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy,¹² then you can go.” ^19:6So the two of them sat down and had a meal together.¹³ Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Why not stay another night and have a good time!”¹⁴^19:7When the man got ready to leave,¹⁵ his father-in-law convinced him to stay another night.¹⁶^19:8He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl’s father said, “Get some energy.¹⁷ Wait until later in the day to leave!”¹⁸ So they ate a meal together. ^19:9When the man got ready to leave¹⁹ with his concubine and his servant,²⁰ his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! The day is almost over!²¹ Stay another night! Since the day is over,²² stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.”²³^19:10But the man did not want to stay another night. He left²⁴ and traveled as far as²⁵ Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).²⁶ He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.²⁷

^19:11When they got near Jebus, it was getting quite late²⁸ and the servant²⁹ said to his master, “Come on, let’s stop at³⁰ this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.” ^19:12But his master said to him, “We should not stop at a foreign city where non-Israelites live.³¹ We will travel on to Gibeah.” ^19:13He said to his servant,³² “Come on, we will go into one of the other towns³³ and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” ^19:14So they traveled on,³⁴ and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.³⁵^19:15They stopped there and decided to spend the night³⁶ in Gibeah. They came into the city and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them to spend the night.³⁷

^19:16But then an old man passed by, returning at the end of the day from his work in the field.³⁸ The man was from the Ephraimite hill country; he was living temporarily in Gibeah. (The residents of the town were Benjaminites.)³⁹^19:17When he looked up and saw the traveler⁴⁰ in the town square, the old man said, “Where are you heading? Where do you come from?” ^19:18The Levite⁴¹ said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem⁴² in Judah to the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. That’s where I’m from. I had business in Bethlehem in Judah, but now I’m heading home.⁴³ But no one has invited me into their home. ^19:19We have enough straw and…

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Footnotes

1 The words “You know” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
2 Heb “taken.”
3 Heb “took.”
4 In the Hebrew text the statement, “but now I am giving it back to you,” appears at the end of v. 3 and is spoken by the mother. But v. 4 indicates that she did not give the money back to her son. Unless the statement is spoken by the woman to the LORD, it appears to be misplaced and fits much better in v. 2. It may have been accidentally omitted from a manuscript, written in the margin, and then later inserted in the wrong place in another manuscript.
5 Traditionally, “bless.”
6 Heb “dedicating, I dedicate.” In this case the emphatic infinitive absolute lends a mood of solemnity to the statement.
7 Heb “to the LORD from my hand for my son to make a carved image and cast metal image.” She cannot mean that she is now taking the money from her hand and giving it back to her son so he can make an image. Verses 4–6 indicate she took back the money and used a portion of it to hire a silversmith to make an idol for her son to use. The phrase “a carved image and cast metal image” is best taken as referring to two idols (see 18:17–18), even though the verb at the end of v. 4, וַיְהִי (vayéhi, “and it was [in the house of Micah]”), is singular.
8 Heb “his mother.” The pronoun (“she”) has been substituted for the noun (“mother”) in the translation because of English style.
9 The Hebrew text has “and gave it.” The referent (the pieces of silver) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 Heb “and it was in Micah’s house.”
11 Heb “house of God.”
12 Here an ephod probably refers to a priestly garment (cf. Exod 28:4–6).
13 Heb “and he filled the hand of one of his sons and he became his priest.”
14 Heb “Each was doing what was right in his [own] eyes.”
15 For location see ; ; ; .
16 Heb “There was a young man from Bethlehem of Judah, from the tribe of Judah, and he was a Levite, and he was temporarily residing there.”
17 Heb “He came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, making his way.”
18 Heb “And I am going to reside in a place I can find.”
19 Heb “father.” “Father” is here a title of honor that suggests the priest will give advice and protect the interests of the family, primarily by divining God’s will in matters, perhaps through the use of the ephod. (See R. G. Boling, Judges [], ; also Gen 45:8, where Joseph, who was a diviner and interpreter of dreams, is called Pharaoh’s “father,” and 2 Kgs 6:21; 13:14, where a prophet is referred to as a “father.” Note also 2 Kgs 8:9, where a king identifies himself as a prophet’s “son.” One of a prophet’s main functions was to communicate divine oracles. Cf. 2 Kgs 8:9ff.; 13:14–19).
20 The Hebrew text expands with the phrase: “and the Levite went.” This only makes sense if taken with “to live” in the next verse. Apparently “the Levite went” and “the Levite agreed” are alternative readings which have been juxtaposed in the text.
21 Heb “the young man became like one of his sons.”
22 Heb “filled the hand of.”
23 Heb “do good for me.”
1 Heb “an inheritance.”
2 Heb “because there had not fallen to them by that day in the midst of the tribes of Israel an inheritance.”
3 Heb “The Danites sent from their tribe five men, from their borders.”
4 Heb “men, sons of strength.”
5 Heb “They came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, and spent the night there.”
6 Or “When they were near.”
7 Heb “voice.” This probably means that “his speech was Judahite [i.e., southern] like their own, not Israelite [i.e., northern]” (R. G. Boling, Judges [], ).
8 Heb “turned aside.”
9 Heb “What [is there] to you here?”
10 Heb “He said to them, ‘Such and such Micah has done for me.’ ” Though the statement is introduced and presented, at least in part, as a direct quotation (note especially “for me”), the phrase “such and such” appears to be the narrator’s condensed version of what the Levite really said.
11 Heb “Ask God.”
12 Heb “so we can know if our way on which we are going will be successful.”
13 Heb “in peace.”
14 Heb “In front of the LORD is your way in which you are going.”
15 Or “went.”
16 Heb “who were in its midst.”
17 Heb “according to the custom of the Sidonians.”
18 Heb “and there was no one humiliating anything in the land, one taking possession [by] force.”
19 Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the and Symmachus read “Syria” here rather than the ’s “men.” This reading presupposes a Hebrew אֲרָם (’aram, “Aram,” i.e., Arameans) rather than the reading אָדָם (’adam). This reading is possibly to be preferred over the .
20 Heb “They came to their brothers.”
21 Heb “brothers.”
22 Heb “What you?”
23 Heb “Arise, and let us go up against them.”
24 Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the adds “we entered and walked around in the land as far as Laish and.”
25 Heb “But you are inactive.”
26 Or “be lazy.”
27 Heb “to go”; “to enter”; “to possess.”
28 Heb “When you enter.”
29 Heb “you will come to.”
30 Heb “broad of hands,” an idiom meaning “wide on both sides.”
31 Heb “a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”
32 Heb “They journeyed from there, from the tribe of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men, equipped with weapons of war.”
33 Or “Mahaneh Dan”; the Hebrew term “Mahaneh” means “camp [of].” Many English versions retain the transliterated Hebrew expression, but cf. “Dan’s Camp.”
34 Heb “behind.”
35 Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the lacks the phrase “of Laish.”
36 Heb “brothers.”
37 Heb “turned aside.”
38 Heb “Micah’s house.”
39 Heb “they asked him concerning peace.”
40 Heb “And the six hundred men, equipped with the weapons of war … from the sons of Dan.”
41 Heb “went up, went in there, took.”
42 Heb “six hundred men, equipped with the weapons of war.”
43 Heb “These went into Micah’s house and took.”
44 See the note on the word “adviser” in .
45 Heb “Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man or for you to be priest for a tribe, for a clan in Israel?”
46 Heb “and went into the midst of the people.”
47 Heb “They turned and went and put the children, the cattle, and the possessions in front of them.”
48 Heb “the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house.”
49 Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
50 Heb “What is this you say to me, ‘What to you?’ ”
51 Heb “bitter in spirit.” This phrase is used in 2 Sam 17:8 of David and his warriors, who are compared to a bear robbed of her cubs.
52 Heb “and you will gather up your life and the life of your house.”
53 Heb “saw.”
54 Heb “they were stronger than he.”
55 Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
56 The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.
57 Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27.
58 For location see ; ; .
59 Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.”
60 Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27.
61 Heb “They”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
62 Heb “They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who had been born to Israel.”
63 Heb “erected for themselves.”
64 Heb “son.”
65 Several ancient textual witnesses, including some and the , support the reading “Moses” (מֹשֶׁה, mosheh) here. Many Hebrew have a nun (ן) suspended above the name between the first two letters (מנשׁה), suggesting the name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, ménasheh). This is probably a scribal attempt to protect Moses’ reputation. For discussion, see G. F. Moore, Judges (), .
66 Heb “sons.”
67 Heb “they set up for themselves.”
68 Heb “the carved image that Micah had made.”
69 Heb “the house of God.”
1 Heb “a man, a Levite.”
2 See the note on the word “concubine” in .
3 For location see ; ; ; .
4 Heb “and his concubine.” The pronoun (“she”) has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
5 Or “was unfaithful to him.” Many have understood the Hebrew verb וַתִּזְנֶה (vattizneh) as being from זָנָה (zanah, “to be a prostitute”), but it may be derived from a root meaning “to be angry; to hate” attested in Akkadian (see II זנה).
6 Heb “went from him.”
7 Heb “arose and came.”
8 Heb “to speak to her heart to bring her back.”
9 Or “young man.”
10 Heb “he was happy to meet him.”
11 Heb “and he arose to go.”
12 Heb “Sustain your heart [with] a bit of food.”
13 Heb “And they sat and ate, the two of them together, and they drank.”
14 Heb “Be willing and spend the night so that your heart might be good.”
15 Heb “and the man arose to go.”
16 Heb “his father-in-law persuaded him and he again spent the night there.”
17 Heb “Sustain your heart.” He is once more inviting him to stay for a meal.
18 Heb “Wait until the declining of the day.”
19 Heb “the man arose to go.”
20 Or “young man.”
21 Heb “the day is sinking to become evening.”
22 Or “declining.”
23 Heb “for your way and go to your tent.”
24 Heb “and he arose and went.”
25 Heb “to the front of.”
26 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
27 Some ancient witnesses add “and his servant.”
28 Heb “and the day was descending greatly.”
29 Or “young man.”
30 Heb “turn aside” (also in the following verse).
31 Heb “who are not from the sons of Israel.”
32 Or “young man.”
33 Heb “we will enter one of the places.”
34 Heb “and they passed by and went.”
35 Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.”
36 Heb “they turned aside there to enter to spend the night.”
37 Heb “and he entered and sat down, and there was no one receiving them into the house to spend the night.”
38 Heb “And look, an old man was coming from his work, from the field in the evening.”
39 Heb “And the men of the place were Benjaminites.”
40 Heb “the man, the traveler.”
41 Heb “he”; the referent (the Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
42 For location see ; ; ; .
43 Heb “I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but [to] the house of the LORD I am going.” The Hebrew text has “house of the LORD,” which might refer to the shrine at Shiloh. The reads “to my house.”