Douay Rheims Original ↷
Judges 18 📜 📕 ↷
Danites Settle in Laish
1 IN those days there was not a king in Israel, and the tribe of Dan sought possession for it-self, that it might dwell therein: for until that day it had not received a lot among the other tribes.📜💬📚
2 Therefore the children of Dan sent five men of their stock and family most valiant from Saraa and Esthaol, that they might view the land, and diligently behold it, and they said to them: Go, and consider the land. Who going forward when they were come into mount Ephraim, and had entered into the house of Michas, they rested there:📜💬📚
3 and knowing the voice of the young man the Levite, and using his lodging, they said to him: Who brought thee hither? What doest thou here? For what cause wouldest thou come hither?📜💬📚
4 Who answered them: These, and these things hath Michas done to me, & hath hired me for wages to be his Priest.📜💬📚
5 And they desired him that he would consult the Lord, that they might know whether they should go on a prosperous journey, and the thing should have effect.📜💬📚
6 Who answered them: Go in peace: The Lord regardeth your way, and the journey that you go.📜💬📚
7 The five men therefore going came to Lais, & they saw the people dwelling in it without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and quiet, no man at all resisting them, & of great riches, & separated far from Sidon & from all men.📜💬📚
8 And returning to their brethren in Saraa & Esthaol, and asking what they had done, they answered them:📜💬📚
9 Arise, & let us go up to them: for we have seen the Land exceeding rich & plentiful: neglect not, slack not: let us go, & possess it, it will be no labour.📜💬📚
10 We shall enter unto them being secure, into a most large country, & our Lord will deliver to us the place, wherein is penury of nothing of those things that grow on the earth.📜💬📚
11 There departed therefore from the kindred of Dan, that is to say, from Saraa and Esthaol six hundred men, furnished with warlike armour,📜💬📚
12 and going up they tarried in Cariathiarim of Juda: which place from that time took the name of the Tents of Dan, and it is at the back of Cariathiarim:📜💬📚
13 Thence they passed into mount Ephraim. And when they were come to the house of Michas,📜💬📚
Danites Take Micah's Idols
14 the five men, that before had been sent to view the Land of Lais, said to the rest of their brethren: You know that in these houses there is an Ephod, and Theraphim, and a graven, and molten god: See what pleaseth you.📜💬📚
15 And when they had turned a little aside, they entered into the house of the young man the Levite, which was in the house of Michas: and saluted him with peaceable words.📜💬📚
16 And the six hundred men so as they were armed, stood before the door.📜💬📚
17 But they, that were entered the house of the young man, endeavoured to take away the graven, the Ephod, and the idols, and molten god, and the priest stood before the door, the six hundred most valiant men expecting not far off.📜💬📚
18 They therefore that were entered took the graven, the Ephod, the theraphim and molten god. To whom the priest said: What do you?📜💬📚
19 To whom they answered: Hold thy peace, and put thy finger upon thy mouth and come with us, that we may have thee for a father, and a Priest. Whether is better for thee, that thou be a Priest in the house of one man, or in one tribe and family in Israel?📜💬📚
20 Which when he had heard, he agreed to their words, and took the Ephod, and idols, and graven god, & departed with them.📜💬📚
21 Who when they went forward, & had made the children and the cattle to go before them, and all that was precious,📜💬📚
22 and were now far from the house of Michas, the men that dwelt in the house of Michas crying out together followed,📜💬📚
23 and at their back began to shout. Who looking back, said to Michas: What meanest thou? Why dost thou cry?📜💬📚
24 Who answered: My gods, which I made me, you have taken away, & the Priest, and all that I have, and do you say: What aileth thee?📜💬📚
25 And the children of Dan said to him: Beware thou speak no more unto us, and there come unto thee men provoked in mind, and thou with all thy house perish.📜💬📚
26 And so they went on their journey begun. But Michas seeing that they were stronger than he, returned into his house.📜💬📚
27 And the six hundred men took the Priest, and the things which we spake of before, and came into Lais to a people that was quiet and secure, and struck them in the edge of the sword: and the city they delivered to fire,📜💬📚
28 no man at all bringing them succour, for that they dwelt far from Sidon, and had with no men any society and affairs. And the city was situated in the country of Rohob: which building again they dwelt in it,📜💬📚
29 calling the name of the city Dan, according to the name of their father, whom Israel had begotten, which before was called Lais.📜💬📚
30 And they set up to themselves the graven idol, and Jonathan the son of Gersam the son of Moyses, and his sons Priests in the tribe of Dan, until the day of their captivity.📜💬📚
31 And the idol of Michas remained with them all the time that the house of God was in Silo. In those days there was not a king in Israel.📜💬📚
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