JUDGES 18:1-14
18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance to dwell in, for unto that day the lot had not fallen for them on an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
18:2 So the children of Dan sent from their family five men from among all of them, men of valor, from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it out. And they said to them, Go and search out the land. And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah; and they lodged there.
18:3 When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite man, so they turned aside there and said to him, Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?
18:4 And he said to them, Such and such has Micah done for me; and he has hired me to be his priest.
18:5 And they said to him, Inquire now of God that we may know if our way on which we are going will be prosperous.
18:6 And the priest said to them, Go in peace; your way on which you are going is before Jehovah.
18:7 Then the five men left and came to Laish. And they saw the people who were in it, dwelling securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one in the land who possessed authority and might humble them in anything; and they were far from the Sidonians and had nothing to do with anyone.
18:8 And they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers said to them, What can you say?
18:9 And they said, Arise; and let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and it is very good. So do you sit still? Do not be slow about going and entering the land to possess it.
18:10 When you go, you will come to a secure people; and the land is very spacious. God has indeed delivered it into your hand, a place where nothing on earth is lacking there.
18:11 So six hundred men girded with weapons of war set out from there, from the family of Dan, from Zorah and Eshtaol.
18:12 And they went up and encamped in Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Because of this, that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; it is there behind Kiriath-jearim.
18:13 And they passed from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
18:14 Then the five men who had gone to spy the land of Laish answered and said to their brothers, Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod and teraphim and a sculptured idol and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you should do.