Hakim-hakim 18:17-21

18:17 The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole ¹  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. ²  18:18 When these men broke into Micah’s house and stole ³  the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 18:19 They said to him, “Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser ⁴  and priest. Wouldn’t it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man’s family?” ⁵  18:20 The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group. ⁶ 

18:21 They turned and went on their way, but they walked behind the children, the cattle, and their possessions. ⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 18:27

18:27 Now the Danites ⁸  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. ⁹ 

¹ tn Heb “went up, went in there, took.”

² tn Heb “six hundred men, equipped with the weapons of war.”

³ tn Heb “These went into Micah’s house and took.”

⁴ tn See the note on the word “adviser” in 17:10.

⁵ tn 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?”

⁶ tn Heb “and went into the midst of the people.”

⁷ tn Heb “They turned and went and put the children, the cattle, and the possessions in front of them.”

⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹ tn The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.