Thematic Bible: The spies of laish


Thematic Bible



Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brothers, Did you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and household gods, and an engraved image and a molten image? And now consider what you have to do. And they turned in that way, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, to the house of Micah, and greeted him. And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. read more.
And the five men who went up to spy out the land came in there, and took the engraved image and the ephod and the household gods, and the molten image. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were dressed with weapons of war. And these went into Micah's house and brought out the carved image, the ephod, and the household gods, and the molten image. And the priest said to them, What are you doing? And they said to him, Be quiet, lay your hand on your mouth and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel? And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the household gods, and the carved image, and went in the midst of the people. And they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the valuables before them. They had gone far away from the house of Micah, and the men in the houses near Micah's house had been called together and had overtaken the sons of Dan. And they cried to the sons of Dan. And they turned their faces and said to Micah, What ails you, that you have been called together? And he said, You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. And what more do I have? And what is this you say to me, What ails you? And the sons of Dan said to him, Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon you and you lose your life with the lives of your household. And the sons of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house. And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and feeling safe. And they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.