25 And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows rush upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. [1]
26 And the children of Dan departed: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came to Laish, to a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt in it.
29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel: but the name of the city was Laish at the first.
30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 And they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
CHAP. 19.
1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite dwelling on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah. [2]
2 And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months. [3]
3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of donkeys: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. [4]
4 And his father in law, the damsel’s father, detained him; and he abode with him three days: so they ate and drank, and lodged there.
5 And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he arose to depart: and the damsel’s father said to his son in law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward depart. [5]
6 And they sat down, and ate and drank both of them together: for the damsel’s father had said to the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry.
7 And when the man rose to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel’s father said, Strengthen thy heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they ate both of them. [6]
9 And when the man arose to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said to him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day is coming to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home. [7] [8] [9]
10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he arose and departed, and came opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two donkeys saddled, his concubine also was with him. [10]
11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in to this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12 And his master said to him, We will not turn aside here into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
13 And he said to his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
15 And they turned aside there, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.
16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening, who was also of mount Ephraim; and he dwelt in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Where goest thou? and where do you come from?
18 And he said to him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from there am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me into his house. [11]
19 Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; however let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21 So he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys: and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city,
- ↑ angry: Heb. bitter of soul
- ↑ a concubine: Heb. a woman a concubine, or, a wife a concubine
- ↑ four whole months: or, a year and four month: Heb. days, four months
- ↑ friendly...: Heb. to her heart
- ↑ Comfort: Heb. Strengthen
- ↑ until afternoon: Heb. till the day declined
- ↑ draweth: Heb. is weak
- ↑ the day groweth to an end: Heb. it is the pitching time of the day
- ↑ home: Heb. to thy tent
- ↑ over against: Heb. to over against
- ↑ receiveth: Heb. gathereth
