The Lord’s spirit began to control him in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

They named it Dan after their ancestor, who was one of Israel’s sons. But the city’s name used to be Laish.

They went up and camped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. (To this day that place is called Camp of Dan. It is west of Kiriath Jearim.)

All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba and from the land of Gilead left their homes and assembled together before the Lord at Mizpah.

The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country. They did not allow them to live in the coastal plain.

Gilead stayed put beyond the Jordan River. As for Dan – why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? Asher remained on the seacoast, he stayed by his harbors.

The Danites worshiped the carved image. Jonathan, descendant of Gershom, son of Moses, and his descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile.

After they had gone a good distance from Micah’s house, Micah’s neighbors gathered together and caught up with the Danites.

The Danites went on their way; when Micah realized they were too strong to resist, he turned around and went home.

Meanwhile the six hundred Danites, fully armed, stood at the entrance to the gate.

The Danites said to him, “Don’t say another word to us, or some very angry men will attack you, and you and your family will die.”

When they called out to the Danites, the Danites turned around and said to Micah, “Why have you gathered together?”

The Danites sent out from their whole tribe five representatives, capable men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land.” They came to the Ephraimite hill country and spent the night at Micah’s house.

So six hundred Danites, fully armed, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.

In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the Danite tribe was looking for a place to settle, because at that time they did not yet have a place to call their own among the tribes of Israel.

Now the Danites 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.

They worshiped Micah’s carved image the whole time God’s authorized shrine was in Shiloh.

There was a man named Manoah from Zorah, from the Danite tribe. His wife was infertile and childless.

No one came to the rescue because the city was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and occupied it.