Old Testament

New Testament

Judges 18:14-24 New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)

14. Then the five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land spoke up and said to their kindred, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, teraphim, and an idol overlaid with silver? Now decide what you must do!”

15. So turning in that direction, they went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him.

16. The six hundred Danites stationed themselves at the entrance of the gate armed with weapons of war.

17. The five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land went up

18. and entered the house of Micah with the priest standing there. They took the idol, the ephod, the teraphim and the metal image. When the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

19. they said to him, “Be still! Put your hand over your mouth! Come with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the family of one man or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?”

20. The priest, agreeing, took the ephod, the teraphim, and the idol, and went along with the troops.

21. As they turned to depart, they placed their little ones, their livestock, and their goods at the head of the column.

22. When the Danites had gone some distance from the house of Micah, Micah and the men in the houses nearby mustered and overtook them.

23. They called to the Danites, who turned and said to Micah, “What do you want that you have called this muster?”

24. “You have taken my god, which I made for myself, and you have gone off with my priest as well,” he answered. “What is left for me? How, then, can you ask me, ‘What do you want?’”

Read complete chapter Judges 18