1. At that time Israel did not have a king. And at that time the tribe of Dan was still looking for a land where they could live, a land of their own. The Danites had not yet been given their own land among the tribes of Israel.
2. So, from their family groups, they chose five soldiers from the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out and explore the land. They were told, “Go, explore the land.”They came to the mountains of Ephraim, to Micah’s house, where they spent the night.
3. When they came near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. So they stopped there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? Why are you here?”
4. He told them what Micah had done for him, saying, “He hired me. I am his priest.”
5. They said to him, “Please ask God if our journey will be successful.”
6. The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The Lord is pleased with your journey.”
7. So the five men left. When they came to the city of Laish, they saw that the people there lived in safety, like the people of Sidon. They thought they were safe and had plenty of everything. They lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.
8. When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find?”
9. They answered, “We have seen the land, and it is very good. We should attack them. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t wait! Let’s go and take that land!
10. When you go, you will see there is plenty of land—plenty of everything! The people are not expecting an attack. Surely God has handed that land over to us!”
11. So six hundred Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol ready for war.