Bible in Basic English
From there they went on to the hill-country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the country of Laish, said to their brothers, Have you knowledge that in these houses there is an ephod and family gods and a pictured image and a metal image? So now you see what to do.
And turning from their road they came to the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and said to him, Is it well with you?
And the six hundred armed men of the Danites took their places by the doorway.
Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the land, went in and took the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image; and the priest was by the doorway with the six hundred armed men.
And when they went into Micah's house and took out the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?
And they said to him, Be quiet; say nothing, and come with us and be our father and priest; is it better for you to be priest to one man's house or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?
Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the family gods and the pictured image and went with the people.
So they went on their way again, putting the little ones and the oxen and the goods in front of them.
When they had gone some way from the house of Micah, the men from the houses near Micah's house came together and overtook the children of Dan,
Crying out to them. And the Danites, turning round, said to Micah, What is your trouble, that you have taken up arms?
And he said, You have taken my gods which I made, and my priest, and have gone away; what is there for me now? Why then do you say to me, What is your trouble?
And the children of Dan said to him, Say no more, or men of bitter spirit may make an attack on you, causing loss of your life and the lives of your people.
Then the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were stronger than he, he went back to his house.
And they took that which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people living quietly and without thought of danger, and they put them to the sword without mercy, burning down their town.
And they had no saviour, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with Aram; and it was in the valley which is the property of Beth-rehob. And building up the town again they took it for their living-place.
And they gave the town the name of Dan, after Dan their father, who was the son of Israel: though the town had been named Laish at first.
(And the children of Dan put up the pictured image for themselves; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites till the day when the ark was taken prisoner.)
And they put up for themselves the image which Micah had made, and it was there all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
— Judges 18:13-1964, Bible in Basic English
“They passed there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered, and said to their brothers, "Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and an engraved image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have to do." They turned aside there, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare. The six hundred men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate. The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war. When these went into Micah's house, and fetched the engraved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" They said to him, "Hold your peace, put 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 priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?" The priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went in the midst of the people. So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the goods before them. When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. They cried to the children of Dan. They turned their faces, and said to Micah, "What ails you, that you come with such a company?" He said, "You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what more do I have? How then do you say to me, 'What ails you?'" The children of Dan said to him, "Don't let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household." The children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house. They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire. There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. They built the city, and lived therein. They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel: however the name of the city was Laish at the first. The children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. So they set them up Micah's engraved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.”
When you come there you will come to a people living without thought of danger; and the land is wide, and God has given it into your hands: a place where there is everything on earth for man's needs.
So six hundred men of the Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol went out armed with instruments of war.
And they went up and put up their tents in Kiriath-jearim in Judah: so that place is named Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is to the west of Kiriath-jearim.
From there they went on to the hill-country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the country of Laish, said to their brothers, Have you knowledge that in these houses there is an ephod and family gods and a pictured image and a metal image? So now you see what to do.
And turning from their road they came to the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and said to him, Is it well with you?
And the six hundred armed men of the Danites took their places by the doorway.
Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the land, went in and took the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image; and the priest was by the doorway with the six hundred armed men.
And when they went into Micah's house and took out the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?
And they said to him, Be quiet; say nothing, and come with us and be our father and priest; is it better for you to be priest to one man's house or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?
Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the family gods and the pictured image and went with the people.
So they went on their way again, putting the little ones and the oxen and the goods in front of them.
When they had gone some way from the house of Micah, the men from the houses near Micah's house came together and overtook the children of Dan,
Crying out to them. And the Danites, turning round, said to Micah, What is your trouble, that you have taken up arms?
And he said, You have taken my gods which I made, and my priest, and have gone away; what is there for me now? Why then do you say to me, What is your trouble?
And the children of Dan said to him, Say no more, or men of bitter spirit may make an attack on you, causing loss of your life and the lives of your people.
Then the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were stronger than he, he went back to his house.
And they took that which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people living quietly and without thought of danger, and they put them to the sword without mercy, burning down their town.
And they had no saviour, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with Aram; and it was in the valley which is the property of Beth-rehob. And building up the town again they took it for their living-place.
And they gave the town the name of Dan, after Dan their father, who was the son of Israel: though the town had been named Laish at first.
(And the children of Dan put up the pictured image for themselves; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites till the day when the ark was taken prisoner.)
And they put up for themselves the image which Micah had made, and it was there all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.