Judges 18:17 web — 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 t…

World English Bible

"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."

— Judges 18:17, World English Bible

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Judges 18:17 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.”

  • ASV

    “And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven 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. ”

  • NET

    “The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the six hundred fully armed men.”

  • DRB

    “But they that were gone into the house of the young man, went about to take away the graven god, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten god, and the priest stood before the door, the six hundred valiant men waiting not far off.”

  • BBE

    “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.”

  • KJVA

    “And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.”

Judges 18 — Context

14

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."

15

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.

16

The six hundred men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

17

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.

18

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?"

19

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?"

20

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.

Judges 18:17 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Judges 18:17 say?
Judges 18:17 in the World English Bible reads: “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.”
Where is Judges 18:17 in the Bible?
Judges 18:17 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, chapter 18, verse 17.
Who wrote Judges?
Judges is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Samuel). It was written c. 1050–1000 BC.
What is the book of Judges about?
Judges chronicles the cycle of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance that defined Israel between Joshua and Samuel. Through twelve raised-up deliverers — including Deborah, Gideon, and Samson — God repeatedly rescues a people who keep doing what is right in their own eyes.
What are the major themes of Judges?
Judges explores themes including Apostasy, Deliverance, Cycles of Sin, Need for a King, Mercy. These themes shape the meaning and context of Judges 18:17.
What translation should I read Judges 18:17 in?
Judges 18:17 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Judges 18:17?
Judges 18:17 reads (WEB): “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.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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