1Como ya se ha dicho, no había rey en Israel en aquel tiempo. La tribu de Dan estaba tratando de encontrar un lugar donde establecerse, pues aún no habían recibido su heredad para establecerse allí.2Entonces los hombres de Dan escogieron a cinco hombres valientes de las ciudades de Zora y Estaol para que exploraran la tierra donde habían de establecerse. Cuando llegaron a la región montañosa de Efraín, se quedaron en casa de Micaías.3Al darse cuenta del acento del levita que oficiaba de sacerdote, lo llamaron a un lado y le preguntaron: ―¿Qué estás haciendo aquí? ¿Por qué viniste?4Él les contó acerca del contrato que tenía con Micaías y que era su sacerdote privado.5―Bien —dijeron—, pídele entonces a Dios que te diga si nuestro viaje tendrá éxito.6―Sí —contestó el sacerdote—. Todo saldrá bien. El SEÑOR los cuidará.7Los cinco hombres salieron y fueron a Lais, y notaron que allí todo el mundo se sentía seguro y confiado. Vivían a la manera de los sidonios y eran muy ricos. Vivían reposadamente y estaban totalmente desprevenidos para un ataque, porque no había tribus suficientemente fuertes en la región como para que intentaran atacarlos. Vivían a gran distancia de sus parientes en Sidón y tenían poco o ningún contacto con los pueblos cercanos.8Los espías regresaron a Zora y Estaol. ―¿Qué hay? —preguntaron—. ¿Qué noticias nos traen?9-10Y los hombres respondieron: ―Ataquemos sin pérdida de tiempo. La tierra es amplia y fértil. Es un verdadero paraíso. El pueblo no está preparado para defenderse. ¡Vamos y tomémosla, porque el SEÑOR nos la ha dado!11Seiscientos soldados de la tribu de Dan salieron de Zora y Estaol.12Acamparon en los lugares al oeste de Quiriat Yearín en Judá (lugares que todavía se conocen por el nombre de Campamento de Dan),13y luego siguieron hasta la región montañosa de Efraín. Cuando pasaron por casa de Micaías,14los cinco exploradores les dijeron a los demás: ―Aquí hay un santuario con un efod, algunos terafines y muchos ídolos de plata. Es obvio lo que tenemos que hacer.15-16Los cinco hombres entraron a la casa de Micaías y saludaron al joven sacerdote. Los seiscientos hombres armados se quedaron junto a la puerta,17mientras los cinco espías entraban en el santuario y sacaban los ídolos, el efod y los terafines.18―¿Qué hacen? —preguntó el joven sacerdote, cuando vio que los sacaban.19―Calla y ven con nosotros —le dijeron—. Serás nuestro sacerdote y te respetaremos como a un padre. Es mucho mejor que seas sacerdote de toda una tribu de Israel que de un solo hombre.20El joven sacerdote se sintió muy feliz de irse con ellos y se llevó consigo el efod, los terafines y los ídolos.21Se pusieron en marcha nuevamente, poniendo a los hijos, el ganado y los enseres adelante.22Cuando ya estaban a buena distancia, los de la casa de Micaías salieron en su persecución23y les gritaban que se detuvieran. ―¿Qué pretenden persiguiéndonos de esta manera? —preguntaron los hombres de Dan.24―¿Y lo preguntan? —replicó Micaías—. Se han robado mis dioses y mi sacerdote, y nada me han dejado.25―Cuidado con lo que dices —replicaron los hombres de Dan—. Hay aquí algunos que son de ánimo colérico, y podrían enojarse y matarte.26Los hombres de Dan siguieron su marcha. Cuando Micaías vio que eran muchos para enfrentarse a ellos por sí mismo, volvió a su casa.27Con los ídolos y el sacerdote de Micaías, los hombres de Dan llegaron a la ciudad de Lais. Ni siquiera había guardia; así que entraron, mataron a todo el pueblo y quemaron la ciudad hasta los cimientos.28Nadie pudo ayudar a sus habitantes porque estaba muy lejos de Sidón, y no tenían aliados locales porque no tenían tratos con nadie. Esto ocurrió en el valle que está junto a Bet Rejob. El pueblo de la tribu de Dan reedificó la ciudad y vivió allí.29La ciudad fue llamada Dan, en honor a su antepasado, el hijo de Israel, pero anteriormente se llamaba Lais.30Luego instalaron los ídolos y designaron a un hombre llamado Jonatán, hijo de Gersón y biznieto de Moisés, y a sus hijos para que fueran sacerdotes. Esta familia continuó en el sacerdocio hasta que la ciudad fue finalmente conquistada en la época del cautiverio.31Así que la tribu de Dan adoró los ídolos de Micaías mientras el Tabernáculo permaneció en Siló.
1In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them. (Jos 19:47; Jue 1:34; Jue 17:6; Jue 21:25)2So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. (Nm 13:17; Jos 2:1; Jos 24:33; Jue 13:25; Jue 17:1; Jue 17:8; Jue 18:8; Jue 18:11)3When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”4And he said to them, “This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest.” (Jue 17:10)5And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” (Nm 27:21)6And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.” (1 S 1:17; 1 R 22:6)7Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking[1] nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. (Jos 19:47; Jue 18:10; Jue 18:27; Jue 18:28)8And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” (Jue 18:2; Jue 18:11)9They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. (Nm 13:20; Jos 2:23; Jos 18:3; 1 R 22:3)10As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.” (Dt 8:9; Jue 18:7; Jue 18:27; Jue 19:19)11So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, (Jue 18:16)12and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan[2] to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. (Jos 15:60; Jue 13:25)13And they passed on from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. (Jue 18:2)14Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do.” (Jue 17:4)15And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him about his welfare. (Gn 43:27)16Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. (Jue 18:11)17And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. (Jue 17:4; Jue 18:2; Jue 18:14)18And when these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” (Jue 18:17)19And they said to him, “Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come 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 clan in Israel?” (Jue 17:10; Job 21:5; Job 29:9; Job 40:4; Pr 30:32; Miq 7:16)20And the priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.21So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and the goods in front of them. (1 S 17:22; Is 10:28)22When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan.23And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?”24And he said, “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’” (Gn 31:30)25And the people of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.”26Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.27But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. (Jos 19:47; Jue 18:7; Jue 18:10)28And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. (Nm 13:21; Jos 19:28; Jue 18:7; 2 S 10:6)29And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first. (Gn 14:14; Jue 18:7; Jue 20:1; 1 R 12:29; 1 R 15:20)30And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses,[3] and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. (Ex 2:22; Ex 18:3; Jue 13:1; Jue 17:12; 1 S 4:2; 1 S 4:10; Sal 78:60)31So they set up Micah’s carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh. (Jos 18:1; 1 S 1:3)