In those days, there was no King in Yisroel. In those days, the Danite tribe sought territory in which to settle, as there had not fallen to their lot, until that day, a suitable inheritance, among the tribes of Yisroel.

The sons of Dan dispatched, from their clan, five distinguished men, powerful warriors, from Tzar'ah and Eshtaol, to reconnoiter the land, and to examine it. They told them, "Go, examine the land." They arrived at Mount Efraim, at Michah's temple, and spent the night there.

While at Michah's temple, they recognized the Levite youth's voice. They turned in there, and said to him, "Who brought you here? What do you do in this [place?] What do you have here?"

He said to them, "Michah did this and that for me, and he has employed me. I serve as his priest."

They said to him, "Please inquire of God, so that we may know whether we shall succeed on our way which we are now following."

The priest replied to them, "Go in peace. The route which you will follow is before Adonoy."

The five men proceeded, and arrived at Laish. They observed that the people in it were settled securely, after the fashion of the Tzidonians; tranquil, secure, with nothing to put them to shame in the land. There was a dearth of heirs, they were distant from the Tzidonians, and they were not allied with anyone.

They returned to their brothers at Tsar'ah and Eshtaol. Their brothers said to them, "What is your…?"

They replied, "Come, let us ascend against them, for we observed the land, and it is excellent. You are apathetic. Do not procrastinate, proceed to enter and occupy the land.

At your arrival, you will encounter a confident people in a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hands—a place where nothing is lacking, it has everything that is in the earth."

They departed from there, from the Danite klan, from Tsar'ah and Eshtaol. Six hundred men, strapped in battle gear.

They ascended, and camped at Kiryas Yearim, in Yehudah. This is why that place is entitled 'Machaneh Dan', to this day. It lies beyond Kiryas Yearim.

They crossed from there into Mount Ephraim, and arrived at Michah's temple.

The five men declared who went to spy the land of Laish, saying to their brothers, "Do you know that there are, in these houses, a tunic, figurines, a sculpted figure, and a molten figure. Now, know your duty."

They turned in there, and entered the home of the young Levite at Michah's temple. They offered peace greetings.

The six hundred men strapped in battle gear stood by, at the gateway entrance. They were from the sons of Dan.

The five men went up who went to spy the land, and entered there. They took the sculpted figure, the tunic, the figurines, and the molten figure. The priest stood at the gateway opening, with the six hundred men strapped in battle gear.

These entered Michoh's temple, and took the sculpted figure, the tunic, the figurines and the molten figure. The priest said to them, "What are you doing?."

They said to him, "Quiet! Put your hand over your mouth! Accompany us, and you can serve as our patron and priest. Is it to your advantage to serve as priest of a single man's temple, or to serve as priest of a tribe and a family in Yisroel?"

The priest was delighted. He took the tunic, the figurines, and the sculpted figure, and entered the midst of the people.

They turned and departed, and positioned the infants, the cattle, and the bulky cargo at the forefront.

They distanced themselves from Michah's temple. The people in the homes adjoining Michah's temple mobilized, and overtook the sons of Dan.

They shouted to the sons of Dan. They turned their faces, and said to Michah, "What interest is it if yours to mobilize?"

He replied, "You took my gods, which I manufactured, and the priest, and went off! What else do I have? What do you mean, telling me "What interest is it of yours?'"

The sons of Dan told him, "Do not make your voice heard among us, lest bitter tempered men attack you, and you forfeit your life and the lives of your household."

The sons of Dan proceeded on their way. Michoh realized that they were more powerful than he, so he turned, and went home.

They took what Michah had manufactured, and the priest who had served him. They fell upon Laish—on a tranquil, secure people—struck them down by the sword, and burned the city.

No one came to their rescue, as they were distant from Tzidon, and had no alliances. It lay in Bais Rechov gorge. They rebuilt the city and settled in it.

They entitled the city 'Dan', after their forefather Dan, who was born into Yisroel. However, 'Laish' was the name of the city originally.

The sons of Dan established the sculpted figure, with Yehonasan ben Geirshom, ben Menasheh—he, and his sons—serving as the priests of the Danite tribe until the day of the exile from the land.

They institutionalized Michah's sculpted figure which he had manufactured, throughout the entire period that the House of God stood at Shiloh.