In those days there was no king in Israel. At the same time, the tribe of Dan was looking for land to own and live in because at that time they were the only tribes of Israel that had not yet received land. So the whole tribe of Dan chose five able men from the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol to look for and spy out a place that they could claim. Then they came to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. While they were there, they recognized that the young man was a Levite because of his speech.
So they asked him, "What are you doing here? Who brought you here? "
And he said unto them, We have agreed with Micah, that I should be his priest, and that he would hire me.
And they said unto him, Inquire, I pray thee, of God, if we go on our way.
The priest answered, "You do not need to worry. The Lord is watching over you on your journey. "
So the five men left and went to Laish. They saw that the people there were as well off as the Sidonians. They are peaceful and not chaotic. They are equipped with everything they need. They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with other peoples. When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, the people asked them what they had seen.
They answered, "Come on. Let's attack Lais. We saw that the soil was fertile there. Don't stay here helpless! Let's go and let's seize it.
When you go, don't be suspicious of people. This land is large and has everything that man wants and God has given it to you. "
So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol to fight. And they went up, and pitched on the west side of Jearim, in the land of Judah, and called the name of the place which Dan was called. And they passed thence, and came to the house of Micah, which is in mount Ephraim.