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Micah’s Idols
17 There was a man named Micah who lived in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. 2 He said to his mother, “I heard you speak a curse [C uttered against the thief] about the ·twenty-eight pounds [L eleven hundred pieces] of silver that were taken from you. I have the silver with me; I took it.”
His mother said, “The Lord bless you, my son [C for confessing the crime]!”
3 Micah gave the ·twenty-eight pounds [L eleven hundred pieces] of silver to his mother. Then she said, “I will ·give [dedicate] this silver [L from my hand] to the Lord. ·I will have my son make [or For the benefit of my son I will make] ·an idol and a statue [a carved image and a cast-metal image; or a carved image overlaid with silver]. So I will give the silver back to you.”
4 When he gave the silver back to his mother, she took about ·five pounds [L two hundred pieces of silver] and gave it to a ·silversmith [or idol-maker; Acts 19:24]. With it he made an ·idol and a statue [or carved image overlaid with silver; C an abomination and violation of the law; Deut. 27:15], which stood in Micah’s house. 5 Micah had a ·special holy place [shrine], and he made a ·holy vest [ephod] and some ·household idols [L teraphim; Gen. 31:19]. Then Micah ·chose [ordained; installed; or paid; L filled the hand of] one of his sons to be his priest. 6 At that time Israel did not have a king, so everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes [C the common refrain through the rest of Judges, referring both to the lack of a human king and the rejection of God’s sovereignty; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25].
7 There was a young man who was a Levite [C the priestly tribe of Israel; Num. 1:47–53] from the city of Bethlehem in Judah who was ·from [or living among] the people of Judah. 8 He left Bethlehem to look for another place to live, and ·on his way [or to carry on his vocation] he came to Micah’s house in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. 9 Micah asked him, “Where are you from?”
He answered, “I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I’m looking for a place to live.”
10 Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father [C meaning an advisor or counselor; Gen. 45:8] and my priest. I will give you ·four ounces [L ten pieces] of silver each year and clothes and food.” So the Levite went in. 11 He agreed to live with Micah and became like one of Micah’s own sons. 12 Micah ·made him [installed/ordained him as; or paid him to be; L filled his hand to be] a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know the Lord will ·be good to [prosper] me, because I have a Levite as my priest.”
The Tribe of Dan Captures Laish
18 At that time Israel did not have a king [17:6]. And at that time the tribe of Dan was still ·looking for a land [L seeking an inheritance] where they could live, a land of their own. The Danites had not yet ·been given their own land [moved into their land; received their allotment] among the tribes of Israel. 2 So, from their family groups, they chose five ·soldiers [valiant men; L men, sons of strength] from the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out and explore the land. They were told, “Go, explore the land.”
They came to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim, to Micah’s house, where they spent the night. 3 When they came near Micah’s house, they recognized the ·voice [or accent] of the young Levite [17:7]. So they stopped there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? ·Why are you here [What is your business here]?”
4 He told them what Micah had done for him, saying, “He hired me. I am his priest.”
5 They said to him, “Please ask God if ·our journey [our mission; L the way we are going] will be successful.”
6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The Lord ·is pleased with [approves of; watches over] your journey.”
7 So the five men left. When they came to the city of Laish, they saw that the people there lived in safety, ·like [L according to the custom of] the people of Sidon. They ·thought they were safe [were quiet and secure/unsuspecting] and ·had plenty of everything [or no ruler was humiliating them]. They lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.
8 When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their ·relatives [brothers] asked them, “What did you find?”
9 They answered, “We have seen the land, and it is very good. ·We should attack [L Arise, let us go up against] them. ·Aren’t you going to do something [Are you just going to sit there]? Don’t ·wait [hesitate; or be lazy]! Let’s go and take that land! 10 When you go, you will see there is ·plenty of [a wide/spacious] land—·plenty of everything [lacking nothing]! The people are not expecting an attack. Surely God has handed that land over to us!”
11 So six hundred Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol ·ready for [armed with weapons of] war. 12 On their way they set up camp near the city of Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is named Mahaneh Dan [C “Camp of Dan”] to this day. 13 From there they traveled on to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. Then they came to Micah’s house.
14 The five men who had explored the land around Laish said to their ·relatives [L brothers], “Do you know in one of these houses there are a ·holy vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14], household gods [17:5], an ·idol, and a statue [or image overlaid with silver; 17:3]? ·You know [or Decide now] what to do.” 15 So they stopped at the Levite’s house, which was also Micah’s house, and ·greeted the Levite [or asked how he was doing]. 16 The six hundred ·Danites [L men who were of the sons/descendants of Dan] stood at the entrance gate, wearing their weapons of war. 17 The five spies went into the house and took the ·idol [carved image], the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols, and the ·statue [cast-metal image]. The priest and the six hundred men armed ·for [L with weapons of] war stood by the entrance gate.
18 When the spies went into Micah’s house and took the [carved] image, the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols, and the ·statue [cast-metal image], the priest asked them, “What are you doing?”
19 They answered, “Be quiet! ·Don’t say a word [L Put your hand over your mouth]. Come with us and be our father [C meaning an advisor or counselor; 17:10; Gen. 45:8] and priest. Is it better for you to be a priest for one man’s house or for a tribe and ·family group [clan] in Israel?” 20 This ·made the priest happy [L pleased the heart of the priest]. So he took the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols [17:5], and the ·idol [carved image] and went with the ·Danites [people]. 21 They left Micah’s house, putting their little children, their animals, and everything they owned in front of them [C for protection in case of attack; Gen. 33:2–3].
22 When they had gone a little way from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah ·were called out [assembled] and caught up with them. 23 The men with Micah shouted at the ·Danites [L sons/descendants of Dan], who turned around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you? Why have you ·been called out to [assembled for a] fight?”
24 Micah answered, “You took my gods that I made and my priest. What do I have left? How can you ask me, ‘What’s the matter?’”
25 The ·Danites [L sons/descendants of Dan] answered, “·You should not argue with [or Don’t say another word to; L Don’t let your voice be heard among] us. Some of our ·angry [bitter] men might attack you, ·killing you [and you will lose your life] and your ·family [L household].” 26 Then the ·Danites [L sons/descendants of Dan] went on their way. Micah knew they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back home.
27 Then the Danites took what Micah had made and his priest and went on to Laish. They attacked those ·peaceful [quiet] and ·unsuspecting [secure] people and killed them with their swords and then burned the city. 28 There was no one to ·save [rescue; T deliver] the people of Laish. They lived too far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else. Laish was in a valley near Beth Rehob.
The people of Dan rebuilt the city and lived there. 29 They named the city Dan after their ancestor Dan, one of the sons of Israel; the city’s original name was Laish.
30 The ·people [L sons; descendants] of Dan set up the ·idol [carved image] in the city of Dan. Jonathan son of Gershom, Moses’ son, and his sons served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the ·land was captured [captivity of the land; time of the exile]. 31 The people of Dan set up the ·idols [carved images] Micah had made as long as the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle; L House] of God was in Shiloh.
Nicodemus Comes to Jesus
3 There was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the Pharisees [C a religious party which strictly observed OT laws and later customs] and ·an important Jewish leader [L a ruler of the Jews; C probably a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court of the time]. 2 ·One night [or By night; C perhaps with connotations that he could not “see” spiritually] Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], we know you are a teacher sent from God, because no one can do the ·miracles [L signs; 2:11] you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], unless you are born ·again [or from above; C this may be a play on words, meaning both “again” and “from above”], you cannot ·be in [experience; L see] God’s kingdom.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “But if a person is already old, how can he be born ·again [or from above; 3:3]? ·He cannot enter his mother’s womb again. So how can a person be born a second time [L Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born]?”
5 But Jesus answered, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], unless you are born from water and the Spirit [C equivalent to being born again (3:3); water could symbolize physical birth, but more likely symbolizes spiritual cleansing which brings renewal; Ezek. 36:25–27], you cannot enter God’s kingdom. 6 ·Human life comes from human parents [L That which is born of the flesh is flesh; C flesh here means human nature], but ·spiritual life comes from the Spirit [L that which is born of the Spirit is spirit]. 7 Don’t be ·surprised [amazed; astonished] when I tell you, ‘You [C plural, referring to the Jews or the Jewish leaders] must be born ·again [or from above; 3:3].’ 8 The wind [C one word means both “wind” and “spirit” in Greek] blows where it wants to and you hear the sound of it, but you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the Spirit.” [C We cannot comprehend or control the Spirit, but we experience his effect.]
9 Nicodemus ·asked [replied], “How can this ·happen [be]?”
10 Jesus ·said [replied; answered], “You are ·an important teacher in Israel [L the teacher of Israel], and you don’t ·understand [know] these things? 11 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], we talk about what we know, and we ·tell [testify; bear witness] about what we have seen, but you don’t ·accept what we tell you [L receive our testimony/witness]. 12 I have told you about things here on earth [C the teaching about being born again], and you do not believe me. ·So you will not [L So how will you…?] believe me if I tell you about things of heaven. 13 ·The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is [L No one has gone up into heaven except] the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man[a] [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14].
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the ·snake [T serpent] in the ·desert [wilderness; C Moses put a bronze snake statue on a pole, and those who looked at it were healed of snake bites; Num. 21:4–9], the Son of Man must also be lifted up [C an allusion to the cross and resurrection]. 15 So that everyone who ·believes can have eternal life in him [or believes in him can have eternal life].
16 “[L For] God loved the world so much that he gave his ·one and only [only; unique; T only begotten; 1:14, 18] Son so that whoever believes in him may not ·be lost [T perish], but have eternal life. 17 [L For; Indeed] God did not send his Son into the world to ·judge the world guilty [condemn the world], but to save the world through him. 18 People who believe in God’s Son are not ·judged guilty [condemned]. Those who do not believe have already been ·judged guilty [condemned], because they have not believed in [L the name of] God’s ·one and only [only; unique; T only begotten; 3:16] Son. 19 ·They are judged by this fact [L And this is the judgment/condemnation/verdict]: The Light [C Jesus, God’s Son] has come into the world, ·but they did not want light. They wanted darkness [L but people loved the darkness more than the light], because they were doing evil things. 20 All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show ·all the evil things they do [L their deeds/actions]. 21 But those who ·follow the true way [do what is true; live by the truth] come to the light, and it ·shows [may be seen] that the things they do were done ·through [or in the sight of; or in obedience to; L in] God.”
Praise to God Who Made the World
104 ·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord.
Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with ·glory [splendor] and ·majesty [beauty];
2 you ·wear [L wrap yourself in] light like a robe [Hab. 3:4; 1 John 1:5].
You stretch out the ·skies [heavens] like a tent [Is. 40:22].
3 You ·build your room above the clouds [L set the beams of your upper room on the waters].
You make the clouds your chariot [18:10–19; 68:4; Is. 19:1; Dan. 7:13–14; Luke 21:27; Rev. 1:7],
and you ride on the wings of the wind.
4 You make the winds your messengers,
and flames of fire are your ·servants [ministers; Heb. 1:7].
5 You ·built [founded] the earth on its foundations
so it can never be moved.
6 You covered the earth with ·oceans [L the deeps];
the water ·was above [L stood over] the mountains.
7 But at your ·command [reprimand; rebuke], the water ·rushed away [fled].
·When you thundered your orders [L At the sound of your thunder], it hurried away.
8 The mountains rose; the valleys sank.
The water went to the places you ·made [founded] for it.
9 You set borders for the seas that they cannot ·cross [pass],
so water will never cover the earth again [C as before the third day creation or during the Flood; Gen. 1:9–10; 9:9–17; Job 38:8–11; Prov. 8:29].
10 You make springs pour into the ·ravines [wadis];
they flow between the mountains.
11 They water all the ·wild animals [L creatures of the field];
the wild donkeys ·come there to drink [L quench their thirst].
12 ·Wild birds [Birds of the sky/heavens] ·make nests by the water [L dwell by them];
they ·sing [L give voice] among the tree branches.
13 You water the mountains from ·above [L your high dwelling].
The earth is ·full of [or satisfied by] ·the things you made [L the fruit of your works].
14 You make the grass grow for cattle
and ·vegetables [plants] for the people to ·use [cultivate].
You make ·food [or bread] ·grow [L come out] from the earth.
15 You give us wine that ·makes happy hearts [rejoices the hearts of people; John 2:1–12]
and olive oil that makes our faces shine [C soothing skin in a dry climate; Luke 7:46].
You give us bread that gives us ·strength [sustenance].
16 The Lord’s trees ·have plenty of water [flourish];
they are the cedars of Lebanon [C the most majestic trees known], which he planted.
17 The birds make their nests there;
the stork’s home is in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats.
The rocks are ·hiding places [refuge] for the badgers.
19 You made the moon ·to mark the seasons [for appointed times; Gen. 1:14; Lev. 23:2, 4, 37, 44],
and the sun always knows when to set.
20 You make it dark, and it becomes night.
Then all the ·wild animals [L creatures of the forest] ·creep [swarm] around.
21 The lions roar ·as they attack [L for prey].
They ·look to [seek] God for food.
22 When the sun rises, they leave
and go back to their dens to lie down.
23 Then people go to work
and ·work [labor] until evening.
24 Lord, ·you have made many things;
with your wisdom you made them all [Prov. 8:22–31].
The earth is full of your ·riches [or creatures].
20 The poor are ·rejected [hated], even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends [C perhaps an ironic reference to fair-weather friends].
21 It is a sin to ·hate [despise] your neighbor,
but being ·kind [gracious] to the needy brings ·happiness [a blessing].
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