Joe: Alright, what's going on in Judges 18?

Bible Expert: Well, the chapter starts off by saying that the Israelites again did not keep the Lord's commands, so the Lord let the people of the tribe of Dan do whatever they wanted.

Joe: Whoa, wait a minute. That sounds like the Lord let them get away with sin.

Bible Expert: That's right. The tribe of Dan searched for a place to settle, but they couldn't find one. So they sent five men from their tribe to look for a place.

Joe: Alright, so what happened next?

Bible Expert: They went to the town of Laish, which was inhabited by a tribe called the Sidonians. They found the people of Laish living in peace and security, so the five men of Dan came back and reported that they had seen a land that was good for their tribe to settle.

Joe: And then what?

Bible Expert: So the Danites armed themselves and went to Laish. They attacked the town and killed everyone in it. Then they destroyed the city and rebuilt it, calling it Dan after their own tribe.

Joe: Wow, that's intense! So what did the Lord think of all this?

Bible Expert: Well, the Lord had allowed the Danites to do this, so their actions were seen as a sign of his blessing. The chapter ends with the Danites establishing their own place of worship there in Dan.