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Bible in Basic English

Judges 18:5

Then they said, Do get directions from God for us, to see if the journey on which we are going will have a good outcome.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Jonathan;   Reconnoissance;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Micah;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Magic;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Magi;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Archaeology and Biblical Study;   Eshtaol;   Inquire of God;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dan;   Israel;   Micah, Micaiah;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jonathan ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Dan;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Teraphim;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jonathan (1);   Micah (1);   Urim and Thummim;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God for us to determine if we will have a successful journey.”
Hebrew Names Version
They said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
King James Version
And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
Lexham English Bible
And they said to him, "Please inquire of God that we may know whether our journey that we are going on will be successful."
English Standard Version
And they said to him, "Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed."
New Century Version
They said to him, "Please ask God if our journey will be successful."
New English Translation
They said to him, "Seek a divine oracle for us, so we can know if we will be successful on our mission."
Amplified Bible
And they said to him, "Please ask of God, so that we may know whether our journey on which we are going will be successful."
New American Standard Bible
Then they said to him, "Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be successful."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Againe they said vnto him, Aske counsell nowe of God, that we may knowe whether the way which we goe, shalbe prosperous.
Legacy Standard Bible
Toe vra hulle hom: Raadpleeg God tog, dat ons kan weet of ons pad waarop ons reis, voorspoedig sal wees.
Contemporary English Version
"Please talk to God for us," the men said. "Ask God if we will be successful in what we are trying to do."
Complete Jewish Bible
They said to him, "Please ask God whether our journey will be successful."
Darby Translation
And they said to him, Inquire, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way on which we go shall be prosperous.
Easy-to-Read Version
So they said to him, "Please ask God if our search for a place to live will be successful."
George Lamsa Translation
And they said to him, Inquire for us of God, that we may know whether the errand for which we go shall prosper.
Good News Translation
They said to him, "Please ask God if we are going to be successful on our trip."
Literal Translation
And they said to him, Please ask of God and we will know whether our way in which we are going will be prosperous.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They sayde vnto him: O axe at God, yt we maye perceaue, whether oure iourney which we go, shal prospere well or not.
American Standard Version
And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they sayd vnto hym agayne: Aske counsell now of God, that we may knowe whether the way which we go shalbe prousperous, or no.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they said unto him: 'Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we are going shall be prosperous.'
King James Version (1611)
And they sayd vnto him, Aske counsell, we pray thee, of God, that we may know, whether our way which we goe, shall be prosperous.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they said to him, Enquire now of God, and we shall know whether our way will prosper, on which we are going.
English Revised Version
And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
Berean Standard Bible
Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe thei preieden hym, that he schulde counsele the Lord, and thei myyten wite, whether thei yeden in weie of prosperite, and the thing schulde haue effect.
Young's Literal Translation
And they say to him, `Ask, we pray thee, at God, and we know whether our way is prosperous on which we are going.'
Update Bible Version
And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
World English Bible
They said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
New King James Version
So they said to him, "Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous."
New Living Translation
Then they said, "Ask God whether or not our journey will be successful."
New Life Bible
They said to him, "We beg you to ask God if all will go well for us as we travel."
New Revised Standard
Then they said to him, "Inquire of God that we may know whether the mission we are undertaking will succeed."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So they said unto him - Ask of God, we pray thee, - that we may know whether the journey on which we are going shall have good success.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then they desired him to consult the Lord, that they might know whether their journey should be prosperous, and the thing should have effect.
Revised Standard Version
And they said to him, "Inquire of God, we pray thee, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed."
THE MESSAGE
They said, "Oh, good—inquire of God for us. Find out whether our mission will be a success."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They said to him, "Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be prosperous."

Contextual Overview

1 In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the Danites were looking for a heritage for themselves, to be their living-place; for up to that time no distribution of land had been made to them among the tribes of Israel. 2 So the children of Dan sent five men from among their number, strong men, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to take a look at the land and make a search through it; and they said to them, Go and make a search through the land; and they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, where they made a stop for the night. 3 When they were near the house of Micah, hearing a voice which was not strange to them, that of the young Levite, they went out of their road to his place, and said to him, How did you come here? and what are you doing in this place? and why are you here? 4 And he said to them, This is what Micah did for me, and he gave me payment and I became his priest. 5 Then they said, Do get directions from God for us, to see if the journey on which we are going will have a good outcome. 6 And the priest said to them, Go in peace: your way is guided by the Lord.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ask counsel: 1 Kings 22:5, 2 Kings 16:15, Isaiah 30:1, Ezekiel 21:21, Hosea 4:12, Acts 8:10

of God: Judges 18:14, Judges 17:5, Judges 17:13

Reciprocal: Genesis 24:14 - thereby Judges 17:3 - I had wholly

Cross-References

Genesis 19:8
See now, I have two unmarried daughters; I will send them out to you so that you may do to them whatever seems good to you: only do nothing to these men, for this is why they have come under the shade of my roof.
Genesis 33:10
And Jacob said, Not so; but if I have grace in your eyes, take them as a sign of my love, for I have seen your face as one may see the face of God, and you have been pleased with me.
Judges 6:18
Do not go away till I come with my offering and put it before you. And he said, I will not go away before you come back.
Judges 13:15
And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, Now let us keep you while we make ready a young goat for you.
Judges 19:5
Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning and he made ready to go away; but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, Take a little food to keep up your strength, and then go on your way.
Psalms 104:15
And wine to make glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face shining, and bread giving strength to his heart.
Isaiah 3:1
For the Lord, the Lord of armies, is about to take away from Jerusalem and from Judah all their support; their store of bread and of water;
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day bread for our needs.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said unto him, ask counsel, we pray thee, of God,.... They did not reprove him for assuming the priestly office, when they knew he was a Levite, such was the corruption of those times, and the great depravity and declensions they were fallen into; nor even for the idolatry he was guilty of, but encourage him in it, and thought they had got a fine opportunity, which they readily laid hold on, to have counsel asked for them of God, about the success of the errand they were sent about; to this they were led at sight of the ephod, which was like that in the tabernacle, and of the teraphim, images which, according to a notion that prevailed, when consulted, foretold future things; whether by God they meant the true God, who they thought would give an answer by these, or Micah's gods, is not certain; according to the Targum of Jonathan, they meant the true God, which paraphrases it,

"ask of the Word of the Lord:''

that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous or no; whether they should find out a proper place to dwell in, and be able to get possession of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sight of the ephod and teraphim suggested the notion of inquiring of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 18:5. Ask counsel - of God — As the Danites use the word אלהים Elohim here for God, we are necessarily led to believe that they meant the true God; especially as the Levite answers, Judges 18:6, Before the LORD (יהוה Yehovah) is your way. Though the former word may be sometimes applied to idols, whom their votaries clothed with the attributes of God; yet the latter is never applied but to the true God alone. As the Danites succeeded according to the oracle delivered by the Levite, it is a strong presumption that the worship established by Micah was not of an idolatrous kind. It is really begging the question to assert, as many commentators have done, that the answer was either a trick of the Levite, or suggested by the devil; and that the success of the Danites was merely accidental. This is taking the thing by the worst handle, to support an hypothesis, and to serve a system. See the end of the preceding chapter. Judges 17:13 (note)


 
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