Judges 18:5

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."

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.

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.

Bible in Basic English
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.

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 These things happened before kings ruled Israel. About this time, the tribe of Dan was looking for a place to live. The other tribes had land, but the people of Dan did not really have any to call their own. ² The tribe chose five warriors to represent their clans and told them, "Go and find some land where we can live." The warriors left the area of Zorah and Eshtaol and went into the hill country of Ephraim. One night they stayed at Micah's house, ³ because they heard the young Levite talking, and they knew from his accent that he was from the south. They asked him, "What are you doing here? Who brought you here?" ⁴ The Levite replied, "Micah hired me as his priest." Then he told them how well Micah had treated him. ⁵ "Please talk to God for us," the men said. "Ask God if we will be successful in what we are trying to do." ⁶ "Don't worry," answered the priest. "The Lord is pleased with what you are doing."

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
I have two daughters who have never been married. I'll bring them out, and you can do what you want with them. But don't harm these men. They are guests in my home."

Genesis 33:10
"No!" Jacob said. "Please accept these gifts as a sign of your friendship for me. When you welcomed me and I saw your face, it was like seeing the face of God.

Judges 6:18
And wait here until I bring you an offering." "All right, I'll wait," the Lord answered.

Judges 13:15
"Please," Manoah said, "stay here with us for just a little while, and we'll fix a young goat for you to eat."

Judges 19:5
When everyone got up on the fourth day, the Levite started getting ready to go home. But his father-in-law said, "Don't leave until you have a bite to eat. You'll need strength for your journey."

Psalms 104:15
wine to cheer us up, olive oil for our skin, and grain for our health.

Isaiah 3:1
The mighty Lord All-Powerful is going to take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything you need— your bread and water,

Matthew 6:11
Give us our food for today.

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)