In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them.

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning in the remote areas of the mountains of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself, a woman from Bethlehem in Judah.

and said, O Jehovah the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that today there should be one tribe missing in Israel?

In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did what was right in his own eyes.

Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel:

And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.

You shall not do as we are doing here today; every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes;

that has said, We shall be strong with our tongue; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who gives heed to counsel is wise.

There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end of it is the ways of death.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but Jehovah weighs the spirits.

Rejoice in your youth, young man; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things, God will bring you into judgment.

As for the Word that you have spoken to us in the name of Jehovah, we will not give heed to you.

But we will prepare and do whatever goes forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our rulers, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and were well-off, and saw no evil.