The irony continues here since the Levite forgets what Micah has done for him and willingly goes off with the Danites.

And the priest’s heart was glad: This is the Levite’s reaction to the proposal of the Danites. It pleases him, so he immediately accepts it. And renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction, which introduces the Levite’s reaction here. However, in many languages it may be necessary to begin with “At this proposal” or “Hearing this.” The priest’s heart was glad is literally “the heart of the priest was good,” so this clause links back to the Danites’ question at the end of 18.19, where the Hebrew root meaning “good” is rendered “better.” The narrator again calls the Levite a priest, continuing the irony. In Hebrew the heart is the seat of thought, will, and emotions (see verse 5.9). In this context, however, it is used as the seat of emotions. Translators can use any idiomatic expression to describe the Levite’s joy. We might say “the priest was [very] happy” or “the priest was overjoyed.” If at one point the Levite feared for his life, he is now happy to learn that he will not be killed. Many scholars note how quickly his decision was made. Obviously he is an opportunist, as his loyalty to Micah quickly fades.

He took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image: This clause begins with the Hebrew waw conjunction, omitted by Revised Standard Version, but which some languages may prefer to express. For example, Good News Translation uses the connector “so.” Once again the verb took is in focus (see verse 18.17). However, now it is not the Danites who are removing the sacred items but the priest! If possible, the same verb took should be used throughout this passage. To convey some of the irony, we might say “the priest himself took [or, picked up]….” For the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, see verse 17.3, verse 5. Note that here “the molten image” is missing, but this does not seem to have great significance.

And went in the midst of the people is literally “and he came in the middle of the people,” that is, the Levite joined the Danites. The Hebrew word for people (ʿam) is often used to refer to all the people of Israel (see verse 2.4), but here it refers to a part of the tribe of Dan, intent on stealing from a fellow Israelite. Translators will have to decide whether they can keep this ironic reference to the people, or whether they have to specify “the Danites.” New Jerusalem Bible says “and went off among the people,” but New International Version expresses a slightly different nuance: “and went along with the people.” In any case, this clause underlines the Levite’s willingness to leave Micah to now serve the Danites.

Translation models for this verse are:

• Hearing this, the priest was very happy, and he took the ephod, the household gods and the carved image, and joined the Danites.

• At this, the priest was overjoyed, so he took the ephod, the household gods and the carved image, and left with the Danites.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .