13. From there they traveled on to the mountains of Ephraim. Then they came to Micah’s house.
14. So the five men who had explored the land around Laish spoke. They said to their relatives, “There is a vest for a priest in one of these houses. And there are household gods in these houses. There are also a carved idol and an idol of melted silver in these houses. You know what to do.”
15. So they stopped at the Levite’s house. This was also Micah’s house. And they greeted the Levite.
16. The 600 men of Dan stood at the gate entrance. They wore their weapons of war.
17. The five spies went into the house. They took the carved idol, the vest for a priest, the household idols and the silver idol. The priest and the 600 men ready for war stood by the gate entrance.
18. When the spies went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the vest for a priest, the household idols and the silver idol, the priest asked them, “What are you doing?”
19. They answered, “Be quiet! Don’t say a word. Come with us. Be our father and our priest. Is it better for you to be a priest for the people in one man’s house? Or is it better for you to be a priest for a tribe and family group in Israel?”
20. This made the Levite happy. So he took the vest for a priest, the household idols and the carved idol. And he went with the men of Dan.
21. They left Micah’s house. They put their little children, their animals and everything they owned in front of them.
22. The men of Dan went a long way from Micah’s house. Then the men who lived near Micah were called out. They chased the men of Dan and caught up with them.