4. He told them what Micah had done for him, saying, “He hired me, and I became his priest.”
5. They said to him, “Please ask God if we may know whether our mission will be a success as we go to do it.”
6. The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The Lord is watching the way you are going.”
7. The five men went away and came to Laish. They saw the people who were there, living securely according to the culture of the Sidonians. There were no rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians and had no ties with anyone.
8. When they came back to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What do you have to say?”
9. They said, “Get up! Let us go up against them, for we have seen the land. It is very good. You are silent, but do not hesitate to go to take the land.
10. When you go, you will come to a secure people and to an expansive land. For God has given it into your hands: a place where there is no lack of anything on the earth.”
11. So six hundred fully armed men set out from the family of the Danites, from Zorah and Eshtaol.
12. They went up and set up camp in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. It is west of Kiriath Jearim.
13. From there they passed the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
14. The five men who went to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that in these houses are an ephod, household idols, a carved image, and a metal idol? Now think about what to do.”
15. So they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, to the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16. The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were the children of Dan, stood at the entrance to the gate.
17. The five men who went to spy out the land went in and took the carved idol, ephod, household idols, and the metal idol. The priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the six hundred fully armed men.
18. When these men went into the house of Micah and took the carved idol, ephod, household idols, and the metal idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19. They said to him, “Quiet! Put your hand over your mouth and go with us. Be a father and priest for us. Is it better to be a priest for one man’s house or for a tribe and a family in Israel?”
20. So the priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image and went among the people.
21. So they turned and left, putting the children, livestock, and valuables in front of them.
22. They had gone far from the house of Micah, but the neighbors of Micah assembled and caught up to the children of Dan.
23. They called out to the children of Dan. So they turned and said to Micah, “What is wrong that have you assembled together?”
24. He said, “You took the gods that I made, and the priest, and then you left. What do I have left? So what is this that you say to me, ‘What is wrong?’ ”