5. They said to him, “Please find out from God if our journey will be successful.”
6. The priest told them, “Go in peace. The Lord approves of your journey.”
7. The five men left there and came to the city of Laish. They saw that the people there lived without a care. These people were like the people of Sidon. They were peaceful and secure. There was no one around who threatened to take away their property by force. They were far from the people of Sidon and totally independent.
8. The men went back to their relatives in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their relatives asked them, “What did you find?”
9. They replied, “Get up, let’s attack Laish. We saw the land. It’s very good!“Don’t just sit there! Go at once and take the land.
10. When you get there, you will come to a secure people. The land is wide open to you. God will hand it over to you. It’s a place where you will have everything you could want.”
11. So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol armed for war.
12. They camped at Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place just west of Kiriath Jearim is still called Mahaneh Dan [The Camp of Dan] today.
13. From there they marched to the mountains of Ephraim as far as Micah’s house.
14. Then the five men who had gone to spy throughout the land around Laish spoke up. They said to the other men of Dan, “Do you know that there’s an ephod, a carved idol, a metal idol, and household idols in these houses? What do you think we should do?”
15. So they stopped and entered Micah’s house and greeted the young Levite.
16. The 600 armed men from Dan stood at the entrance to the city.
17. The five men who had gone to spy throughout the land went inside. They took the carved idol, the ephod, the household idols, and the metal idol. The priest stood at the entrance to the city with the 600 armed men.
18. When these men entered Micah’s house and took the carved idol, the ephod, the household idols, and the metal idol, the priest asked them, “What are you doing?”
19. They told him, “Keep quiet! Don’t say a word! Come with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be a priest for one man’s house or for a tribe in Israel and its families?”
20. The priest was content. He took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved idol and went with the people.
21. When they left, they put their children, livestock, and property in front of them.
22. When they had already gone some distance from Micah’s house, Micah’s neighbors were called together to help him catch up to the people of Dan.