14. Then the five men who had gone to explore the country round Laish said to their companions, “Did you know that here in one of these houses there is a wooden idol covered with silver? There are also other idols and an ephod. What do you think we should do?”
15. So they went into Micah's house, where the young Levite lived, and asked the Levite how he was getting on.
16. Meanwhile the 600 soldiers from Dan, ready for battle, were standing at the gate.
17. The five spies went straight on into the house and took the wooden idol covered with silver, the other idols, and the ephod, while the priest stayed at the gate with the 600 armed men.
18. When the men went into Micah's house and took the sacred objects, the priest asked them, “What are you doing?”
19. They said, “Keep quiet. Don't say a word. Come with us and be our priest and adviser. Wouldn't you rather be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for the family of one man?”
20. This made the priest very happy, so he took the sacred objects and went along with them.