17 The five men who had gone to spy out the land went up and entered there. They took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols and the molten image, while the priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.
18 Now after these had gone into Micah’s house and taken the carved image, the ephod, the household idols and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 “Be quiet!” they said to him. “Put your hand on your mouth and go with us and be to us a father and a priest! Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man or to be priest to a tribe and a clan in Israel?”
20 So the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the household idols and the carved image, and went along among the people.
21 So they turned and set off, and placed the little ones and the cattle and the goods in front of them.
22 When they were at a good distance from Micah’s house, the men that were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered and caught up with the children of Dan.
23 They called out to the children of Dan, who turned their faces around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you have called them out?”