Judges 18:14-27

New International Version

¹⁴ Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish^(A) said to their fellow Danites, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod,^(B) some household gods and an image overlaid with silver?^(C) Now you know what to do.” ¹⁵ So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him. ¹⁶ The six hundred Danites,^(D) armed for battle, stood at the entrance of the gate. ¹⁷ The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods^(E) while the priest and the six hundred armed men^(F) stood at the entrance of the gate.

¹⁸ When the five men went into Micah’s house and took^(G) the idol, the ephod and the household gods,^(H) the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They answered him, “Be quiet!^(I) Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest.^(J) Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan^(K) in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?” ²⁰ The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people. ²¹ Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.

²² When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. ²³ As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?”

²⁴ He replied, “You took^(L) the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”

²⁵ The Danites answered, “Don’t argue with us, or some of the men may get angry and attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” ²⁶ So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him,^(M) turned around and went back home.

²⁷ Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a people at peace and secure.^(N) They attacked them with the sword and burned^(O) down their city.^(P)