¹⁷ Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land went in and took the carved image overlaid with silver,^[a] the ephod, and the household idols, while the priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸ When they entered Micah’s house and took the carved image overlaid with silver,^[b] the ephod, and the household idols, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They told him, “Be quiet. Keep your mouth shut.^[c](A) Come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or for you to be a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”