²¹ The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.^(A)

¹⁷ The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods^(A) while the priest and the six hundred armed men^(B) stood at the entrance of the gate.

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

¹² He will set fire^(A) to the temples^(B) of the gods^(C) of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive.^(D) As a shepherd picks^(E) his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. ¹³ There in the temple of the sun^[a](F) in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars^(G) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

²⁴ He replied, “You took^(A) 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?’”