17:1 Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
17:2 said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse–I have that silver with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “The LORD bless you, my son!”
17:3 When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol. I will give it back to you.”
17:4 So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into the image and the idol. And they were put in Micah’s house.
17:5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest.
17:6 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.
17:7 A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah,
17:8 left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.
17:9 Micah asked him, “Where are you from?” “I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he said, “and I’m looking for a place to stay.”
17:10 Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food.”
17:11 So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man was to him like one of his sons.
17:12 Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.
17:13 And Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”
17:1 Now there was a man from the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.
17:2 And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse and spoke it in my hearing ? look, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed of Jehovah be my son!
17:3 And he returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I do consecrate the silver to Jehovah from my hand to my son to make a sculptured idol and a molten image. Now therefore I will return it to you.
17:4 And when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the founder, who made them into a sculptured idol and a molten image. And it was in the house of Micah.
17:5 And the man Micah had a house of gods; and he made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons to become his priest.
17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
17:7 And there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he was a sojourner there.
17:8 And the man left the city Bethlehem in Judah to dwell wherever he could find a place. And he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he made his way.
17:9 And Micah said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am traveling in order to dwell wherever I can find a place.
17:10 And Micah said to him, Stay with me, and be a father and a priest to me; and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and an array of clothing and your food. So the Levite went with him.
17:11 And the Levite was content to stay with the man; and the young man was to him like one of his sons.
17:12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah.
17:13 Then Micah said, Now I know that Jehovah will prosper me, because the Levite has become my priest.