Judges 17

1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, and his name was Michaias.

There was a man in the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Micah.

2 And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred pieces of silver which you took of yourself, and [about which] you cursed me, and spoke in my ears, behold, the silver [is] with me; I took it: and his mother said, Blessed [be] my son of the Lord.

He said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you spoke a curse, and which I heard—look here! I have the silver with me. I stole it.” His mother said, “May Yahweh bless you, my son!”

3 And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I had wholly consecrated the money to the Lord out of my hand for my son, to make a graven and a molten [image], and now I will restore it to you.

He restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother and his mother said, “I set apart this silver to Yahweh, for my son to make carved and cast metal figures. So now, I restore it to you.”

4 But he returned the silver to his mother, and his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, and he made it a graven and a molten image; and it was in the house of Michaias.

When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to a metal worker who made them into carved and cast metal figures, and they were placed in the house of Micah.

5 And the house of Michaias [was] to him the house of God, and he made an ephod and theraphin, and he consecrated one of his sons, and he became to him a priest.

The man Micah had a house of idols and he made an ephod and household gods, and he hired one of his sons to become his priest.

6 And in those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

7 And there was a young man in Bethleem of the tribe of Juda, and he [was] a Levite, and he was sojourning there.

Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the clan of Judah, who was a Levite. He stayed there to fulfill his duties.

8 And the man departed from Bethleem the city of Juda to sojourn in whatever place he might find; and he came as far as mount Ephraim, and to the house of Michaias to accomplish his journey.

The man left Bethlehem in Judah to go and find a place to live. As he journeyed, he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.

9 And Michaias said to him, Whence come you? and he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethleem Juda, and I go to sojourn in any place I may find.

Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” The man said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am traveling to find a place where I might live.”

10 And Michaias said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest; and I will give you ten pieces of silver by the year, and a change of raiment, and your living.

Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a suit of clothes, and your food.” So the Levite went into his house.

11 And the Levite went and began to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.

The Levite was content to live with the man, and the young man became to Micah like one of his sons.

12 And Michaias consecrated the Levite, and he became to him a priest, and he was in the house of Michaias.

Micah set apart the Levite for sacred duties, and the young man became his priest, and was in Micah's house.

13 And Michaias said, Now I know that the Lord will do me good, because a Levite has become my priest.

Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will do good for me, because this Levite has become my priest.”