Judges 17

1 A man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

2 told his mother, “Those eleven hundred shekels of silver that were stolen from you and that I heard you curse—I've got the silver. I was the one who took it.” Then his mother said, “My son, the Lord bless you!”

And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred silver-pieces that were taken from thee, and about which thou didst curse and speak of in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son of Jehovah!

3 He gave back to his mother the eleven hundred shekels of silver. His mother announced, “I'm completely dedicating this money to the Lord. I'm handing it over to my son to have an idol carved, an image made with molten silver. So now I return it to you.”

And he restored the eleven hundred silver-pieces to his mother; and his mother said, I had dedicated the silver to Jehovah from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image; and now I will restore it to thee.

4 After he'd returned the silver to his mother she gave two hundred shekels to a silversmith who made it into a carved idol, an image made with molten silver. They were kept in Micah's house.

Now he restored the silver to his mother; and his mother took two hundred silver-pieces and gave them to the founder, and he made of them a graven image and a molten image; and they were in the house of Micah.

5 Micah had built a shrine for the idol. He also made an ephod and some household gods, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.

And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

6 At that time Israel didn't have a king— everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.

In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

7 One young man, a Levite from the tribe of Judah had been living in Bethlehem in Judah,

And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-Judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

8 left Bethlehem to look for a different place to live. As he traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, he came to Micah's house.

And the man departed from the city, from Bethlehem-Judah, to sojourn where he might find [a place]. And as he journeyed, he came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah.

9 “Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” the man replied. “I'm looking for a place to live.”

And Micah said to him, Whence comest thou? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find [a place].

10 “Come and stay here with me. You can be my ‘father’ and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels of silver a year, plus your clothes and food.” So the Levite went inside

And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give thee yearly ten silver-pieces, and a suit of garments, and thy victuals. And the Levite went in.

11 and agreed to stay with him. The young man became like a son to him.

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

12 Micah ordained the Levite as his own priest and he lived in Micah's house.

And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

13 “I'm sure the Lord will bless me now, because I have a Levite as my priest,” Micah concluded.

Then said Micah, Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, because I have the Levite for priest.