Judges 17

1 A man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

And there was a man of the mountain of Ephraim, whose name was Michayhu.

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 unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spokest of also in my ears, —behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son unto the Lord.

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 shekels of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand, for my son, to make a graven and molten image; and now I will give it back unto 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.

Yet he gave the money back unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the silversmith, who made thereof a graven and molten image; and it was 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 god, and he 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 seemed 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 Beth-lechem-judah of the family of Judah, but he was a Levite, and 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 Beth-lechem-judah, to sojourn where he could find [a place]; and he came to the mountain of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he was pursuing his journey.

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 unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite from Beth-lechem-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 unto him, Remain with me, and become unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver for the year, and suitable apparel, 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 consented to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto 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 remained 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 the Lord will do me good, seeing I have obtained a Levite for priest.