Judges 17

1 There was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Michah,

There was a man named Micah who lived in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim live.

2 And he saide vnto his mother, The eleuen hundreth shekels of siluer that were taken from thee, for the which thou cursedst, and spakedst it, euen in mine hearing, beholde, the siluer is with me, I tooke it. Then his mother saide, Blessed be my sonne of the Lord.

One day he said to his mother, “I heard you curse whoever stole (1,100 pieces/28 pounds/13 kg.) of silver from your house. I am the one who took the silver, and I still have it.” His mother replied, “My son, I pray that Yahweh will bless you [for admitting that you took it].”

3 And when he had restored the eleuen hundreth shekels of siluer to his mother, his mother sayd, I had dedicate the siluer to the Lord of mine hand for my sonne, to make a grauen and molten image. Now therfore I will giue it thee again.

Micah gave all the silver back to his mother. Then she said [to herself], “I will give [some of] this silver to Yahweh.” And she said to her son, “My son, I want you to make an idol and a statue [from this silver]. So I will give [some of] this silver back to you [for making these things].”

4 And when he had restored the money vnto his mother, his mother tooke two hundreth shekels of siluer, and gaue them to the founder, which made thereof a grauen and molten image, and it was in the house of Michah.

So when he gave all the silver to his mother, she took (200 pieces/about 5 pounds/1.6 kg.) of it to a (silversmith/man who made things from silver). With the silver that man made an idol and a statue, [and gave them to Micah]. Micah put them in his house.

5 And this man Michah had an house of gods, and made an Ephod, and Teraphim, and cosecrated one of his sonnes, who was his Priest.

He had in his house a special (shrine/place for putting sacred things). He made a sacred vest and some small idols [and put them in this shrine along with the big idol and the statue]. Then Micah chose one of his sons to become his priest.

6 In those dayes there was no King in Israel, but euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes.

At that time, the Israeli people did not have a king. So [Micah and everyone else] did whatever they considered to be the right thing to do.

7 There was also a yong man out of Bethlehem Iudah, of the familie of Iudah: who was a Leuite, and soiourned there.

There was a young man who had been living in Bethlehem in the area where the tribe of Judah lives. He [wanted to work as a priest because he] was a member of the tribe of Levi.

8 And the man departed out of the citie, euen out of Beth-lehem Iudah, to dwell where he coulde finde a place: and as he iourneyed, he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Michah

So he left Bethlehem to find another place to live [and work]. He came to Micah’s house in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim live.

9 And Michah saide vnto him, Whence comest thou? And the Leuite answered him, I come from Beth-lehem Iudah, and goe to dwell where I may finde a place.

Micah asked him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I come from Bethlehem. I am from the tribe of Levi, and I am looking for a place to live [and work as a priest].”

10 Then Michah said vnto him, Dwell with me, and be vnto me a father and a Priest, and I will giue thee ten shekels of siluer by yeere, and a sute of apparell, and thy meate and drinke. So the Leuite went in.

Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and you can become like a father [to counsel me], and be my priest. Each year I will give to you ten pieces of silver and some [new] clothes. And I will provide food for you.”

11 And the Leuite was content to dwel with the man, and the yong man was vnto him as one of his owne sonnes.

So the young man agreed to live with Micah. He became like one of Micah’s own sons.

12 And Michah consecrated the Leuite, and the yong man was his Priest, and was in the house of Michah.

Micah appointed him to be a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house.

13 Then said Michah, Nowe I know that the Lord will be good vnto me, seeing I haue a Leuite to my Priest.

Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will do good things for me, because I have a man from the tribe of Levi to be my priest.”