Judges 17

1 Now there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

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

2 And he said unto his mother: 'The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou didst utter a curse, and didst also speak it in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.' And his mother said: 'Blessed be my son of the LORD.'

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.

3 And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said: 'I verily dedicate the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore I will restore it unto thee.'

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.

4 And when he restored the money unto his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image; and it was in the house of Micah.

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.

5 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.

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.

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

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

7 And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem in Judah — in the family of Judah — who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

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

8 And the man departed out of the city, out of Beth-lehem in Judah, to sojourn where he could find a place; and he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

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.

9 And Micah said unto him: 'Whence comest thou?' And he said unto him: 'I am a Levite of Beth-lehem in Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.'

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.

10 And Micah said unto him: 'Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals.' So the Levite went in.

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.

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

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

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

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

13 Then said Micah: 'Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite as my priest.'

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