Judges 17

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

Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

2 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!”

said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”

3 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.”

And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”

4 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.

So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.

5 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.

Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.

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

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

7 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.

And there was a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah who had been residing within the clan of Judah.

8 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.

This man left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find a place. And as he traveled, he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

9 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.”

“Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he replied, “and I am on my way to settle wherever I can find a place.”

10 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.

“Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in

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

and agreed to stay with him, and the young man became like a son to Micah.

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

Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.

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

Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”