Judges 17

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

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

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!”

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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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: every man did what seemed 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 man out of Beth-lechem-judah of the family of Judah, but he was a Levite, and sojourned there.

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.

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 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.”

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Then said Micah, Now I know that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have obtained a Levite for priest.