Judges 17

1 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 He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears—behold, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May the LORD bless my son!”

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 He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, then his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.”

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 When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, who made a carved image and a molten image out of it. 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 The man Micah had a house of gods, 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. Everyone 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 There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived 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 The man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to live where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he travelled.

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 Micah said to him, “Where did you come from?” He said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.”

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 Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, a suit of clothing, and your food.” 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 The Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to 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 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 Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will do good to me, since 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.